Oh, my stars and garters! It is so daggone hot here in Central Indiana! Living right outside Indianapolis as we do means we have air quality alerts when the weather turns hot and muggy. We’re actually looking at about two weeks of this weather. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be outside watering my plants. If I’m not there, I’m inside relishing the air conditioning. This is not my kind of weather! Now that the weather report is over, we can get on with the post! Today is the third Thursday of June which means it’s time for an Ageless Style challenge. This month, Leslie selected alternatives to shorts. Last month, Jodie selected straw bags. In the past we have done stripes, jeans, layering, Southwestern, and many other ideas. If you’re curious, you can find some of my looks here, here, here and here. Please do visit the other hostesses of the link party (oh, yes, there’s a link party) at their various sites! Today is also a Global Writing Challenge. I’ll have another post ready for that, and it’s all about beauty!
First…
Let’s just get this out there. I do not like summer. It is, by far, my least favorite season. I don’t like to be hot, and I don’t like to sweat. I guess those two give me the perfect excuse not to exercise, right? Wrong! I am walking and lifting weights and sweating! Are you one of those people who just sweat and sweat after you finish? That’s when I really start in! Nigel always takes a shower right after working out. I have to wait until I’ve cooled completely off, or it’s just a waste of time. TMI, right?
Why not shorts…
Listen, I’m not going to tell you not to wear shorts in the summertime. I’m wearing them right now and have been wearing them all summer. Here’s the really surprising thing for me…I’ve been wearing 5 inch inseam shorts. I would never have done that years ago. Now, I really don’t care if people think my legs should be covered up! I want to be comfortable. Do you remember wearing pleated linen bermudas as a dress up outfit? I had so many pairs of those in beautiful colors, too. I think I bought some of them at Casual Corner…really dating myself now, right?
A little more…
When I was teaching, we didn’t have air conditioning in our building. It was miserable. My classroom was on the west side of the school and faced the humongous asphalt parking lot. On top of that, my west wall was almost entirely windows! Our principal had vertical blinds installed to try to mitigate the heat. The problem with that was our windows were the kind that you pulled in so you couldn’t open the windows and have the blinds closed at the same time. The heat just radiated into our classrooms. Fortunately, he was OK with us wearing shorts as long as we looked professional. I remember shopping for back to school and looking for nice shorts or skorts! Happily, we had AC installed a few years before I retired.
Alternative to shorts…
I’m sure you already know what my alternative is. It’s a dress! I actually had bought this jacquard mini dress before Leslie suggested alternatives to shorts. I think it was during one of Old Navy’s half price sales. So, I decided to hold off on putting it on the blog until this week. When we took the photos, it was 91 with a real feel of 98 (32.8C with a real feel of 36.7C). This is not a dress for a hot summer day. It is a very heavy cotton/rayon blend. I’m also wearing shapewear to prevent chub rub. In truth, I’d rather be wearing shorts!
Other alternatives…
I think skirts are also a wonderful alternative to shorts depending on the fabric. Maxi skirts work well if they’re full, and air can circulate. Culottes, gauchos, cropped pants…they are all excellent ways to beat the heat and not wear shorts. Oh, and what about a jumpsuit? Those are fun, too! I’m guessing we will see quite a few different options this month.
My outfit…
I really have been gravitating toward oranges, reds, and pinks lately. Who am I? I’ve got another couple of outfits with those colors to post! I really do like this dress but had considered taking it back for the black/white version. I like it well enough but not enough to have a duplicate. For some reason, the bodice is lined. I don’t know if that’s to give it structure because it isn’t particularly see-through. It does have pockets. I bought the regular length so it would be a mini if you are much taller than 5’1″! It also comes in a beige. I just happen to have the top in that color and wear it all the time. It’s not near as warm as the dress, and the bodice isn’t lined. Weird, right?
The Lewk!
