Thursday, July 8, 2010

Heat Wave!

Draft:


Earlier Drafts:
This dress is one of my summer staples
These cheap but cute flats are one of my favorite pairs
I just debuted this necklace

Composition:
blue dress (Target)
blue faux-jeweled flats (Payless)
striped cardigan (Marshall's)
octopus necklace (ModCloth - gift from boyfriend)
water bottle (SIGG)

Usage:
It is HOT outside.  Dear readers, I hope you're not currently enveloped in the massive heat and humidity that surrounds SSG Headquarters right now.  If you are, I feel for you.  Trying to stay stylish and keep cool can be an issue - it's hard to look and feel your best in an oven-like environment.  Here's my attempt to do just that.

I started with my summer staple blue dress, my go-to for warm weather.  It's perfect for lounging around my no-central-air house or for casual date night with the boyfriend.  I used the octopus necklace I wore in my last post to add a personal touch to this simple dress.  I also had to work on this particular day, so I replaced flip flops with these studded flats.  Though Liz and I's work dress code is relative lax and casual, I felt that the dress needed something over it to be work suitable.  I've worn bare arms and bare legs to work before, but only with longer skirts.  I recently bought this striped short-sleeved cardigan for just these occasions, and I used it to complete my look.

I'm normally really hesitant about horizontal stripes, but after seeing Liz and Anne-Marie embrace them, I figured I'd give them a chance.  This top is the perfect way to experiment without diving headfirst into horizontal stripe territory since it isn't really a primary, necessary component to the outfit.  I especially love the detailing in the back.

I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but considering the heat and especially the humidity, I've forgone blow drying my hair in the morning, preferring to let it wave out or just pulling it back.  My hair has a naturally wavy texture, so sometimes I'll let it go with just a few scrunches and occasionally some curl-enhancing product.  It curls out then fades as the day goes on - these pictures were taken at the end of the day - leaving a purposefully messy, tousled look.  I usually prefer my hair to have a more polished, straightened look (I didn't start letting it wave until the end of college), but my natural hair has been growing on me.

As I think about my styling for the day, one thing in particular comes to mind: is this look too matchy-matchy?  With the blue dress and the blue shoes and my beloved SIGG water bottle that I tote nearly everywhere in the summer and a hint of blue eyeliner, am I too color coordinated?  I've never really had a problem with dressing monochromatically, nor have I had a problem mixing and matching different colors.  I think it just depends on the mood I'm in on a particular day, though I know some people are very against being overly matchy in their clothing and accessory choices.

Prompts:
  • How do you dress for excessive heat and/or humidity?
  • How do you feel about dressing monochromatically or meticulously matching?

5 comments:

Katie from Interrobangs Anonymous said...

Don't worry, you could be much more monochromatic: http://nymag.com/fashion/08/spring/44210/

And I think your wavy hair looks so pretty! I, too, used to straighten mine all the time, but I've embraced letting my hair do what it wants to, and it's been over 4 years since I've used any heating elements on it.

Anonymous said...

Psh. Never too matchy-matchy! You look chic and lovely.

Emily said...

I like to mix up my outfits, so sometimes I go for matchy-matchy, while on other days I prefer to put unexpected colors together (this is something I would never have thought to do until I started reading style blogs). I've never done the monochromatic look, but not for any particular reason. I think your outfit looks wonderful, and perfect for fighting this heat. I dress for heat by wearing sleeveless tops, and bringing cardigans with me for air-conditioned buildings.

Scholar Style Guide said...

I think you look great in these stripes! I love the crochet-like detail on the back as well.

I do think taking a cardi of some sort to cover up a more skin-bearing dress is a great way to cope with the heat. I find that my car is especially unbearable despite AC when it gets this hot, so I keep finding myself putting together outfits that allow me to strip off several layers for the ride home.

-Liz

Anonymous said...

I'd love to put my hand up your pretty dress