My latest Look of the Week is from Dubrovnik, Croatia and focuses on how to wear sun protective clothing. It’s no secret that I’m very interested in sun care, and I love being able to protect my skin from UV rays with chic clothing and accessories that has built in sun protection. Do you like to wear UPF clothing?

If you’re new to UPF protection clothing, allow me to highlight why it’s a fantastic way to prevent sun damage while looking stylish. UPF clothing shields skin from the sun with innovative fabrics made with Ultraviolet Protection Factor, a rating system used to protect our skin from UVA and UVB rays. It’s basically like the SPF rating but for clothes. Sounds amazing, right?

Clothing to stay safe in the sun

This striped Serenity Skirt from Rohan is an excellent way to protect my skin from the sun. Designed with UPF 40+, this uses Coolant™ technology to prevent harmful UV rays penetrating the skin.

I love wearing this skirt – it was ideal for Dubrovnik because the fabric instantly cooled my skin. Perfect for 30°C weather!

There’s also a small hip pocket, to store valuables if needed. It’s super soft and easy to style with different crop tops or t-shirts knotted at the waist.

A crop top is the perfect partner for this high-waisted skirt. This knotted pinstripe number from Zara complements the blue of the skirt brilliantly – I couldn’t miss an opportunity to doubling up on stripes!

To further protect my skin from the sun, I added an Airism UV Cut Long Sleeve Mesh Hoodie from Uniqlo in a matching lilac shade (I also have it in another colour). This is lightweight and always keeps skin dry in the heat while offering UPF 40 protection. As someone who’s always keen to shield my skin from the sun, there are no prizes for guessing I love the thumb hole detailing on the cuffs, which cover my hands.

Extra ways to stay safe in the sun

Going up to the top of Mount Srd in my trusty platform heels would be silly, so I opted for canvas trainers from Startas. All of their shoes are lovingly made in Croatia and this pair celebrates one of the most prominent football teams in Croatia, Hajduk Split. The soft insoles cushion my feet, making them ideal for walking and climbing the many, many steep steps in Dubrovnik.

I’ve read lots about the importance of sun protection and I’d be lost without a UPF hat, particularly when it’s very sunny. Not only do they offer additional protection from the sun but they’re incredibly stylish, too! I picked this Scala UPF 50+ hat up from TK Maxx and love it so much that I bought a range of other colours including white, cream, lilac and red (Jin from BTS has the red one, too!)

I love how practical Scala hats are. They’re lightweight and can be folded into a small size so they won’t take up much space in your suitcase (serial overpackers rejoice!). If you need further convincing that these hats are a wardrobe essential, V from K-pop band BTS has this exact version!

My sun protective clothing look:

Hat, Scala at TK Maxx; Sunglasses, Polaroid; Top, Zara; Skirt, Rohan; Shoes, Startas

Styling and Photography: Glitterball Magazine

If you have any recommendations on UPF clothing, I’d love to hear them! Or, why not find out on how to get a glow without burning?