These L’Artiste Quiteria wedges have a wonderfully padded piece at the back of the heel. I can’t wait until I get them broken in enough to wear out shopping. I don’t know that I’ve ever mentioned this, but L’Artiste sandals almost always have velcro to adjust the various straps as well as for the closures. I didn’t have any red or pink jewelry that could stand up to this print. Instead, I went with some jewelry from World Finds. This long necklace was perfect because it didn’t lay heavily on my neck. I love these huge hoops because it’s hard to miss them!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I think it depends on where you live and what your weather is like when it comes to alternatives to shorts. It may be that you don’t ever really need to wear shorts. It has truly only been in the last few years that I’ve felt comfortable wearing shorts out in public. The shorts I wore to school were longer but not as long as a skirt. I think, when you live in a community where you know so few people, there’s a bit of freedom, right? In other news, Nigel has gotten a diagnosis of Avascular Necrosis. That basically means the balls of his femurs are dead so he’ll be getting two new hips later this summer. I will be glad when he’s out of pain (and also so my photos don’t look so wonky). Thank you for all the prayers and positive thoughts! So, can we talk? How do you feel about shorts of any length? What’s your favorite alternative to shorts? Why do you think the bodice of my dress was lined? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
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Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
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Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
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Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
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Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
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And, now, it’s your turn!
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That is the cutest dress! I love the color and style. Nigel will be a new man with his new hips. I’m so happy I had a hip replacement and now live a pain free life.
Thanks, Amy! I’m hopeful lots of things will be better once both hips are done. Unfortunately, that will be a few months away yet. I’m glad to hear yours was so successful. And, thank you for the compliments on the dress.
Your weather sounds a lot like ours right now! Our real feel temps are nearing the 100’s with all this humidity so I’m sticking inside in the a/c and only venturing out long enough to water my hanging and potted plants. I do love summer though and know that we only (usually!) get a few weeks of heat like this before everything settles down again. Your dress is really cute and I love those bright, summery colors. I just love all the summer clothes and will happily wear shorts, capri pants, wide legged pants, jumpsuits, maxi skirts, and maxi dresses– particularly when they come in bright colors. I hope Nigel’s hip replacements go well!!
Thanks for the positive thoughts, Joanne! I’m confident in this surgeon, and everyone we talked to said he was the best. Surprisingly, the humidity hasn’t been too bad…yet. I’m sure it will come soon. It’s still 83 and almost midnight! I’m so glad we have central air and feel so badly for those that don’t.
I really like this dress, but I’m surprised at how heavy it is. I wish they’d made it like the top I have that is so similar to it. That is lightweight and breathable. But, I’ll still wear this one a lot!
Oh what a beautiful colour combination that dress has! Very summery! I love dresses also in winter I wear them a lot. They are so easy right.
Thank you, Nancy! I don’t usually buy these colors, and I almost exchanged it for the black and white one. I just wish it was made from a lighter weight cotton. I love dresses…but, then you probably already knew that!
Can you believe in my mid-twenties I thought I should stop wearing shorts!? Clearly I’ve gotten smarter of the years-or maybe I just don’t care. I think we should all wear whatever we are most comfortable in. It’s too hot to do otherwise! I think the colors in this dress are so pretty together! I hope the heat gets better for both of us.
Wow! You have gorgeous legs, too! I don’t care anymore if my large pale legs bother people. I want to be comfortable, but I do make sure the shorts look nice!
Thanks, Laura!
I love the colors and shape of this dress. It’s so fun and summery.
I think it’s hotter where you are with all of that humidity. We hardly even sweat out here because it’s so dry. Seriously.
XOXO
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! It is fun and summery, but it is a really thick cotton which makes it not so good on really hot days. Our humidity hasn’t been too bad, but the real feel is several degrees higher than the actual temperature. I know that’s part of the humidity, but it’s not like crawling through wet sheets…yet! I remember when we went to the Grand Canyon in April a few years ago, our hands were so dry and cracked. We were lotioning up like crazy!
I saw this dress on your Insta and fell in love! The colors, the print, the fit, and the style are perfection. One of my favorite summer looks on you!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you, Kathrine! It is a little different for me, right? I really do love the colors of it but wish it were a lighter weight cotton.
Shorts are not an item I would ever wear in public! First of all, although it is beginning to warm up a bit, thankfully we don’t get the weather you get. I say thankfully as no-one has air conditioning in their homes – we’d all be in a right pickle if it did get really hot here! But when it does get a hotter a floaty dress or skirt that creates a breeze (with bare legs of course) is what I would wear.
That’s a lovely summery dress on you – with a great colour. Also the accessories are ace!
