When people talk about getting dressed for the summertime, I don’t think they’re usually talking about getting dressed for 95+ degree weather…
Virginia decided that in our last week living here, it really wanted to show off all the possibilities, so it’s giving us a heat wave followed immediately by a 20-degree drop and nearly 100% chances of rain for a week. I don’t think it was intentional on Mother Nature’s part, but it sure makes moving easy when the weather isn’t ideal… and seven straight days of rain is enough to make me feel certifiably insane and stir-crazy!
But the biggest problem has been dealing with the heat. Not because I can’t handle it… in theory. But mostly because year after year I feel unequipped and totally unprepared for getting dressed on a daily basis.
It shouldn’t be this hard, I tell myself time and time again. But I never believe it.
Social media has made this daily task seem like it should be both a ritual and a rite of passage— when you’re getting dressed, it should tell your entire story. It should tell us everything about you. But what if you just want to get dressed and not feel like you’re sweating through everything and then getting up from your al fresco lunch only to look like you’ve peed yourself in sweat???
In the midst of sweating and thinking too much about what to wear in the summer, yesterday, movers came and whisked all of our furniture away.
All of our home goods started their long journey to the midwest, where we’ll follow along next week; where we’ll start a new life in a new city (to me, it’s my husband’s hometown); where we’ll unpack, reshuffle, and reorganize.
In between the movers coming and when we leave Virginia, I’m a bridesmaid in a wedding in Virginia Beach. That meant I had to pack up not just clothing I’d think would get me through the next few weeks (while sweating and overthinking…), but also needed to function for a few days of wedding festivities in the middle.
So, to make packing easier on myself, I simply threw a few things into my suitcase and bags and called it good.
But if I was going to add new pieces into my suitcase right now for the summer and travel and all the chaos of moving, I think it would be these…
Starting with the most important: the suitcase…
I’m a huge fan of soft-shell suitcases. I think they’re easy to travel with, since you can squish them down a little bit in overhead bins on an airplane if you need to, and throwing something in last minute doesn’t feel like you’re disrupting everything else inside.
I’ve been using a similar one from Protocol my whole adult life, and it’s taken an absolute beating. This one from TravelPro looks like a great, and almost identical, option!
My beauty routine…
is always the first thing to suffer when I’m traveling if I’m not being mindful; however, I’ve been really into dry brushing lately and I’m doing my best to keep it as part of my daily routine, even during the move!
I use this brush from Target, but if I wanted invest a little more in a tool, I’d grab this one from Goop. I love the shape of the brush; it looks like it would be very comfortable in the hand!
We’re out of body wash and currently I’m using CeraVe cleanser as a body wash (don’t judge!!), but the minute we get to our new house I’m ordering this body wash to make our shower feel like a spa! If you want to try my favorite body oil with a dry brush, you can order this mini-set. I can’t wait to stock a bathroom in our new house!
And while I’m at, we all know that packing boxes, cleaning— dusting, vacuuming, scrubbing baseboards— can destroy your hands and nails. One of my close girlfriends got me this bare nails kit for my birthday and I love the focus on nail health. I tried gel nails, bi-weekly manicures, and dip in the past… all it ever did was irritate me. The minute I felt the corners starting to lift, it had to come off. Now I just go sans nail polish unless I’m really craving some color (such as in the fall when I want oxblood nails). I unfortunately think my kit got packed away, but I’m looking forward to using it again!
Let’s talk shoes…
If you’ve been following my Instagram for the last handful of years, I routinely add the Margaux MX sandal into my design flatlays. Compared to the Hermès Oran sandal, they’re affordable; however, I was still remiss to buy $250+ sandals that I wear into oblivion in the summertime, so I’ve stuck with the Steve Madden Hadyn sandal.
For those of you who don’t get horrible blisters from these sandals— my best friend included— I salute you. I don’t know what happened to their manufacturing, but I swear something changed. I used to wear the Steve Madden sandals until they were literally falling apart, but now I can’t even take a 30 minute stroll in them without feeling like my feet are going to fall off.
So, re-enter the Margaux sandals. I just ordered them last night and they’re shipping to the new house… so fingers crossed that they’ll be a way better experience than the Steve Madden ones.
