Taking stock of summer: it's worse than I thought

LaPed

Well, I'm cleaning up for guests this weekend, and decided t outo pull the summer suitcase today (yes, we store much of our off-season clothing under the bed in luggage…). It’s worse than I thought.

Looking at what’s in there, I realize just how many summer clothes I’ve purged over the past couple years, partly because much of it was too large (purchased as maternity or post-baby wear), and also too worn out (three years in Las Vegas meant my warm-weather clothes saw LOTS of use — more than half the year). Last year I got rid of three knee-length dresses. I’ve added two new dresses, but have my eye on one or two more. I got rid of three lightweight skirts, too, and have only added one. I currently have two pairs of non-gear shorts, but neither pair fit very well nor are they in very good condition. So that's a huge hole. I’m pretty set for t-shirts and tanks tops and committed to not buying any more this year. I do, however, need at least one long-sleeve linen top, as the one I’ve worn in previous summers is HUGE on me now (I’m back to my pre-baby bra size, so I have a lot of oversized tops, some of which I’ve decided to part ways with.

I’d also really like to add a couple of white or light-coloured toppers specifically for spring/summer use, which is something I’ve never done before, happily wearing my black/grey/olive outerwear year round. But I definitely need sweaters and light jackets all summer, since evenings are cool (and buggy) where I live, not to mention lightweight long pants. I’ve added chinos and wide leg crops in cotton twill, both of which will work fine for all but the hottest summer days, but I still need to add another pair of linen pants (possibly duplicate my Uniqlo pair in a different colour) for days when shorts aren’t enough but other pants are too heavy. Also, sandals and a sunhat, plus some gear replacements. Ugh. That’s a lot of shopping. At least I have my swimwear taken care of!

summer shopping list:

linen pants
linen or cotton shorts
swishy skirt
linen sleeveless dress
linen or cotton dress with sleeves (half or 3/4 sleeve)
linen shirt (long sleeve)
white sweater
white/light cropped denim jacket (or it could be a short linen topper)
maybe a second pair of cropped wide leg pants
sunhat
casual sandals (black or dark brown)
small crossbody bag

gear/travel:

cotton cropped leggings
road running shoes
running shorts

6 years ago

General

12 replies

Latest reply was from

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

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Well, at least you know what you need to look for! I need to go through my summer stash and do the same, so what I need isn't sold out in my size before I get around to looking for it.

6 years ago

Suz

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This is a long list but an excellent list and you've already made a dent in it. I find that summer clothes needs sneak up on me for some reason. It is harder to imagine summer clothing in the depths of winter and consider what will be required.

I think a few lightweight and light coloured toppers sound like a great idea. My most worn toppers in summer are a white denim jacket and a faded distressed blue one. They are both quite cropped. I can wear them well with summer dresses and skirts. I got the white one in the kids' section at Old Navy! Don't underestimate that -- I paid $12 or something, crazy cheap in Canadian terms (our sales are never as good as yours). The jacket is still going strong 5 years and many wears later -- it goes into the wash and air dry. The Find is from women's but mine looks the same.

Old Navy

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6 years ago

Jenn

(website)

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Our lists overlap some, so I'll be watching your progress. These things from your list are still on mine:

linen pants - I've got a pair of slouchy ankle pants on order.

white sweater - Maybe (probably) not white, but I'm looking for a lightweight summer sweater I can throw on in the evenings.

small crossbody bag - I'm torn between buying the nice leather bag I want or something cheaper that I won't be precious about for our Disney trip.

I bought casual brown sandals and a sunhat last year, and a casual, sleeved linen dress earlier this year.

6 years ago

Anonymous

The question I asked myself about shorts is: would I ever wear shorts in a non-gear situation? The answer is NO!

In a non-gear situation, I'll wear a dress.

So I'm wondering whether you can get away with just gear shorts?

6 years ago

Staysfit

Veteran

What is the difference between running shorts and road running shorts? Am I missing something? Do you want more than one type of running shorts for different conditions?

6 years ago

LaPed

Veteran

Staysfit -- road running SHOES, as opposed to trail runners. My trail running shoes should last me through the year. Running shorts -- those are multipurpose.

