River Island Holiday Looks for Winter Sun, and What to Pack

Winter sun is the best-value holiday you can book this year and the most annoying one to pack for. Your summer clothes went in the loft in September, the shops are full of coats, and you fly to Tenerife in three weeks. River Island is the fix, because a decent chunk of its summer holiday range is still on the rails.

Start with the weather, because it changes what you pack. Marrakech sits around 22°C from November to January, Agadir can reach 25°C in November, and the south of Tenerife averages 21 to 22°C through December and January. Lovely at lunch. But Marrakech only gets about ten hours of daylight in November, so dinner is in the dark and the warmth goes with the sun. You are packing for two climates in one case.

What River Island does well for a holiday

Crochet. River Island went big on it this summer (the Hen Do edit that Love Island’s Molly Smith curated in June was built around crochet and lace sets and gold-embroidered resort separates), and a lot of it is still around: crochet minis and midis, crochet shorts, even crochet-trim bikinis. Nothing says holiday faster, and a crochet dress over a bikini gets you from the sunbed to the beach bar without going back to the room. The other strength is shoes. The sandal range is huge and leans hard on metallics.

Daytime holiday outfits: shirts, shorts, trousers and swimwear

The most useful thing you can pack is a linen-blend shirt. Wear it open over a bikini, knot it over shorts, or button it up with wide-leg trousers for a lunch somewhere with tablecloths. Harrods’ winter-sun guide makes a good point here: swimwear often ends up being the whole outfit, so buy a swimsuit structured enough to pass as a top with trousers. The swim range we carry from River Island is small right now. If your size is there, buy it.

Holiday dinner outfits: maxi dresses and heeled sandals

This is where winter sun catches people out. The strappy mini that worked in Ibiza in July feels underdressed for the temperature by the time you sit down to eat. A maxi fixes it: more coverage, still clearly on holiday. River Island’s halter-neck maxis are the pick, and the devoré versions are the most dinner-ready of the lot. Wear them with a heeled sandal. Flip-flops can stay at the pool.

A jacket for the flight, flat sandals and a holiday bag

You leave from a British airport in November, so you need a layer for the journey, and you will want it again after dinner. A denim jacket covers both and goes over every dress on this page. Add flat sandals for a day walking round a souk or an old town, and a raffia bag, which looks right on holiday and then lives in the cupboard until May.

Verdict: River Island is a yes for winter sun, specifically for crochet, halter maxis and sandals. Don’t count on it for a big swimwear choice this late in the year; buy the one that fits and move on. Prices and sizes change daily, so if something is in your basket, don’t leave it there for a week. Going to a wedding this season too? Our River Island wedding guest edit covers the dressier side of the brand.