Thanks, Penny! I wear shorts a lot because I have to wear shapewear under dresses to prevent chub rub. That sometimes makes the floaty dress just as warm as wearing shorts. I am so grateful for air conditioning because it would be miserable without it. It’s after 11:00pm my time, and the temperature is 26.7 C or 80 here! We had a high of 95 or 35 C today, and it’s going to be that way for a couple more days. Then, we’ll just have highs in the mid to high 80s (29.4 to 31.7 C). Then, you factor in the humidity, and it feels even hotter.
I do like this dress though it’s rather a heavy weight cotton.
I remember shopping at Casual Corner back in the day! I prefer dresses to shorts when it’s really hot out. I have been eyeing that dress for a few weeks. I love the tribal print! It’s so cute on you!
Jill – Doused in Pink
I loved Casual Corner and bought so many wonderful things there. It’s such a shame they went out of business. I also loved Petite Sophisticate…do you remember that one? The only thing I’ll say about this dress that you might want to consider is the cotton is a little heavier weight than I expected. But, it’s still a fun dress!
Thanks, Jill!
This dress looks really cute on you! I am all for dresses, skirts and wide leg pants in summer (which is my least favorite season too) because shorts make me sweat in the car.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Thank you, Mireille! Oh, I thought I was the only person who didn’t like summer! It’s good to know I’m in good company. I really need to wear my dresses and skirts more.
That is such a cute dress on you! I love the colors! I also prefer wearing skirts and dresses during the warm days of summer! Such a fun post. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Laura! I love to wear dresses, but I have been wearing shorts a lot this summer for some reason. I need to take my own advice, right?
This dress is so pretty on you! I really like the bright orange and pink together, it’s a shame it was too hot for you to wear for a summer day. It’s winter here now so I’m missing mild summer days! 32.8C with a real feel of 36.7C like you mentioned is more like early summer for us in Brisbane. I won’t shock you with how cold it is today in the middle of winter, haha!
The great thing about this dress is you could easily layer it in autumn or spring with a denim jacket, you can’t go wrong with it, looks great on you! 🙂
Mica!!! I don’t get emails from you anymore. I thought, perhaps, you’d stopped blogging! Thanks so much for the compliments! I will wear this dress a lot…just not outside for extended periods of time in this heat. I think it will be fun to try to make it more fall as it’s so obviously a spring/summer dress.
Thanks, Mica!
I am with you with the 5″ shorts. That length looks far better on me – despite the less-that-perfect looking legs I have peeking out from under them. The Bermudas or longer 9″ shorts just hit me in the wrong place. So, I am wearing a pair of terry workout shorts right now. Couldn’t wait to get out of my dress from church and get these babies on.
I wore shorts to teach, too!! We are so alike. I had several pairs of long vest/longer, full short combinations and wore them regularly. Even met PC wearing a bright red vest/short/gaucho combo for our first date. Had fallen during lunch when I went out for a run – used to actually run on my lunch hour (which was 30 minutes). Had a big oozing scrape on my knee. He was not impressed.
I adore your look. Good gravy, woman, you are making me green with envy with all of your L’Artiste shoes. Just thought the pair with the black and white checked heels were super cute. And now these!! They could not accessorize this darling dress better. The colors in the dress and shoes are my kind of colors, along with GREEN – the best color in the world. You look amazing, my friend, and cool and put together.
Thanks, Leslie! I have discovered DSW sells L’Artiste, and every once in a while, you can get them with a good discount! I used to think 7 inch shorts were best for me, and if I wore them out and about a lot, that’s still my preferred length. But, right now, 5 inches it is! As for teaching in shorts, I also had nice lined wool ones that I wore with colored hose (not tights, hose) and tried so hard to make sure my shoes matched, too! Ah, those were the days, right?
Such a great dress, Marsha. I love love love that color combination, it’s so bright and happy.
My sister-in-law and I were just talking about the weather today and I told her I cannot stand to be cold. I’d rather be cold than hot. That’s one of the reasons I was so happy to leave Pennsylvania. I couldn’t handle the cold or the snow. It was just too much. And, of course, the cold and ice has followed us. Every place we’ve moved has had unprecedented cold. LOL
Thanks, Daenel! I don’t know what is up with me, but I’ve been all about the oranges and pinks this summer! Oh, I’d so much rather be cold. I can put on layer after layer. But, when it’s hot, there are only so many layers you can remove before someone gets upset! Hahaha!!!! Oh, that’s right…you did have ice and really cold weather this winter, didn’t you? I think you may have been colder than us at times!
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