Tricks for Summer Style: Being Covered with Clothing
If you struggle with summer style as you prefer to stay covered with clothing here are some tricks. For some women this goal is due to modesty or body issues. Yet it’s nice to have an arsenal of tricks that you could use at some time or another.
Quote of the day: “I would rather hire a man with enthusiasm than a man who knows everything.” John D. Rockefeller
FIRST AND FOREMOST–I’m not promoting that you need to be covered to look good as you age. In fact, I wish we could embrace the changes that happen with our bodies. It’s quite freeing not to be worried about covering up.
Yet I know that way of thinking is basically swimming upstream. And since Charlotte uses most of these tricks, I thought at least I could share them, all in one place.
I’m sure there are more of these ideas for surviving the summer months while being covered with clothing, so feel free to join in on the discussion. Like the quote above, what I don’t know, I make up in with enthusiasm, LOL!
Arms with Summer Covered Clothing
1-My New Arms–this is basically hosiery for your arms as both Charlotte and Nancy showcased in this post.
2-Kimonos—Kimonos are a fabulous lightweight covering that can be worn with pants or dresses. We show them off every year because they are now considered an essential in our closet.
Kimonos are also great for that extra warmth when a place is air conditioned.
3-Layering–Just because a dress or top is sleeveless doesn’t mean you can’t wear a longer sleeve top over OR under it. Check that first photo above, the top is layered under her dress.
3.5-Add some trim/extra material- If you haven’t checked out Upstyle, there are many amazing tutorials. (Here is one idea for this–beware it involves sewing).
Insider tip: If you don’t want a lot of extra material with these longer sleeve tops, think about ordering Halftees, crop tops or cutting your own tops so they are shorter. OR try ordering a top/dress from eShakti where you can customize the sleeve length (my link gives you a $25 gift card to use).
4-Cut out Tops—Just because you want to cover part of your arm, doesn’t always mean you can’t expose other parts. My mom’s top below is from Covered Perfectly, and they do still have it –“Peek-a-Boo Sleeves A-Line Top” and they also have a cold shoulder top.
5-Scarves—Don’t forget the larger scarves you have can work wonderfully to drape over your arms or even transform into a top (with coverage as I showed here last summer).
Insider tip: You can knot the ends of your scarf to make it into a kimono as Lesley showed in this post.
6-Sheer or Lacy items—Summer covered clothing can be as easy as something sheer or lacy. Sure, you need to wear them over something else, but it serves the purpose of coverage yet looks summery. Charlotte is fabulous at this trick as you can see here and here.
Insider tip: If you don’t want to layer, look for items with sheer or lacy sleeves only.
Swimsuits
Let’s talk swimsuits too. One of my friends reached out to say that she struggles with finding high neck tops and swimwear because her skin can’t take the intense sun anymore. She recently purchased a couple of things and very generously shared them with me.
I figured if they work for one woman, they might work for others too.
Here is one of the swimsuits, and here is the other both from Amazon. The funny thing is I have the second suit. I do love it, yet personally, on me, I do find the rear tends to ride up a bit. Granted, maybe that’s because of the shape of my backside?
If you are looking for a two-piece, here is the one my friend also bought. Thanks Susan, for sharing these options.
The Bottom Half
1-Capris—While most older women don’t wear shorts anymore, there are still ways to wear capri pants and look stylish. We discuss this idea almost yearly.
2-Palazzo Pants—Every summer palazzo pants make an entrance and there’s a good reason for that. I recently wore print palazzo pants, but there are solid versions too.
Insider tip: I tried to dispel the myth about wide legs pants being for thin women only.
3-Maxi Skirts/Dresses-–If you are looking for something that is even cooler in the hot weather, then maxis are wonderful. They are very versatile pieces as I showed with 5 ways to switch up the same skirt.
Insider tip: Having your maxi at ankle length or above can be better for safety. If they are too long, it’s easier to trip or fall.
Shoes
1- Closed toe “sandals”—Finding shoes that are cooler for the summer without having to showcase your toes may not be easy. Yet there are cut outs or mules that could work for you.
2-Toeless hosiery—Who knew that you could find hose without toes? Leave it to my mother to discover such a thing. So if you want to wear sandals, yet like the coverage of hosiery, this option is for you.
Insider tip: The toeless hosiery is much easier to find in the summer months. Yet they can be good for those times you want to wear sexy sandals for a winter event. Don’t wait to buy them then though.
The Takeaway
One tip that can help to look modern yet still covered, is to at least show some skin somewhere. Pick a part of your body that you still love and show it off at least occasionally. I bet your shoulders are still in decent shape.
An off the shoulder top can be so modern or even a bigger scoop neck can work. If you need a comfortable strapless bra, I can help. OR make sure your maxi has a slit in it so you get a glimpse of skin occasionally.
I hear from many of you, how you “HAVE” to cover this part of your body or that part. Personally I understand that the changes in our skin and body seem “bad”. And I realize that embracing it will not happen overnight. But I still hope that one of these days, it will be a world where aging bodies are revered and not needed to be fixed or covered up.
The truth of the matter is we are our own worst critics. What you consider ugly is truly subjective. Remember that most people are more worried about themselves and aren’t noticing your flaws anyways, haha!
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