Style and Styling

Summer Style/Restyle: Vol 3

Little White Dress + Scarf (AGAIN?)

Happy weekend, reader dear! (Or happy whatever-day it is when you read this!)

Third time is a charm, right! It’s time for Volume three of the Saturday Style/Restyle, or Sunday Style/Restyle series, where I take an outfit from this week last year and update/restyle it for what I am wearing and how I am feeling this year. Yes, this season’s first Summer Style/Restyle was a LWD + Scarf. This one has a very different vibe!

First, let’s address the scarves in summer thing. I hear all the time that it’s too hot to wear a scarf in summer. That’s depends on your personal thermostat! And the scarves you choose. Some people run hot, others less so. Some fibers are more friendly to warm weather wear. (Give me a good alliterative phrase every day!) Think natural fibers like cotton and silk. Yes, you can wash silk scarves. Carefully, but yes. Polyester scarves? For the most part, I’ll save those for tying on my bag in the hot months. If I’m going somewhere super air-conditioned? Okay, that might work, too. Good? Let’s move on…

Second, the LWD restyled now twice. It’s a funny thing. Some of last summer’s pieced feel wrong now. Particularly that dress. That’s okay. Our style evolves and changes because we are always growing and changing. Our wardrobes need to change with us. Maybe it’s size. Maybe it’s level of refinement. Maybe it’s climate and lifestyle…

Some people don’t see the change because they aren’t good at letting go of what’s no longer working. They add new pieces that catch the eye and don’t consider how their style might be shifting… It’s a good way to end up with a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. Some pieces come and go quickly, others stick around longer, and some are worn for decades. Finessing a style shift is about pairing the new with the old to keep your look fresh and current. (Oh, dear. That sounds like I’ve found another new series of posts!)

Last Year’s Look

I was still wearing my Capri Staycation capsule at this point. I don’t know what I was thinking; I doubt I liked this outfit when I wore it. This outfit was about the air circulation and the natural fibers. Sort of. Note: Beware cotton dresses with polyester linings. Defeats the purpose of light and airy.

What’s Still in My Wardrobe?

Not much! The scarf and the earrings are still here. The dress went away right after my Capri Staycation. It felt too girly. I’m petite which means that very feminine pieces can make me look like a child, and not in a good way. I do have a new white dress, though, so that will fill in! When pumps came from togetherness, I was sad. How am I going to find a new pair of chambray blue patent pumps with a super pointy toe? These were perfect. Oh, well. Life is full of disappointments. The scarf? I’ll need to go find it for today’s restyle. I don’t think I put it in my scarf box when I built out the accessories for my Summer Capsule Wardrobe. What was I thinking? I wasn’t crushing on these colors.

The Summer 2021 Restyle

Surprise! I found the scarf. Yay. So let’s take this years white dress (I hesitate to call it a LWD since it’s so roomy and more shirt-y.) and tame the volume with a belt or two. It’s all about the waist this summer, so if you are a waisted shape, take advantage and run with it! (If you aren’t waisted, and you still want to play in the belt pond, here’s one way to do it.) In this case, My belts are skinny, so I am buckling them end to end and wrapping twice to give them more presence. The scarf will wrap around neckerchief style again. If that feels too hot, tie it in your hair. Headscarves are all the rage this year and a great way to get some color near your face! I’ll throw on some stone bracelets that pick up the colors in the scarf. Almost done. Shoes? Hm, I think sandals this time, my chunky heeled white sandals.

The earrings are your call! I’d probably opt for the teardrop hoops because they mimic the shapes in the paisley neckerchief, but you might prefer the turquoise hoops for more color. Since I forgot a bag in this month’s Copycat Style post, I better make sure to include one here. I’ve got options. I love a colored bag so I’ll grab one of these:

How About You?

Which earrings would you choose? Silver or turquoise? Do you have selfies of what you wore last summer? I know a lot of people were in comfort-clothing-only mode. Are your sartorial choices reflecting this summer’s more optimistic feel? Did you have a style slump last summer? All year? If so, I hope you are coming out of it! What do you feel like wearing this year that wasn’t on your radar last year? Have you felt a shift in your style in the past year or so? In what direction? Was there a life change going on? How are you with letting pieces go that you are no longer wearing? Is it a breeze? Or a wrench? Do let me know. I’ve asked them to save some space on the internet for your comment! Can’t wait to hear from you…

Stylishly yours,

6 Comments

  • Sally in St Paul

    The outfit looks great with the white sandals! And the double belt is a super interesting look. I’m actually a bit surprised to see a collared shirt-dress in your wardrobe.

    This is exactly the kind of “crisp white shirt”-dress thing that I admire on others and can be very attracted to, but that is not something I feel comfortable wearing. I tend to be a “wear everything in my closet” kind of person, but the crisp shirt is an exception. It took me a while to stop buying them because what could be better than a crisp button up shirt, right? UGH. Lesson finally learned. It’s funny, even though the original dress is too twee even for me, I would 100% pick it to wear instead of the much nicer shirt-dress due to that “crisp” quality that is diametrically opposed to my preferences. And with my un-waisted shape, I would skip the belt and look like I’m wearing an old-school nightshirt like Groucho Marx in the Duck Soup mirror scene. Though I love me some Marx Brothers, that particular outfit is not exactly #stylegoals for me, haha. I like that even when…maybe *especially* when…I see an outfit, imagine wearing it, and decide that it doesn’t work, when I reflect on where the disconnect is, it helps me better understand my own preferences and style.

    I think my style has remained pretty similar last summer to this one, though this is the summer of the Layered Necklace / Neckmess 😀

    • Liz K

      I was a bit surprised that I bought and kept the crisp white shirt dress… Because collared shirts aren’t my jam for the most part, although–never say never. I’m beyond over the crisp white shirt mandate. If this buttoned up, it would have been a no-go, but I like the crossover neckline, it feels architectural without being structured. Knowing what you DON’T like is half the battle, Sally. It helps focus your preferences and spending on things you DO like and WILL wear. I feel a big shift coming down the style pike, personally at least.

  • carolkarl

    This dress is such a versatile piece. I’m sure it will stay in your wardrobe for years to come. I love how you’ve styled it both last year and this year.

  • NATALIE K

    Liz, My style has changed since last summer. I’m back to normal!! I’m really enjoying my linen this summer! It’s been hot and humid and I’m used to a dry heat no! Using jewelry as my ‘hero’ pieces comes naturally to me. That’s my style! I’m working on treating myself right. It’s easy for me to not do that!

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