It’s been a mighty hot summer so far. Has your wardrobe taken a beating? Is it still clean, pressed and ready? Are you ready for the work week, weekends, events, networking, picnics and other fun summer activities?
If you’re not quite sure, or you know for sure you’re not, here are 7 wardrobe essentials that will give you a great foundation for everything you need to do this hot, long summer.
1. Crisp white shirt/blouse-caveat: if your coloring dictates off white or cream, substitute the correct shade. There’s nothing like a crisp white shirt/blouse for all things professional. You can also dress it down and wear it with jeans on the weekend. Depending on the quality of garment you invest in, it may last for a few seasons or just one. Once it gets dingy or starts to lose its shape, get a new one.
2. Trench coat-instead of a garish raincoat, invest in a quality trench coat that you can wear on rainy days or chilly mornings. You will get a lot of wear out of it and it will protect your clothing underneath. Women, you can find trench coats in many different colors so pick one you can live with for the life of the coat.
3. Lightweight cashmere cardigan (neutral color)-think of all the ways you can wear this. You can dress it up with a dress shirt or blouse for the office. You can also wear it over a dress or cute top and skirt. Easy! Afterhours you can throw on a t-shirt underneath and rock it with some jeans and sneakers. In a pinch, you can even use it as a swimsuit cover up (just don’t get it wet).
4. Swimsuit-yes, this does strike horror in many hearts but if you’re going anywhere near a pool, lake or other body of water, you need one. Look for one that’s appropriate for many occasions (actual swimming, pool party, boating), which usually means skip the skimpy, barely there one that will probably end up embarrassing you with a malfunction. Men, I beg you, leave the speedo-like ones for underwear models. Make sure, no matter what your gender, you get one that works well with your figure type and coloring.
5. Light, neutral colored no iron pant-okay, there may be minimal ironing but it’s better than slaving away for hours during the hot days of summer. Light colors reflect light which means they’ll be cooler than dark colors. Idea: pair them with your white shirt/blouse and cardigan.
Image by Tony Marinella
6. Scarf-yes, men wear scarves and look very handsome doing so. Your scarf will be different than women’s-no floral. Pick either a cotton solid or geometric print that is in colors you feel comfortable with. Hang it around your neck on cool days. Ladies, pick the type of fabric, color and pattern that moves you.
7. Well fitting bra-men, you can skip this one. Women, this is the most important item of the whole list. If you don’t have the correct foundation, your look, no matter what you’re wearing, will be off. A correctly fitting bra will make you look thinner, younger and maybe even taller. It lifts your chest and gives you more room between your chest and waist which makes you look thinner. There are many department stores that do it for no charge. Go do it today!
These essentials will get you through the rest of this hot, hot summer in style!
Colors are back! We haven’t seen so many colors on the beach since the color explosion of the eighties. History repeats itself, which means neon colors, wayfarers, and bright cutoff shirts are back. Well, maybe not the cutoff shirts.
Shapes and cuts are new and improved. The standard string bikini is not nearly as popular as it once was, and new shapes and styles are replacing it. We will definitely see a lot of knots as accents on bikini tops and bottoms. Thicker straps with a knot or two in the middle on bikini tops as well as bottoms are adding a subtle accent to many suits this season. The balcony top started to get popular years ago, and it is now a great alternative for women with large bust sizes. The added support and new styles is a widely accepted option for women of all sizes.