Most times we think of summer as the time to wear less, not more. Yet we can upgrade any outfit with different items worn in unique ways.
For this month with our Thrifty 6 group, the blog crew is updating an older post by including some unusual summer layers in with the original photos.
Quote of the day: “A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points.” Alan Kay
A change in perspective can be exactly what you need.
One of the best things about being older is the realization that we never know everything. Thinking about any idea from a different perspective can be such a benefit.
I’ve added the new unusual summer layers at the end along with my Thrifty 6 group. This article is chocked full of inspiration. If you wish to only see the unusual summer layers, you can jump to that portion of the article.
Related post: How to layer with puff sleeves
Why Layering in Summer
It seems like the last thing you want to do in the hotter weather is add layers but sometimes there is a reason for adding layers in the summer heat.
1-If you are going to be in the sun, you want to cover your body. It’s much hotter when the sun hits your skin. We have shown how you can still be covered and stylish at the same time.
2-Sometimes women aren’t comfortable showing skin in every situation, so it’s nice to have this option whether you need to cover your arms or legs.
3-Air-conditioning is a requirement during the summer months, and sometimes it’s too cold. So having the right summer layers can be essential.
4-Layering is a great way to add color and interest to any look.
Summer 3rd Pieces: Lesley
Even though Lesley is comfortable showcasing her arms as discussed when exploring the sleeveless theme, she also commented that there are times she wants her arms covered.
Shorts: Alytone-SteinMart~~ Kimono: No label-SteinMart~~ Top: Croft & Barrow-Kohls ~~ Shoes: Clarks Cloudwalkers ~~ Necklace: Chicos~~ Bracelet: Audra Style c/o~~ Earrings: Audra Style c/o ~~ Purse: Maruca ~~Hat: No label
Kimonos for Summer 3rd Pieces
Kimonos have really become the item of choice for a summer 3rd piece. If you still wonder if kimonos are right for you, I suggest finding an inexpensive one to start with and trying it with all of your summer outfits.
You might be surprised by how fabulous they can be as that summer 3rd piece without the bulk or heaviness of a jacket or cardigan.
What To Wear With a Kimono
My usual answer for what to wear with a kimono is anything and everything. Lesley is showing it with shorts here, but you can easily wear it with pants, jeans, a skirt or a dress. Everything goes because it’s the perfect summer layer.
In fact, if you live in a basic t-shirt and shorts (or jeans), a kimono is the way to add some color and interest to the overall look without the fuss.
Many kimonos are a print, but there are just as many that are solid colored too.
Now don’t just think of a kimono as only a lightweight cardigan. It (like almost everything else in your closet) can be worn in multiple ways. For example, a kimono can be perfect for a travel wardrobe since it can be styled as:
1-A dress (as Lesley showed here)
2-Swimsuit coverup
3-Bathrobe
4-Scarf-wrap it around your neck. Or if the armholes are big enough, make it an infinity scarf with your head through the sleeves.
5-As well as the obvious summer 3rd piece over any outfit.
Shoes & Accessories
Even in the heat, there are great options for colorful accessories. Lesley found this cuff bracelet and earrings that mirrored the colors in her kimono.
The large blue necklace gives another vertical element to the look.
And then the sandals. When the weather heats up, sometimes our feet can swell, so it’s nice to find comfortable flip-flops that have support yet are cute.
For our day of walking around a botanical garden, Lesley wore this pair from Clarks.
Your flip-flops can also be versatile for travel if they have enough support. They can be:
1-Walking shoes
2-Shoes for the pool
3-Slippers in the hotel
Insider tip: On consecutive walking days, it’s good to switch your shoes. Wearing flip-flops every day is hard because you have to curl your toes when wearing them.
Want insider information from a couple of different podiatrists? You’ll find their knowledge in this article.
Other Kimono Outfits for Summer 3rd Pieces
Once you live through summer with higher heat, you realize how fabulous kimonos can be as part of your wardrobe. You get the advantage of a 3rd piece while staying cool and stylish.
Insider tips:
1-Remember your summer bathrobes could transform into a kimono if you remove the belt
2-If you tend to run hot, stick with cotton, linen, and silks for your kimonos
Other ideas:
Wearing a kimono for a funeral
As a way to add color to a black outfit
Adding some boho to a look
Staying Stylish in the Heat with a 3rd Element: Charlotte
Even though I believe in the magical properties of kimonos, I realize that not everyone is the same (and that’s a good thing). Therefore, let’s explore other options for staying stylish in the heat with a 3rd element in our outfit.
