Easy Breezy Summer Looks

With Summer in full swing in the Northern hemisphere, I was curious to see how some of our bloggers are wearing Angie’s Easy Breezy Outfit Formula. Let’s take a look!

Sabra

Sabra is rocking a tiered, sleeveless maxi dress in sunny orange and white. The fitted bodice tempers the volume of the full and flowy skirt, while the smocking adds subtle texture. The shoulder ties and ruffles add a romantic touch. The dress has interesting built-in pattern mixing with its horizontal tiers, alternating stripes and circles. Keeping footwear and accessories in the same colour palette creates visual cohesion. A white watch and flat white sandals echo the white in the dress. The raffia clutch and oversized dangly earrings are an exact match for the orange. The floppy straw hat in coral is not, but ties in perfectly with the rest of this charming Summer look.

Adrienne

Adrienne has mastered the art of volume on volume, and this jogger pant look is no exception. She has paired dramatically voluminous paperbag-waist joggers with a roomy, puffy-effect long-sleeved blouse. The graphic black and white print and white top add crispness. The oversized cargo pockets add a utilitarian aspect that is juxtaposed by the alluring effect of the off-the-shoulder top. Baring the shoulder, forearms and a sliver of midriff adds structure. So do the elasticated cuffs on the top and trousers. Dainty stiletto sandals in black and white add polish and bookend Adrienne’s gorgeous curls. Black nail polish, bright red lippy, and gold jewellery complete the look.

Dayle

Dayle is wearing an A-line midi dress with abstract, large-scale floral pattern. The black background creates a Hard-Edge effect that is countered by the soft material and flowy silhouette of the dress, and our blogger’s soft curls. The shark-bite hemline draws the eye up and down, and creates movement. Black ballerina-style wedge-heeled pumps pick up the black in the dress, as do the chunky black bangles. An arty coral tubular necklace and huge hoop earrings tie in with the colour palette and add contrast near our blogger’s face. Dark red lipstick and Dayle’s trademark round specs finish off the look.

Janie

This is a statement piece if I ever saw one! At first sight you might think this is a sleeveless maxi dress, but Janie is sporting a fabulous jumpsuit with glam ‘60s vibe. The widely-spaced watercolour floral combines yellow, gold, green, black, and blue on a cream background. The high-neck top extends into unstructured, dramatically voluminous wide leg trousers with a high swoosh factor. The folded turtleneck collar looks extra elegant with our blogger’s shiny short ‘do. Chartreuse sandals and peppermint green quilted bag with gold chain-link strap tie in with the floral colour palette, as do the blue feathery earrings. Three ‘60s-style bangles and punchy raspberry lipstick are the perfect finishing touches.

Cathy

With its Summery floral motif in warm yellow, orange, and olive — that looks glorious with Cathy’s red locks — this showstopping maxi dress reminds me of Positano ceramics. The fitted bodice, empire waist and deep V-neck create structure, and the dress then flares out from the empire waist down. The romantic flutter sleeves and tiered bottom panel create movement and are breezy on a hot day. Cathy has picked pale gold metallic accessories and footwear, which add shine and polish. The high-heeled mules have an extra pointy tip that elongates the leg line. A statement pendant fills in the V-neck perfectly. Oversized gold hoops and big mirrored sunnies top off this elegant Summer outfit.

Georgette

Georgette’s madras print culottes in deliciously vibrant colours are the star of the show in this casual polished Summer look. She has paired them with a ribbed tank top in fuchsia that matches the pink in the wide crops. Tucking the top and showcasing the waistband of the high-waisted culottes visually lengthens the leg line from the hips up. Flat gladiator sandals in cognac add a touch of soft edge. The low-contrast colour also extends the line of the leg. A wicker bag in a similar colour to the footwear enhances the relaxed Summer vibe. Gold hoops and our blogger’s radiant smile complete the look.

What do you think of these wonderful easy breezy outfits? Do let us know in the comments!

I’m Off My Item Blazers

I’ve been off wearing my item blazers for about eighteen months. I used to thoroughly enjoy wearing them with jeans, trousers, and some skirts and dresses, but that has changed. At the moment I love wearing blazers that are part of a pants suit. So on this leg of my style journey, pants suits with blazers are winners, but item blazers are not. 

Here are the pant suits with matching blazers that I love wearing.

