Slow Shopping and Updating Two Capsules

I’m feeling that my summer wardrobe is in a very good place. Thank you for all the kind comments on my recent WIW thread; it really helped remind me that the outfits I'm putting together are not as boring as I think they are!

Summer is my short season here in northern New England. Even things from two or three years ago feel pretty fresh to me and aren’t showing too much wear. I also don’t need any indoor-appropriate work clothes from mid-June to mid-August, so I can get by with less. This is good news, because I’m generally not a big fan of summer trends. I’m happy with simple, streamlined essentials to get me through the hottest part of the year and have little need for statement pieces or wildcards. Summer is too short for me to get bored! Winter, when it’s dark all the time and cold cold cold is when I have to restrain myself -- chunky knits, tweeds, boots, denim and corduroy, and all the plaids, please!

Since I’m not seeing much that I want, I am focusing my attention on what I need: new sleep/loungewear and better sun protection. I just culled a bunch of grungy old sleep tops (5-10 yrs old, all thrifted) and am realizing I don’t have many options now! About 3 years ago, I banned myself from buying graphic t-shirts because I felt I had too many and wasn’t wearing them anymore, but the result is that now I don’t have much left to “demote” to sleepwear. I am thinking I’d like to find some very light, drapey camis to replace some of the tees. If I can’t find woven ones, I might settle for one-hundred percent cotton jersey, no spandex. I'd rather have them "relax" a little than feel clingy. I also culled my two oldest pairs of lounge pants and would like to replace them with a wider/straighter leg as opposed to jogger/sweatpant shape.

Revamping my sun-protection was inspired by last week’s canoe camping trip. I was on open water in pretty intense sun a good deal of the time and got really tired of slathering my hands and legs with sunblock. When you’re reapplying all day long, those layers of cream get pretty gross and rub off on all your clothing. And I still ended up with a weird paddler’s tan (backs of hands, tops of knees). So I’m going to try out some quick-dry capris (have not owned a capri in years, lol) and maybe some lightweight surf/swim leggings, to see which I like best. I also ordered some sun gloves (super exciting, I know!). I already have good brimmed hat options, but I looked up the specs for my favorite quick-dry top and learned it’s only SPF 15. I want to look into the rating system a little more to make sure it’s worth it, and then maybe invest in a couple of long-sleeve tops that are rated SPF 50.

That’s about it for the rest of my summer shopping. Thinking about it, I also wouldn’t mind a pair of extremely comfortable, refined flat sandals. But if they don’t turn up this summer it won’t be the end of the world.

(Bonus pic of the canoe last week in the Adirondacks!)

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5 years ago

Barbara Diane

Veteran

What a beautiful place. Worth the odd tan.
Sounds like you are mostly set, good luck with your shopping.

JAileen

I’m with you on sunscreen. It’s so gross. REI has several shirts with SPF 50. I bought one in their recent sale.

https://www.rei.com/product/14.....irt-womens

I really want to switch to mineral sunscreen for the sake of the reefs, but it’s really hard. It feels so much worse than the chemical kind.

Re sunscreen gloves: i wish I had done that years ago. My hands look 20 years older than the rest of me.

Style Fan

Good plan to find clothing to protect yourself from the sun. Are bugs not a problem where you are canoeing? This is the worse summer for bugs that I can remember here. I cover up for sun protection and bug protection. I wish I knew about those gloves too.
Gorgeous view.

LaPed

Style Fan -- this area is known for its deer flies, and they were pretty bad at certain campsites, but only during the day. Because we were right on the shoreline, the winds kept the mosquitoes at bay in the evening. So not the worst trip we've had, bugs-wise. And the blackflies here are pretty much done for the year. We generally wait until August to do trips in Maine and Canada because they hang around so much longer there!

JAileen -- hah, that REI top is already in my cart but unfortunately the lighter color sold out in my size. I'm debating whether I want the dark green but it might make me miserable in the sun...

greycat6

Have you tried Duluth Trading Company? I was just looking at the offerings for my husband and came across this shirt/jacket hybrid. The collar intrigued me because of the extended neck coverage. I have no idea about sizing but their men's clothing runs large.

https://www.duluthtrading.com/.....38;start=1

missvee

I have several long sleeved shirts for golf from a company called IBKul, and they’re great. 50spf I think. They have a mesh insert along the entire underside of the arm to allow airflow. I’d say they run true to size.

Sal

Smart to put the money into SPF gear...

I prefer summer clothing to winter.... well maybe I feel more confident with it.... it will be interesting to see what trends make their way down here. Sometimes it is the same, sometimes quite different. Sometimes we are ahead, sometimes we are behind.

Jaime

(website)

I have not tried it but agree that SPF clothing and gloves make a lot of sense. And clear roll on sunscreen perhaps? I would start with sports people and see what they do. And I know what you mean about purging all your graphic tees and then realizing you actually could use a few!

nemosmom

Goopy, sticky sunscreen is the worst in the hot sun! Great idea to add SPF clothing (and gloves!!) to your summer capsule. I hope you will update us when you find some that you like.

It looks like a beautiful trip!

Angie

Fashion Stylist

Happy to see that wardrobe basics are getting attention.

YES, La Ped. I have clients in SPF clothing. It's gear, which you don't mind wearing, so I think it will work.

I canoed down the Orange River in Namibia in 53 degrees CELSIUS for 5 days. It was the hottest I have ever been, and I was covered most of the time with regular wet clothing - and sunscreen. If you burned, you were FINISHED. Wet clothing helped keep you cool, and it dried in an instant too.

Add insect repellent to the mix and it's MORE GROSS.

Anonymous

Ooh-pretty For bugs try the bug bands-they work surprisingly well-even in swampy areas. Under $2 at Tractor Supply. I'm with you about just wanting to buy gear right now too!

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SarahD8

I know you know this, but as someone who just recently put some good effort into my sleep/lounge and gear capsules, I just have to say that you are going to find this SO satisfying!!!

For extremely comfortable, refined flat sandals, have you checked out Born? Some of their styles are more streamlined and I have a pair that has held up really, really well for several years.

Okay, so here's some more detailed info on SPF ratings for apparel:

https://www.oncolink.org/frequ.....f-clothing

These TNF capris are keepers -- very comfortable and lightweight, though if you have muscular legs (like me) you may want to go up a size. The S and XS look like they have identical waistbands, but the legs on the XS are much slimmer. DS is jealous and now he wants capris too! Still waiting on a couple different tops and some half-finger gloves.

And here are some promising loungewear finds from Madewell. Every other part of my wardrobe skews dark, but with sleepwear I end up with a lot of pales.

Zappos

The North Face The North FaceAphrodite 2.0 Capris

View Info

Top Pick

Madewell

Gathered Pajama Cami Top in Saffron Gingham

Satin Pajama Cami in Daisy Patch

Wide-Leg Sweatpants

notsaf

Fwiw, I think Cuyana's pima cotton sleep sets are AMAZING. Very soft, and reasonably priced for high quality. I've been wearing mine regularly, season after season, for almost two years, with no signs of wear!

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by notsaf

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