Charlotte is showcasing one of her favorite blazers for this idea.
Pants: Ruby Rd ~~ Jacket: EFAN from Japan ~~ Top: Jockey-thrifted ~~ Shoes: Steve Madden-DSW ~~ Earrings: Made by a friend~~ Purse: SteinMart~~Hat: No label-thrifted
There are a couple of different details for jackets and blazers that can make them perfect as a stylish 3rd piece. Lace, crochet, and mesh are the ones I always think about. It creates a little coverage but since they are all an open-weave, they can be cooler and still show some skin.
My mom purchased this jacket when she was on a tour in Japan and has worn it multiple times.
Capri Pants for Older Women
Charlotte’s summer item of choice is definitely capri pants. She has them in multiple colors and styles them for any casual summer look.
Even if you read articles that say you shouldn’t wear them because they will make you look frumpy, I think we should realize that at this time and age, we can wear what we like.
Besides, there are ways to make capri pants look stylish. Adding in interesting colors and modern details definitely change the look from frumpy to fabulous.
Summer Slides and Extras
For my mother, she added a flower pin to her lace jacket. A fabric pin is a wonderful alternative to a metal brooch that can be too heavy. The pin, purse, earrings, and hat all bring in the bright pink color that is also worn under the jacket.
Insider tip: Etsy has a multitude of these fabric flower pins if you are interested. Then again, if you are crafty, you can DIY some with leftover material.
A straw purse is such a summer basic, and I love how there are so many different options for everyone.
And summer slides are ideal for any of your summer looks. The advantage of slides is they can be as comfy as slippers, but stylish enough to wear out in public.
I love how there are many versions with arch support.
Insider tip: If you have a pair of summer sandals that don’t have enough arch support, I personally use these Sole Insoles (found on Amazon).
Details for Staying Stylish with a 3rd Element
There are many details that can make your 3rd element easier to style for the hotter weather.
1-Mesh/Openweave pieces
2-Vests can be an option
3-Crochet
4-Sheer
How to Layer in the Summer: Jodie
Another great idea for how to layer in the summer months is to think about what goes “under” what you are wearing, not just layering on top of items.
For example, instead of finding a kimono or jacket to put on over your summer dress, how about wearing a top under it?
Related post: Shop your closet unconventionally
Dress: No label~~Top: Japna ~~ Shoes: Ros (formerly Walking Cradles) c/o~~ Bracelet: Sun City craft fair~~ Earrings: Tak Creations c/o~~ Purse: Ideas Valyen-won in a giveaway ~~Hat: Horizon thrifted
Sleeveless Summer Dresses
Let me start by saying that sleeveless summer dresses are another must-have. They can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion, and they are much more versatile than you’d realize.
For example, I’ve shown in the past that your dress can be styled as a skirt and a top just as easily as you can wear it alone as a dress.
While you may think that’s easier for the cooler months, it’s just as workable even when the temperatures are high.
In fact, I will always take a dress as part of my travel capsule wardrobe. Maybe that’s because they are also the best thing to wear on a plane trip (and the primary reason is explained in this post).
Secret Layering
My trick for this summer layering was to add a short sleeve top under my sleeveless dress. I had a wonderful reason to do this too. Since we were spending the morning touring around a botanical garden, I wanted my shoulders to be covered to protect them from the sun.
Insider tip: Even when you wear clothing, it’s still good to use sunscreen under the clothing. 20% of the sun can get through regular clothing.
This might have looked more cohesive if I had worn a white shirt under the dress, but not every outfit is my favorite.
Yet, I hope you remember the concept and not just the example. Layering under your dress this way is a great approach to make your dress much more versatile.
Related post: Layering your button-down shirt under a dress
BTW, I’d like to point out that this orange top is being worn backward. I only did this because the back of the dress has a higher neckline and covered the ties making it awkward.
You can see it worn normally on the day Tuesday in this daily outfit post.
Insider tip: Don’t forget that many tops and even some dresses can be turned around and worn with no one the wiser.
