It’s common to see patriotic outfits all over the US on July 4th, which does add to the festivity of the celebration of America’s independence. Some outfits literally incorporate the American flag and emblems of stars and stripes, like the dressy one on the right that I saw on Pinterest. 

Your patriotic outfit on July 4th needn’t be this literal. Create an outfit that combines red, white and blue in any way at all. You can further simplify your outfit by combining only two of the colours.

Note that any shade of blue and red counts. Choose orange and coral if red is not your thing. It’s easiest to finish off these outfits with white, metallic or tan Summer footwear. Red and blue shoes are cute too. Choose a casual bag in a style and colour that tickles your fancy.  

The possibilities are endless. Here are some ideas to get you going. The outfits are casual because that’s how most people dress for this holiday. 

(Almost) White-Out

Create a column of white by combining white jeans or shorts with a white top. Or wear a white dress. Finish off the outfit with metallic or red footwear. Blue finger and toenail polish can provide the blue part of the outfit it you’re sticking to white and metallics. 

Denim Bottoms & Red, White or Blue Top

Combine blue denim jeans, crops, shorts or skirt with a casual red, white or blue top. The tops can be patterned to cover more of the colours of the American flag. Patterns like stripes, dots and stars are a good way to go. Bandanas in red and blue are also a great way to add colour and pattern to the outfit. 

Red or Blue Dress 

Choose a red or blue dress and add white, metallic or tan Summer footwear. Add a blue or white denim jacket if you need a topper. Add eyewear, headwear, jewellery and watch as desired.

I have a lot of white, blue and red in my wardrobe and will pick a casual outfit on Monday morning as my mood strikes me. We’ll be spending the day at home with Sam the Yorkie, eating fresh chicken burgers with blue cheese and onion fixings, and lots of ice cream. What will you wear on July 4th, and how will you spend your day? 

Street style photographer Bill Cunningham has passed away, Puma teams up with the New York City Ballet, an exhibition exploring vulgarity in fashion, and more news from the fashion trenches in June.

• Christophe Lemaire is joining Uniqlo as artistic director of the Japanese brand’s new Paris-based R&D centre.
• Lands’ End has launched an activewear line called Lands’ End Sport.
• Tim Coppens has been appointed executive creative director of Under Armour Sportswear (UAS), a new men’s and womenswear brand that will launch this Autumn.
• Puma is teaming up with the New York City Ballet as the company’s official activewear partner.
• Target’s newest designer collection is with Superga. Have a peek at the collection.
• Amazon has partnered with a number of fashion bloggers for its #SaySomethingNice anti-body shaming campaign.
• This Fall a new exhibition at the London Barbican gallery will explore vulgarity in fashion from the Renaissance to the present day. 
• Iris Apfel is working together with Macy’s on a 40-piece collection called Iris Meets INC. that “captures the spirit of Sixties Mod styles”.
• This October, the Frost Art Museum in Miami is staging the first solo show dedicated to fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez.
• British retailer Selfridges has been awarded with the Intercontinental Group of Department Stores’ inaugural sustainability award for its innovative approach to corporate social responsibility.
• On Saturday, legendary street style photographer Bill Cunningham passed away at age 87.
• Some of his fans are petitioning the city to name his favourite street corner, the intersection of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue, after him in tribute.

Fashion Quote

As a tribute to Mr. Cunningham I would like to share something he said in the wonderful 2010 documentary Bill Cunningham New York that I’ve never forgotten:

“The wider world perceives fashion as frivolity that should be done away with. The point is that fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life. I don’t think you can do away with it. It would be like doing away with civilization.”

Camisoles are an extremely important part of my style, although they aren’t all that noticeable in my outfits. To me, they are a necessary third item of underwear. I wear a $12 black or white camisole every day. I have many duplicates to prevent laundry bottlenecks, and feel oddly naked without one. 

My reasons for wearing a camisole are manyfold:

First and foremost, I love the comfort factor. Wearing a very soft and snug, cotton-rich item against my body makes every outfit more comfortable and secure. I wear a cami over a bra and knickers and tuck it into my bottoms. I’ll tuck the cami into my knickers when I’m wearing a dress. I find camis insulating in cool weather and air conditioning, and strangely cooling in warm weather. I will absolutely wear a cotton camisole in hot and humid weather too. Cotton camisoles are like the security blanket of my style, and I am definitely less comfortable when I don’t wear one. 