Here are the old fully lined item blazers that I’ve lost interest in wearing. They are in perfect condition, comfortable, fit well, and look great. The red and green blazers are a little better than the others because they are shorter, and short jackets are my preference.

Instead of reaching for item blazers when I need a topper of that weight and level of warmth, I reach for my short faux leather jackets, tweed jacket, and wool jacket. Here they are.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why I’m off my item blazers, except that I’m listening to how I feel in them. I feel peppy, cheeky, happy, and energized in the jackets that I am favouring, which is not the case with the blazers. Maybe it’s the colours and patterns of the blazers. Maybe it’s the longer length of some of the blazers, which don’t have matching pants to make them feel special and snazzy. Maybe it’s my new soft, longer and darker hair that prefers the more playful silhouettes of the other jackets. Maybe it’s all of the above.

I’m not passing on the red and green short item blazers because I like their lengths and colours. The other old blazers have escaped the editing pile many times. I hold onto them, just in case I’m in the mood to wear them again. Your guess is as good as mine as to their fate. I’ll keep you posted.

Almost Lipstick

At the beginning of the pandemic I stopped wearing lipstick. More than three years later I haven’t looked back. This surprises me because I used to thoroughly enjoy wearing light shades of lipstick. Now I stick to tinted lip balm, and occasionally a very light gloss. I simply prefer the subtlety of the look and texture of these products. It’s almost lipstick. Polished, yet barely there.

Some of my clients feel the same way, and these are their favourite products for creating natural looking, but defined lips. They enrich the natural colour of your lips and add some shine. For the Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm and Lancôme Juicy Tubes Lip Gloss, you’ll need to select the right colour to match your lips. Clinique’s Black Honey can look natural on some lips, and dark on others. My favourite is Blistex Lip Vibrance, and that’s what I use 99% of the time. It’s moisturizing, adds a hint of colour, and looks very natural.

Feel free to share your almost lipstick suggestions in the comments section below.

Roundups

Simpler Items

This week's list of top picks list is about basic pieces.

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Assorted Items

Items for Summer, both in and out of air conditioning.

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Casual Summer Vibes

This week's top picks are good for a casual Summer vibe.

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Summery Earth Tones

These items are for those who like to wear casual earth tones in warm and hot weather.

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Hints of Spring

Some tried-and-tested winning items to refresh your style for Spring.

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Dressier Items

An assortment of dressier top picks might be just what the doctor ordered.

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Link Love: You Be the Judge

Last week, I stumbled upon the “You Be the Judge” series, in which Guardian readers are asked to chime in on domestic arguments sent in to the newspaper. Here are a few style-related ones, the comments range from funny to down-to-earth and thought-provoking:

Fab Links from Our Members

Suntiger loved this round-up of fun vintage fashion finds.

Carol and Vildy enthusiastically applauded this reel detailing “4 ugly things women over 40 should stop wearing immediately.”

L’Abeille found this list of potential resources for outfit inspiration far more thought-provoking than looking at Pinterest boards or street style. She adds: “It reminds me of how really creative YLF forum members like Brooklyn describe their inspirations.”

The French Open tennis tournament just ended this past Sunday. Nuancedream says: “The woman for whom the second show court is named, Suzanne Lenglen, had an enormous influence on fashion, on and off the court.”

Roberta really enjoyed this very sweet narrative about matching bridesmaid dresses: “I’ve worn a couple of boring or unflattering bridesmaids dresses in my time, and when I got married I asked my best friend to wear blue, and that was the end of it.”

UmmLila thinks it’s interesting that a number of millennials and Gen Zers are embracing dressing for ‘their seasons’.

Give Your Wardrobe a Workout

Finding perfect pieces and brilliant bargains is rewarding and thrilling, but nothing beats the feeling of putting the items to work. After all, wearing your items is the point of creating a functional and stylish wardrobe in the first place.

Wear Your Wardrobe

Don’t reach for the same outfits repeatedly just because they are easier to access or launder. Wear dressier items more often by combining them with a support act – denim, sneakers, flats, or a crossbody bag – to create everyday wearable outfits.

Your wardrobe is valuable. Wear it, don’t stare at it. Life’s too short to save items for good. Feel free to ration items that are super special or very dressy, but wear the heck out of the rest. Whittle the cost-per-wear of items down to nothing.