I love that song. And it’s absolutely appropriate right now. This kind of weather makes me think of flowy linen pants, cool breezy tanks, and thong sandals. Along with this vision is a great figure, magazine hair, and a beach house beautifully furnished (no oil on my beach) and friends over for dinner. Get the picture….believe me, I could go on. But, right now we’re in Nashvegas with temps in the 90′s and we’ve got to make do. So, let’s still go with the linen look and make it work here, just use your back patio, throw a white tablecloth on your picnic table, and grill some salmon. Ta da!
I’m going to start with a celeb picture which I don’t love doing but the look is very doable.
Cameron Diaz/ InStyle magazine
So glad this uploaded big….if the shorts are too much, try a walking short. Keep the neutral shoe but go flat if you want. Or, this will work fantastic with the linen pants below. The fitted tank and structure of the jacket will balance the wide pant. Fab~u~lous.
Talbots is not your grandmother’s store. At least not totally. I love having classic, tailored pieces to create a whole look or to mix with more hip styles. The pants below are wonderful. Along with the jacket look above, you could also do a tank in various fabrics and belt it. Or, pair them with a simple seafoam or navy tee, minimal jewelry and flats. Classy. More casual style pants are also available with a lower waist and wider cut pants. This unstructured look may be more your style and still very classic.
Irish Linen Pants/ Talbots/ $109.00
As I’m dreaming of these beachy looks, J Jill is a retailer that’s drawing my attention. They do the carefree linen style very well. Be careful though, some of their pieces can easily overwhelm no matter how womanly your figure.
This is a toooo cute sleeveless linen top from J Jill. The color alone makes me happy! I can see it paired with the pants above and a belt (need to create a waist) or just a pair of fitted denim walking shorts. Do a little boyfriend roll at the hem and a pair of Sperry’s. Then, proceed to the dock!
Linen top/ J. Jill/ $59.00
Next up…..I want a white linen dress. A shift specifically. I haven’t looked a ton but I want to make sure I have one for….well, nothing in particular, just to wear. I can see tall brown woven wedges or cute metallic flats with my dress. Actually, one just like this. I love the total linen eyelet overlay. This is really one of the cutest dresses I’ve seen.
I hope you like my linen picks. I mean, if you are going to be sweaty and wrinkley, you might as well look good. What better fabric to be hot in? Let’s face these 90 degree days with a stiff upper lip, hair wilting and all. After all, sweat gives a glow, moistens our skin, right? Linen makes us look classy while dying of heat exhaustion. So, grab a big icey glass of whatever, fire up the grill, and have that backyard party. It’ll be fun. Our poor southern shores are a mess anyway.
Call if I can help with your summer editing and buying. Thanks……
June 26, 2010 at 5:02 pm |
Loved this. Love linen. I wear it as often as I can. Thanks for the tips.
June 27, 2010 at 6:50 am |
i always enjoy your articles. I’d like to know where to get the white dress. That’s the kind of info I need since i”m not really a shopper. And who has the best white waling shorts in town. I don’t want to see the pocket through the material.
June 27, 2010 at 12:37 pm |
Hello Maureen, thanks for reading! I appreciate your kind words. The eyelet dress (didn’t realize info wasn’t posted!) is Land’s End and is $109 or $130, I can’t remember which! As for shorts, several stores carry the bermuda/walking type, flat hem w/o the boyfriend roll. One of the better selections I’ve seen is Jones New York at Dillards, possibly Macy’s too. Ann Taylor should also have some and Talbots. I can’t comment on which one will have less visible pockets, I know that is an issue for many. Hope that helps. Thanks again, Melinda