Probably impractical: suggest to your hubby that you relocate now, ahead of him, so you can scout out a new home...

Practical: view the challenge as shopping for a "tropical vacation" capsule? Because after you move, no matter how happy you are there, you may crave a vacation to warmer sunnier climes every now and then. And shopping for vacation-appropriate clothes in Portland may be more difficult than in Austin.

So stock up now... view everything you buy with that eye: would I wear this on a beach resort vacation? A cruise? etc.

My heartfelt sympathy. I'm a temperate climate gal, and the way you describe Texas makes me suspect that living there might lead me to shoot myself in the head. (At least there's no shortage of guns in Texas).

Sorry, no helpful suggestions...cross off the days on the calendar, maybe?

In general, when dealing with a situation I hate, I try to make something about it pleasant for myself. I think you should purchase summer items which you absolutely love and which make you look forward to wearing them. You'll be wearing them for months; figure out what you can afford to spend and go for it! It's kind of a consolation prize as well as your summer wardrobe.

I certainly feel for you. I used to live in Houston. I was pregnant there in the summer. It doesn't get any worse than that.

Didn't you give away stuff you didn't really like? Oh, you did like it ? Go to Goodwill and see if any of it is still there! If not, there might be a few things to tide you over.

I like gear brand dresses for summer: patagonia, prana, horny toad. They usually have good wicking property poly blends so after i sweat them out they dry. Around here there is pretty good resale value too. Although as my aesthetic is shifting I am finding that a good gear dress I like is hard to come by. Not much help I guess...

IK -- I *so* sympathize with this. I hate dressing for our summers (very hot, very humid). When I was working in a school district, of course all the school buildings built before the 1970s were not air-conditioned, since the reasoning was that no one was there in the summer anyway. Enter global warming, extended school years under No Child Left Behind, and the fact that in my district the psychologists came back to school a week before everyone else in August and stayed a week longer in June, and you get a complete recipe for disaster: trying to dress professionally while sweating and frizzing in the breeze from a tiny fan sitting on your desk.

Ugh.

And the whole "dress in long, light layers" idea always works better for me when I'm actually in the sun, not when I'm sweltering indoors.

If I were you, I would just get a pile of lightweight tees that can then become layers when you get to a less hostile climate. I've had success with these: http://www.landsend.com/produc.....-t-shirt/i A zillion colors and sizes, wash and wear, and not so scooped that you're forced to wear a cami (Hello, tee shirt manufacturers! No one wants to wear a cami under their clothes when it's 103 with 90% humidity.)

Can you pin your hair up in a dramatic clip? http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/fi.....t& That's about the only thing I can think of to doll things up. Too hot for most jewelry, I imagine.

Oh, you definitely have my sympathy. Though I'm in a cooler climate, I hate summer and hot weather too.

Luckily you said you work from home, so you don't have to wear dressy work clothes; you have the freedom to wear tank tops and shorts or light woven cotton dresses (that's what I wear at home on the hottest days, a simple sleeveless, A-line dress).

I agree with Gryffin and Sarah A about the recommendation of "gear" fabrics. The one reason I look forward to summer is that I can wear my summer dresses from "gear" manufacturers on weekends. Unfortunately, I've acquired enough summer dresses from Patagonia and Athleta that I could wear a different one on every weekend day of the summer here with more left over...

@April - Oh THANK YOU for mentioning how hard it is to wear jewelry in heat! I tried it the first year and it was so hot that my neck sweated under the chain and I got a rash. That was a total eye-opener as to what I was in for for the next 5 years.

@Ladies who mentioned gear - You are SO right. I'll keep an eye out for cute gear dresses!

Poor you. That is such a downer.

Like I said, I'm whiny about the heat. Thanks for listening, ladies, I appreciate it!

There are people here WHO ABSOLUTELY LOVE the heat. No lie. LOVE. I wish I did. Alas.

I'm whiny too! (I'm also whiny about all of the bright sunshine we get, which just makes things hotter and sweatier and requires sunglasses permanently stuck to my face. I'm thrilled we've had so many overcast days this winter.) My mom is one of those who loves the heat: she's seriously happiest when it's above 80 and considers anything below 75 uncomfortably cold. And she grew up in Buffalo! *shakes head in wonder*

My sympathies. I hate heat too, and I'd be furious (at the universe, if not at the husband) about the last-minute change. And I hate buying summer clothes. They're just no fun for me.