Cactus Accessories
Confession time. I was never a cactus lover until we moved to Arizona. But now?? Now, I just love finding items with cacti on them and wearing them. That’s exactly why I bought this dress (which is so lightweight it feels like a nightgown).
So it was very appropriate to wear my cactus bracelet and earrings with the look. And then the yellow straw purse was fun to bring in even another color.
My thinking was that since my outfit was so colorful, I would wear neutral sandals. This pair is my Ros Hommerson “Nella” style with the new sandal construction reviewed here.
Spoiler alert: I love the comfort of these sandals. BUT if you are going to get a pair this season, I would size up half a size.
Metallic footwear is a great neutral for any season, and they are a color I think every woman should have in their closet.
Since there are different shades for the metallic, there is something for everyone.
Unusual Summer Layers
Since we had already uncovered some usual idea with layering in summer, I had the crew think about unusual summer layers. And boy did they come through with flying colors.
Insider tip: The advantage of thinking outside of the box this way is that you create a much bigger closet without buying anything new.
It’s one reason I wrote the series on Shopping Your Closet in the past. Make sure to give it a read. The first one is all about color, then I wrote about mixing it up, and lastly I explored unconventional ideas.
It speaks to my motto that we can layer BOTH UNDER and OVER with almost all of our clothing items.
Charlotte-Unusual Summer Layers with a Dress
I twisted my mom’s arm to purchase this shirtdress when we were thrifting in Palm Spring almost 2 years ago. In fact, I think this is the first time she’s worn it.
Why?
My guess is that she considers the dress to be too short.
That’s where my idea of how to style a short dress can help you out.
Considering that this dress is a shirt dress, you can also wear it unbuttoned as a duster. For today’s idea of unusual summer layers, Charlotte wore the dress with pants.
Some cultures use this styling idea as a norm, but I think most women don’t try it often.
Insider tip: You don’t have to button all the buttons when wearing a shirt dress. I had my mom unbutton many of the lower buttons to give the dress more flow and swing.
This blue print shirt dress has an attached belt that is super long. But since we are the boss of our clothes, you don’t have to wear the belt as intented.
You could:
1-Cut it where it’s attached, sew it back together, then hang with all of your belts for future outfits.
2-Wrap it around (it will be invisible) and then cover it with a contrasting belt. My mom did this with her belt bag.
Lesley-Styling 2 Dresses
This unusual summer layers idea reminds me of a couple of examples in the article about styling a shirt that is too big. Because in all reality, what is a dress? You could call it a large shirt or even a tunic.
So the idea to layer two dresses together is brilliant. Especially when one has spagetti straps and you want coverage for your bra straps.
Or heck, if your dress seems too short, you could layer it this way instead of over pants like my mom did.
To give the top layer dress some umphf, Lesley gathered some of the material and used a hair elastic to knot it.
The advantage of adding in this step is you create a more intentional and stylish outfit.
Jodie-Wearing 2 Skirts for Unusual Summer Layers
I can’t tell you how tickled pink I was when I tried this combination. Sure, I’ve layered a skirt over a dress many times in the past, but the one time that I tried to let the underskirt show wasn’t a success.
It’s a good example of how you should try, try again!
BTW, this same idea would work to wear a shorter skirt over a longer dress instead of skirt.
Since the unusual summer layers was part of our Thrifty 6 group, I concentrated on preloved items. The tulle skirt wasn’t preloved, so I tried to make sure almost everything else was.
Matching isn’t usually my game, but I thought the lilac leopard t-shirt worked swimmingly with the tulle skirt hanging out under the denim skirt.
And then I accessorized with 2 different thrifted pearl necklaces.
Insider tip: If you’ve even doubled or tripled a necklace around your neck before, then you know how it can end up moving and “choke” you. That’s why you can see that yellow daisy on the side of the pearls. It’s an earring that is holding 2 of the strands together so they stay in place.
I had to find an earring that had a hoop latch so there was room for the pearls.
You may recognize this skirt from my emails last fall when I was creating it. I had this denim mini skirt in my closet but wasn’t wearing it much.
Then I saw how the denim midi skirts were trending so I decided to thrift a pair of jeans and use the denim from the thighs to add to the mini skirt.
Of course, it was a project because the denim demarkation looked strange at first, so I added a trim. But the white trim was too much, so I ended up painting the white trim.