I hardly ever wear a camisole because tops are overly sheer or necklines are too low. That said, my die-hard camisole style comes in handy when I do wear see-through tops and lower necklines. I will seldom purchase an item of clothing if it doesn’t work with my camisoles. Another reason why the off-the-shoulder top was not for me. 

I wear lace bras and knickers because I find them pretty and luxurious. Wearing a camisole over the top prevents the grinning of bumpy lace when I wear delicate fabrications. The snug fit also smoothes out the contour of my body under most items of clothing.

I also love the look of lace camisoles, especially when they peek out from under a low neckline. But I don’t find them nearly as comfortable as cotton camis, which is why I haven’t committed to any for a very long time. I’m sure the right lace camisole will come my way at some point.  

I dress women for a living and don’t know anyone else who wears camisoles as regularly as I do. In fact, most of my clients prefer to leave off the camisole completely, unless their tops are overly sheer. Some like to wear a cami in cold weather, and leave it at that. Their reasons for preferring a cami-free style have to do with overheating, extra bulk on the bust and midsection, and feelings of outfit discomfort. 

Over to you. How frequently do you wear a camisole?

A few late and less expensive Summer wardrobe additions go a long way to refresh your look when your Summers are long. Here are some new items from Nordstrom that caught my eye. Browse through the colour options. 

• Adidas 'Stan Smith' Sneaker (Women): Because Modern Retro white sneakers can be worn with just about any casual outfit these days, Adidas's "Stan Smiths" are as popular as ever. Many, many rave reviews.
• PRESS Twist Front Tee: An interesting tee that skims over an apple shaped torso, but works AS well over an hourglass shape. Hem is too wide for an inverted triangle body shape.
• BP Foldover Crossbody Bag: Vegan Crossbody Tassel Fabness.
• Majorica Round Pearl Stud Earrings: Great quality pearl stud earrings that will stand the test of time. Also available in grey.
• PJ Salvage PJ Savage 'Desert' Lounge Pants: Floppy and fun Summer lounge pants.
• Catherine Catherine Malandrino ‘Rea’ Tropical Print V-Neck Top: A great top to wear under a fitted blazer. A good shape on a curvy hourglass with a larger bust. Fab on a shorter neck too.
• BaubleBar 'Twiggy' Floral Collar Necklace: Modern Retro Floral Necklace Fabness.
• Maaji 'Homy Dusk' Harem Yoga Pants: Super soft and comfy harem pants to wear to yoga, to bed, or to simply lounge in at home. Works on most body types.
• Vince Camuto 'Random Dabs' Print Side Pleat Top (Plus Size): A great fit on an hourglass figure. Tailored with a bit of flow, and therefore forgiving on the midsection. Flattering.
• Sole Society 'Paxley' Woven Satchel: Luxurious vegan woven satchel fabness. Best in the tan.
• Matty M Sleeveless Lace Top: A little sleeveless lace to wear with black bottoms or under a black cardi. Fluid and non-scratchy.
• M·A·C 'Bangin' Brilliant!' Lipstick: Try turquoise lippie if you dare - just for fun. Match it to turquoise finger or toenail polish - because why not!
• Topshop Embellished Fringe Cord Necklace: A statement fringed necklace with a global integrity. Good with a black, white and denim outfit.
• Madewell 'Courier' Drape Front Shirt: A boxy, yet fashionable, drape front shirt. It's short and will work with skirts and on petites. Size down.
• Urban Originals 'Wonder' Perforated Tote: A versatile, roomy and robust perforated tote. Good for travel.
• La Fiorentina Tassel Scarf: Cotton scarves with tassels scream hot beach weather. The French blue colour option gets my top vote.
• Essie Nail Polish: A remarkably versatile shade of nail polish. Works well with faded denim. Read the rave reviews.
• BP Floppy Straw Look Hat (Online Only): A versatile floppy Summer hat that works on most head and face shapes as long as the circumference of your head is around 23 inches.

You can see the items alongside my descriptions on the collection page.