One question I’ve been getting a LOT…a lot a lot a lot…is how to dress cute in heat and humidity (like 90-100 degrees), saying you can’t possibly bear wearing any layers like cardigans and the like.
Obviously there are more ways to dress for the heat than what I’m going to post here, so if you have additional tips please write them in the comments to share with everyone!
Tip #1: Flowy Tanks
My number one preference for really hot days is a flowy tank, preferably with some added detail like a pretty color, embellishment, a fun pattern, or special touches (pleating, lace, bows, ruffles, etc.)
Flowy = awesome because it’s breezy and does not stick to your body as much. I much prefer a breezy sleeveless top above a standard tank top that hugs your body. And even though I wear a cami underneath all of these no matter how hot it is, it’s still nice to let some air flow and let my cami catch all the sweat instead. (Gross.)
Details like the ones I mentioned will make the top more special without you having to add anything. Above, the yellow tank has some pleating plus it’s a nice bright yellow, the white one has an eyelet pattern, and the brown one is animal print with a bow-front.
I added a necklace to the first two, but if you think even adding a necklace is too sticky in humidity then find flowy tanks with embellishment already sewn onto the neckline. That gives the illusion of jewelry without worrying about it sticking to your skin.
Shape – note that all three aren’t skin tight, but #3 has more structure than the other two. If you are worried about your body shape not working with tanks like the first two then find sleeveless tops that have seaming that will flatter you. They’re not scarce.
So, remember…tanks with details like: color, embellishment, patterns, or special touches.
This is the same number of pieces as a regular tank and shorts but it looks more pulled together, and personally a flowy tank feels better to me.
Other examples:
Shopping Links:
Tip #2: “Layer” with Colorful Accessories
If you don’t mind a light necklace or a belt in the summer then use them to kick up your summer outfits, just like you would to outfits in other seasons. They are especially great to make plain and/or neutral pieces more interesting.
Pendants and Earrings: I know I personally wear a lot of chunky necklaces, but not all accessories have to be chunky. The first outfit uses a simple pendant to kick up a solid tee and a flowy skirt. (Flowy tanks and flowy skirts. Can you tell I’m big on air flow in the summer?) You can also add huge colorful earrings, which I used to do a lot of in the summer (but they haven’t shown up well in pics).
Skinny Belts: The second outfit takes a lace tee and grey shorts–two pieces in neutral colors–and gives them some dimension with a very skinny green belt to add a pop of color.
Colorful Sandals: Most of my shoes are neutral, but someone suggested in another post that you could add colorful sandals. Great idea!
Tip #3: Dresses
Okay, kind of amused that all of these are blue…
For the record, not all of your dresses have to be blue. Hehe, oops. I have yellow and pink dresses that I’ve worn in the summer but for some reason I just chose these. Anyway…
I love throwing on a dress with a necklace or a belt in the summer. Sooooo easy. The same two tips above apply to dresses–you can find some that already have embellishment so that you don’t have to add jewelry, or you can “layer” with simple but colorful accessories.
In most cases a different colored belt can change up a dress a lot, and I think that’s tolerable in a humid 90 degrees. Okay, I shouldn’t say “tolerable” because I find that almost nothing is tolerable in 90 degrees w/ humidity except air conditioning and some ice cream, so maybe I should say that since it’s so freaking unbearable already, a skinny little belt isn’t going to do much more damage. Yeah? 🙂
The second dress uses a green belt, and I’ve worn it before with a tan belt but could easily do a yellow one or a pink one. The third dress can also use any of those colors, but what’s shown above is actually a skinny leopard print belt! Belts are not only a great way to add color, they are also a great way to add pattern and structure.
I think any of the ones below will be able to be accessorized in a wide variety of ways. The last three come in a variety of colors, and don’t underestimate
number two just because it’s solid! The buttons are adorable, and it looks even better on the model in the pics.
Shopping Links:
EDIT: If you can’t wear sleeveless tops or dresses, then the next closest things are tops or dresses like these with short sleeves, looking for similar details so that you don’t have to add more things to make the top special. Seems logical, right? Not ideal, but those are the rules you have to work within. Not every tip on a style blog (this blog or others) will be tailored for you, so you’ve gotta be able to draw out the main idea and adapt them for yourself. So, let’s practice! How can you adapt some of these tips to work within your personal clothing needs? Comment blow to help give other people some ideas.
And if you’ve got additional tips for dressing in heat and humidity share them in the comments below!
