Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Today’s post is going to be a little different from a typical Wednesday “What I Wore” post.  If you want to check out previous What I Wore you can go here, here, here, and here.  

I thought this would be fun to write and it was inspired by a co-worker (Hi E!) who didn’t know what to wear to a concert recently.  I tried to think of my typical summer activities and what I would ideally wear to each one.  I hope this helps you, too.  

What should I wear this summer to a…

concert that is indoors?  jeans – maybe distressed – and a cute black top – maybe sleeveless with some cool details, clutch purse or crossbody – depending on if you will have a seat.  For shoes, wedges if you will be on your feet or a flat sandal would be fine, too, I think.

outdoor concert?  a romper (just don’t have to go to the potty too much!), a knit swing dress, a sundress, denim shorts and a knit top, crossbody purse, flat sandals like Birkenstocks or Chaco’s if you are a Chaco type of person.

girls night out? white jeans, floral blouse, clutch purse, wedges

date night?  white jeans and a black top or regular jeans and a black top, clutch purse, wedges

farmer’s market?  graphic tee and denim shorts with a kimono if it’s not too hot (see my post on graphic tees here), crossbody purse and a reusable tote or a cute straw tote, Birkenstocks. If you have a straw tote, lose the crossbody and put a pouch with your essentials down in the tote.

running errands?  cute shorts (Old Navy linen), knit top with details – Universal Thread flutter sleeve from Target?, Birkenstocks, crossbody purse (hands free is so nice – even if just going to the grocery).

back to school open house, church meeting, doctor’s appoitment?  White linen pants, sleeveless top or a floral blouse, wedges

Look how few pieces you could actually get by with:  (and you could narrow it down further and still have options)

one pair white linen pants

one pair white jeans

one pair normal jeans

one knit swing dress

one sundress

one romper

one pair denim shorts

one pair linen shorts

one graphic tee

one kimono

one crossbody purse

one clutch

cute straw tote for market and beach

one pair of Birkenstocks

one pair of wedges

one pair of cute flat sandals

a few knit tops with cute details 

a floral blouse

What do you think?  What did I forget?  If you are building a wardrobe from scratch this summer due to pregnancy, weight gain or loss, etc.  do you think you could use this to create a summer wardrobe? 

Shop smarter, not harder.  Do not go to the sale rack automatically and buy something just because it’s cheap.  (I’ve actually read a blogger who says NEVER shop the sale rack!)  Create a plan that fits your lifestyle and not some imaginary lifestyle or some aspirational lifestyle.  Actually write down the activities you participate in and what you would like to wear to help you feel comfortable and confident.  

Many of these items can be found on sale or at a consignment store, but I do caution you to make sure a sale is really a good fit for you.  

Also, have a limited color palette to help guide you.  My summer palette is navy, white, black, yellow, orange, pink, floral, and striped more or less.

I wrote about getting dressed with Pinterest recently and that is a big help to me.  Simply type in the event and you will be shocked by how many ideas you get.  Example:  “Girls night out outfit”.  Try it!

The reason I write about this is that there is nothing worse than feeling like you can’t attend something because you don’t know what to wear. Maybe worse is getting to an event and not enjoying it because you feel uncomfortable in what you wore.  I hope this helps!

Amy