I like the idea of a uniform. Zara's linen tshirts are classic and inexpensive and would work well for layering in Portland. So if I found myself stuck in Texas for a summer, I'd buy a whole stack of Zara linen tees and tanks in white and black, pair with awesome boyfriend shorts (the really broken-in, torn-up kind), alternate between minimalist black sandals and combat boots, add killer lipstick, and call it done.

[Zara's linen tees aren't in stock yet but I hope they have them again for this year.]

Plus if you have a zillion identical tshirts you can change them three times a day without anyone noticing!

I feel your pain! I lived through Houston summers for seven years and hated every minute of it. It gets hot and humid here, but it's not as bad nor does it last as long as Texas. I never did figure out a way to get excited about dressing for 100 degree, 100% humidity days. My only advice is to buy what you'll need asap, because once it heats up, shopping is the very last thing you'll want to do. Buy what you need to look great when you go out, even if you're miserable. Buy cheap, cool and washable for the rest. This is a disposable wardrobe if you're sure you're moving next year.

@Greyscale... you just described my closet. What's left of it. Only the tees are from Joie and Everlane, and I don't wear black linen (believe it or not, too hot *even in linen* for black.) Your ability to pinpoint my style is scary.

I don't love the heat either, IK. We have a close friend who lives in Austin area who's campaigning hard for us to move there ... I do love the area but there's no ocean so I just can't do it. Heat requires an ocean nearby.

I love the gear idea ...

I built a travel capsule last year for going to Costa Rica, and other future similar destinations.... washable breathable practical. Just put a bird on it and it'll work for Portland too!

Hah, that's awesome, IK. We are partial style twins for sure. Anyway, writing that made me more excited about summer clothes - not that it's often shorts weather here, and I can't wear shorts in lab.

I'm one of those weird heat-loving freaks of nature, but you have my complete sympathies nevertheless.

I like the idea of looking for things that are layer-able for Portland. And I'd probably use this situation to buy a bunch of impractical things in white or cream because, if they start looking dingy or tired toward the end of the season, it's not like it matters if they don't last longer than that. And, it may just be me, but earrings always seem less annoying than other jewelry to wear in the heat. Especially if they're the lightweight dangling type that seem like they might move in any hint of breeze that shows up.

I feel your pain...I don't like summer clothes either. And the thing is, with all the washing on material that is already thin, summer clothes just don't last long. I end up feeling like I'm starting over every year because last year's items are all worn out. And I did the same massive purge, just for different reasons.

So I will be trying to buy also, and not liking the choices, and not feeling nearly as wardrobe happy as I do in cold weather. It doesn't seem worth it to spend much on any item, so I never feel like the clothes are anything special.

Oh woe, all commiseration and no help! Sorry!

oy, in your situation i would just flat out pitch a fit!!!! (and i'm well known for a placidly bovine disposition!)

i haven't read teh whole thread yet, but if i recall you enjoy Eileen Fisher's pieces....seems like this could be the perfect time to splurge on a gorgeous linen EF dress or two. And/or find a tailor who can knock off a couple pieces for you in a some gorgeous italian linen - you deserve some nice!!! hang in there, steph

Re gear dresses, you'll be able to wear them when you come to OR too. Last summer it was hotter than normal int the PNW. Pretty quickly I bought a couple of sleeveless gear dresses from REI.com, and with sandals that was pretty much my uniform. Isabel did a post a couple of months or so ago about how versatile she found a brand of gear dresses too for her summer adventures.

I like heat but the difference between high 80s and high 90s is huge. Once it gets to the high 90s and breaks 100 it is deadly. Lots of linen tops and a few wow splurge pieces to console yourself (preferably but not necessarily appropriate for layers later) is the best I can suggest or reiterate. Oh and new sandals.

Just echoing others about having a tailor run up some tops in "your" style. Remember that fabulous asymmetrical top that Lantana recently made?

I hate dressing and shopping for summer, too. For one thing, it's unbearably hot. Also, every indoor place I'm in is way too cold, with the A/C set too low. I have to dress in layers even in summertime, and freeze whenever I'm not at home and not outside.