The Heat Is On

If you don't live in the Bay Area, you might not realize that it's been WICKED HOT here lately, so I've been bringing out dresses this week. I feel sorry for boys sometimes, because wearing a dress on a hot day is easy and cool, and only we girls have that option (at least as a socially acceptable option). I've said it before, and I'll say it again: It's like wearing a big, comfy t-shirt.

Except it looks way better, right? This is a dress I think works with precious little added in the way of accessories, which makes it one of the easiest dresses I own. It's a very flattering cut, coming in at the narrowest part of the ribcage and then flaring out to an a-line skirt hitting just above the knee. Ties come from the waistline to cinch around the back and create an hourglass shape. The black in the dress is a slimming shade, but the purple print keeps it from looking too dark and dowdy.

I desperately needed open-toed shoes to keep from overheating, so I opted for my faux-jeweled sandals again. Happily, I was able to come up with an easy, fashionable way to beat the heat... at least on Monday.

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So what about Tuesday? Still hot, still needed a dress, but this time, I paid a little more attention to accessorizing the dress.

My shirt-dress outfit paired a green dress and tan belt, and I've done it again here, though with a richer green and a more feminine cut to the dress. I opted for a tribal-looking long necklace, flower wrap bracelet, and African (yes, from Africa) cocktail ring. Desperate again for open-toed shoes, I went with heeled sandals.

For modesty, I added a camisole to raise the neckline to an appropriate level. I felt a white cami would be too stark against the green, given that all my accessories were in the tan family, so I went with a nude or flesh-colored tank. Fortunately, my skin is so fair, "flesh-colored" clothes still look like a light brown against my fishbelly paleness alabaster beauty.

Of the two outfits, I prefer the second, but I like both. What I do NOT like is this heat - let's get going with autumn already!


Get the looks for yourself:
Dress #1 - Target; similar here.
Shoes #1 - Payless, available here.
Necklace #1 - Target, available here.
Dress #2 - Target; similar here (it's maternity, but you know I love me some maternity dresses).
Belt - Target, available here.
Shoes #2 - Payless; similar here.
Necklace #2 - Target; similar here.