Smittie -- I ask myself that question a lot. For a lot of my days, shorts are really easier. Skirts get caught on stuff -- like wire fences, which I have a lot of (gardens, chickens). It has to be a low-key day, or travelling, for me to wear a dress/skirt all day. Or a very sturdy dress (and I am not a fan of denim skirts/dresses). My real goal, in finding natural-fiber shorts, is to stop wearing synthetics when it's not essential (in the water, on a backpacking trip).

Suz -- Yes, I thought my $1 thrift store denim jacket would have me set on that front, but I really find it too stiff/bulky. It fits, but it leaves me wondering if maybe a denim jacket isn't what I want, if I need something a little lighter/drapier. More try-ons are in order.

Jenn -- I'm back and forth on what kind of bag I ought to get. I think, for me, it will end up being a relatively dressy leather bag. I have good nylon "beater" bags, all larger but I'd rather too much space than too little. But I'm lacking something nice for non-kid outings. Really what I need is a crossbody that converts to a clutch in a versatile neutral or almost-neutral. I'm not a bag person, so once I find one I'll be set for a while, and just use it year round.

Much of my summer list is stuff I've been thinking about since spring '16, but we bought a house last June so I ended up not doing any summer shopping last year. I survived unscathed, but with a longer list than usual.

Laura -- Making the list is the easy part! I HIGHLY doubt I'll manage to find everything on it. And don't really need to. If I add another pair of linen pants but don't find the right shorts, it won't be the end of the world. And I'll be very happy if I manage either a white sweater or a white jacket, even if I can't make both happen. Part of my trouble is, I'm not really a S/S person. I definitely enjoy my F/W shopping more.

6 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

LaP, I have several small leather crossbody bags for "going out". They're too small for everyday, but add a little personality to my outfits. I think I thrifted every single one, spending $10 or less. If you have thrift stores near you, you might check them out.

6 years ago

Suz

(website)

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I can see that, La Ped. I vote for one cardigan (maybe) and maybe a linen blazer (but beware the crease) and try on some softer, more cropped denim jackets.

My distressed one is so soft it feels like a shirt (actually I have worn it as a shirt)! And my white one, while not quite that soft, is also not in the least stiff - it has a fair bit of stretch which allows me to scrunch sleeves, etc.

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6 years ago

LaPed

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Considering the Anthro chino jacket as a denim alternative -- on deep discount w/ free shipping today... All three colors are great, but I'm leaning towards the pale pink as an interesting almost-white.

I do have a linen blazer that I love and wear a lot in the summer, but it's navy. It's really my only summer-specific topper right now, and I'd love something in a lighter color.

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6 years ago

texstyle

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Instead of a denim jacket (I never seem to wear mine, too stiff, too hot feeling for Texas summer) why not go for a lightweight knit or linen blend topper? I have a couple that I use in summer and am very happy to have them esp. when I go into a cold AC situation. One is a simple light weight knit hoodie, one is a linen/cotton blend long cardi jacket and another is a simple slub knit loose blazer style jacket.

6 years ago

LaPed

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tex, I'm looking for something pretty specific, and I have a feeling, for me at least, that it needs to be woven. I want a cropped-ish topper to add structure over lightweight summer dresses (jersey and linen tank dresses). I have a weird thing about not wearing all-knit outfits, feels too much like pajamas, and I just don't feel like myself in that much softness. I like sweaters and cardis over more structured outfits -- jeans and chinos -- I've been wearing my black Everlane cardi like this and it's become a hardworking uniform this spring. I'm extremely tempted to add another Everlane cotton square sweater in white or heather grey, but I don't think it will quite fill the structured-summer-topper hole. The other option I'm considering right now is a very simple open white linen jacket like this: http://www.aligolden.com/coats.....cket-white

Everlane

The Soft Cotton Square Cardigan

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Everlane

The Soft Cotton Square Crew

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6 years ago

Anonymous

I like both the Anthro and Ali Golden jackets a lot! I especially like the notion of the pale-pink-as-a-white substitute - but only you know your closet (or suitcase!) well enough to know if that makes sense.

I vote order the Uniqlo pants in another color and cross one important thing off your list - of course I'm an unrepentant duplicator, so take my advice with that caveat.

(P.S. The thought of needing a summer jacket always make me chuckle - I REALLY need to start spending the summer in a different part of the country!)

6 years ago

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