On the flip side of summer sandals is a pair of classic white sneakers. Both my husband and I swear by white sneakers in the summer— and really all year round. I have a pair of platform Keds that have clocked easily 200,000 steps at this point, and still feel great to wear… but I’m vain, and love the look of a lower profile sneaker. So I’ve been debating between this leather-or-canvas pointed version, or the classic option.
Which ones would you buy?
I’m thinking they’ll be great with dresses (mini and midi), shorts, pants, jeans… you name it! The hardest part is keeping them “bright white,” but I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on them and it does a great job.
I’m normally all about accessories…
but in the summertime, I like to keep it simple. Fewer scarves (maybe tied in the hair…!) and classic jewelry. But I love looking at a pretty handbag— I swear I’m drawn to them like a moth to a flame even though I know I only rotate between the same three or four bags, MAX. There’s something about a beautiful bag that really does feel like it makes an outfit, you know?
Adding a splash of raffia into the mix is a great way to transition into summer, and this one has a great casual/relaxed feel to it without being a straw market tote (which I adore for the summer as well, just for a different vibe!). I’ve also been eyeing the Pamela Munson petite lady bag since they have more of that structured look I prefer… even though our move is definitely going to encourage more of a casual day-to-day look for my wardrobe.
And in the summer, I feel like a hat is a great way to dress down an outfit. In the fall, I think people are usually dressing outfits up with a hat, but something about a really wide brimmed summer straw hat just screams “day at the pool” to me. It’s very Meredith Blake, too!
I think I’ve said this before… but I had a former friend tell me once that my head was too big to look good in hats. Don’t say that to your friends— and honestly, don’t say it to anyone! It’s not nice! And I bet their head fits just fine into hats, just like mine does… thanks.
Go Army, Beat Navy!
Except not in my closet, because I think navy blue has officially usurped olive green for “top color.” I can’t believe I’m about to try to justify a $105 tank top, but I’ve only ever heard incredible things about this one and there’s something about finding the perfect staple piece that could be well worth the price. I don’t know that this tank would be it… but I’m really tempted to find out!
I tried on a similar version at Target this afternoon, and it just didn’t have the same umph to it— like it was missing some critical design element, or had just been made as the cheaper option without consideration for why the original sold so well in the first place.
Speaking of dupes… how many dupes of the La Ligne Colby pant do we have on the market now? It never lost on me that they’re a dupe of The Row’s Gala Pants, which is just a classically cut pair of pants cut on the bias of the material.
I purchased a pair of these pants secondhand last winter in the wool-cashmere blend and loved lounging around the house in them (hair and dust clung to them too much for me to ever feel comfortable wearing them outside the house), but I’ve been hoping to find a pair in 100% linen (or at least a linen-viscose blend) or 100% cotton. I told myself that once we move and have a little more space, I want to learn to sew— a pair of pants cut on the bias in a natural material is a top priority for me for the summertime. You can absolutely get linen cut on the bias, so why brands don’t do it, I’ll never understand… Maybe there’s a market gap there…
Dressed for Success…
I have a love-hate relationship with mini dresses, and both of these ones look so fabulous on the model that I will be absolutely devastated if they look like garbage bags on me that the thought alone will probably make me procrastinate all summer until I don’t actually end up buying them… BUT I am really trying to break that bad habit so these two are big contenders!
I love a polka dot, and this linen/cotton blend would be perfect for summer. No pesky polyester included. And after getting up from lunch today with sweat marks all over my shorts, I’m convinced that the way to hide sweat in the summer is 1) dark colors and 2) patterns! So pick up all the prints you want to hide the effects of the heat!
With short arms, I’m usually on the look-out for anything that’s three-quarters length on the model, and this dress definitely fits that bill. It’s a great in-between for a casual summer look but could easily double as a swim coverup or beach dress. Although I won’t be visiting any beaches in the midwest, there is a waterpark half an hour from our house and that sounds incredibly exciting at the end of another heat-stricken day! But I also could see this being great for sitting on the truck bed with a Busch Lite Apple at the end of a long day (they’re DELICIOUS. Don’t judge it until you try it!)
What do you think? Too beachy?
I hope this post has inspired some of your summer shopping and helps you know that you’re not alone if you also dread getting dressed when the temps are melting the sidewalks!
If you’re particularly interested in any of these items, I’d love to know how you’d style it in the comments below, or if there’s anything else you’re shopping for, let me know!
xx happy hunting!
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