That’s why the denim skirt looks color blocked. Part of it is thrifted, and part of it isn’t.
Related post: How to wear a denim skirt over 50
Thrifty 6
With the fashion and textile industry being a major contributor to landfills and other environmental pollution, we decided to make it the mission of this little group to focus on second-hand items. Every month we will choose a theme and share our styles with you to hopefully inspire you to shop more preloved and less fast fashion.
Insider tip: If there aren’t many wonderful secondhand shops near you, then I included a list of online shops that I love at the end of this post.
- Emma of Style Splash
- Sally of Within a World of my Own
- Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
- Jodie (and crew) of Jodie’s Touch of Style
- Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
- Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Check out the other members of the Thrifty 6 group for the prompt of summer layers. You may be inspired to change up your outfits in many different ways.
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
“Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks recently cleaned out her closet and she very generously sent me a big box of beautiful preloved pieces that she no longer wanted and knew I would love. When I opened the box, be still my heart, it was filled with Kantha Bae pieces that all mix and match in the most wonderful way…perfect for this thrifty challenge of summer layers. I am wearing a reversible skirt under a reversible dress under a cute little boxy poncho style top..all from Daenel’s magical closet! I have styled four different outfits with these three pieces on my blog but there are many more ways I could wear them, too! I do love being the recipient of gorgeous hand-me-downs. Thanks so much, Daenel! I have been wearing these pieces every day since I received them two weeks ago. What a wonderful way to give new life to your old garments, don’t you think?”
Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style
“I think this is my favourite summer layer piece. Btw, the one season layers are all cardigans for me, and the next season it’s jackets and blazers. For a year or two it’s jackets and blazers. This lovely linen jacket is from Vinted and is from the brand I used to work for. We also had trousers and skirts to go with the blazer. This jacket has 2 very large buttons and a band to tie it with and a beautiful silvery trim along the edges. I love this jacket. A layer, but not a very warm one. But sometimes you just don’t care!”
Emma of Style Splash
“This summer the weather has been very disappointing so far, so I’m rarely without a cardigan. I’ve bought a few on Vinted recently, including this long one by Forever Unique. As I have a lot of pink and orange clothes, it’s a really useful addition to my wardrobe. I’m hoping I won’t need it too much over the next couple of months though!”
Jane of Preloved-Vintage-Handmade
“The “T6 theme for June is ‘Summer Layering’…
…I’m layering two sheer pieces to create one elegant evening outfit.
The first layer is gossamer fine; for decency, it could never be worn “sans-slip”…
…the second layer is a negligee and on it’s own, that’s quite obvious.
Both are pure silk and together they’re just perfect for a summer evening soiree…”
Sally of Within a World of My Own
“My favorite summer layering piece is a lightweight cotton or linen button up shirt, worn open with the sleeves rolled up over a sleeveless top. Something about the simplicity of it and the easy, relaxed, slightly rough-around-the-edges vibe feels perfect for a laid-back summer day. I wear this denim shirt from ThredUp in every season of the year.”
Online Thrift Stores
These are the ones I’ve used more than once (except Swap, but it comes highly recommended by a friend)
thredUp—this link gives you $10 (and me in return).
Poshmark — here is the post about how to shop the site.
Preworn
Etsy
ebay
Swap
Uncommon Closet— nonprofit to help women.
Gild the Lily–a local Michigan store that sells online.
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My Goal
Thank you for visiting my space on the internet. I like to showcase how it’s never too late to look great for women of any age, size, or working with any budget.
I feel I’m here to help move beyond the fashion rules of yesterday and evolve. Style and clothes are made to give you joy. Not cause us stress because we are worried about what others think.
My hope is that you get ideas and inspiration from Charlotte, Lesley, and myself. It’s not about copying what we wear, but about using what you already have and updating items along the way.
Most of all it’s getting us to think differently and dare I say, have fun?
Welcome to Jodie’s Touch of Style. I’m here to prove that it’s never too late to look great. Clothing and style are meant to showcase your inner personality. So let’s have fun and try new things.
It’s not just about me on this blog, but also my mother and friend. We get to showcase not only different decades of life but also different body shapes and unique personal styles.
Find out more about all of us here. And make sure to join the email list where I include so much more.
