Journalist Glenn Kelly shares his top recommendations for functional and stylish children's wear to pack for summer holidays.
The school summer holidays are upon us, and families all around the country are turning their attention towards a well-deserved holiday abroad.
The continent is currently sizzling under a heat wave, and clothing that might work for a night out in drizzly Donegal might not necessarily work for you once you step off the plane in sunny Spain.
So, whether it is a week in Salou or a fortnight in Faliraki, we have you covered with all the best outfits for the entire journey for all the family, as well as some of the best cosmetics to keep your skin safe in that searing heat.
Travel day threads
The time has arrived, the alarm clock is set for the middle of the night to allow you to make that red-eye flight, and as you look at the wardrobe options for the day ahead, comfort is the name of the game as you look forward to battling security queues, passport control and three hours on a plane.
First up, leading Irish sports store Elverys have got you covered. With 44 stores across the country, you will never be far from one, and, hey, what kid doesn't like going shopping for comfy sportswear? This year, I found some smashing summer sets for my two kids.
For my little girl, I went with the TNF kids cotton two-piece set, which sells at €38, and the Under Armour tech fade two-piece set at €37 for my four-year-old. We found these to be super comfy for the journey and heard no complaints as we passed through the airport.
To help keep their attention occupied on cartwheels and jumps, we got them some fresh sneakers too. Heavyweight shoes are, of course, a no-no, so something breathable was the name of the game, and if they happened to light up for our boy, then his day was made. Skechers Flex Glow kids trainers are priced at €40.
Our little girl couldn’t believe how bouncy her Asics GT 1000 shoes were and were well worth the €60 for a budding gymnast to go crazy.
Now, for the parents, feeling comfortable doesn’t mean looking boring.
Your airport attire should be comfortable and practical (pockets), but can still give off those holiday vibes - remember, you will be touching down in 30-degree heat.
For ladies, Nike fits the bill with their One classic tank top and matching ¼ zip, along with their One classic leggings. The Hoka Clifton 10 trainer is class, with unrivalled comfort and looks smashing in this soft-pink colourway.
For us guys, a t-shirt and shorts are our staple go-to for travel day, so get yourself in gear with a slightly oversized tee and something on trend on the bottom.
For this assignment, look no further than Passenger. For my day at the airport in June, I went for this cool graphic t-shirt in white matched with Drifter cord shorts in navy for the chilled out vibe. Passenger also has a new range of Dri-release t-shirts, which offer sweat-wicking ability without taking away the style.
To keep my feet in the best order after standing in the dreaded queues, I also went for these Hoka Clifton 10, having read some rave reviews online, and I was not disappointed.
By the pool
Once you arrive, it's straight to the pool to practice cannonballs!
For the kids, we saved some cash by investing in a number of outfits for the pool from Dunnes Kids swimwear.
Let's face it, ice creams and chocolate by the pool are going to mean regular changes, so this Irish staple offers loads of swim outfits in some of your kids' favourite colours and characters, easy choices.
For grown-ups, we want to look good and have something comfortable for a few laps across the pool.
I went with these staple shorts from Nike 5-inch volley shorts accompanied by the extremely comfortable Nike Victori Sliders. Not many of these sliders that I've tested fail to leave marks on the top of my foot after a few days' wear, but these were great.
My wife brought the Speedo Flexband swimsuit as she is a little more serious with her swimming, and matched it with the Nike Calm slides for comfort.
Out for dinner
After a day in the pool and perhaps a siesta for the kids (hard work all that splashing), you will want to make sure that you have some smarter clothes for dinner.
This usually still involves shorts for me, but perhaps a short-sleeved shirt on top and a summer dress for my wife.
A word of advice, though, don’t go crazy with the nighttime outfits. They add unnecessary weight to your bag, and you won’t end up wearing most of them. But you have heard all that before, right?
I may be biased, but our kids looked super cute in some clothes from the likes of Next and H&M, and prove you don’t need to spend a fortune for them to look a million bucks!
And check out these New Balance 530 from Foot Locker Ireland that suited both our kids down to the ground, and can be dressed up for dinner, as well as being great for playtime.
For dads, this Carhartt shirt and classy Adidas Gazelle in brown from Zalando.ie along with the Passenger shorts from above, work a treat to give that holiday relaxed vibe.
As for my wife, she is into anything with polka dots, giving a sophisticated, classy look, such as this white and black polka dot dress from Nobody’s Child. Throw in a sun hat for afternoon ensembles, and you really have a classic outfit for holidays.
Don’t let it burn
Now that you have your wardrobe sorted, you need to look after your skin in the sun. It is no joke that strong sunshine at this time of year can cause years of damage within a few hours, so apply plenty of sunscreen as often as you can, particularly when you are running into and out of the pool with the little splashers.
We found that the Lidl suncream for kids worked really well for not much money, causing less irritation to sensitive skin than some of the more expensive offerings from the likes of L’Oreal and offering protection under some serious UV.
On the premium front for grown-ups, Lancaster SPF30 body milk offers the feeling of silk on your skin and water resistance, but is on the pricier end of the market.
Renowned brand Dermalogica also offer a Skin Recovery SPF50 that helps skin stay moist after a day in the sun and does a good job, from what we saw on holiday.
Finally, from leftfield we have this Shampoo bar from Lush. This comes in a neat pouch and saves you having to worry about the 100ml liquids rule at the airport, yet allows you to take some beauty comforts from home, which in my view is ingenious. The bars will do up to 50 hair washes, more than enough for your voyage and great value at under €12. By the way, they smell awesome!
So, now you have all your tips and ideas for packing all the right things on your holiday, what are you waiting for? Just make sure you leave enough room in your suitcases for all the presents you end up bringing home.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
The journalist was sent the above items for the purpose of review.
