Womens Hot Weather Clothing to Keep Cool in the Summer & Ageless Style Linkup
Quote of the day: “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.” John Lubbock
Welcome to another version of the Ageless Style Linkup, where 10 different women all style the same theme yet differently. In this month’s edition, Kellyann gave us the challenge of keeping cool in the summer. My mom and I started this idea in our last post when we concentrated on summer materials.
Then for this post, I suggested to both my mom and Stacy to style some loose and flowy items. That’s why I chose this quote because it seems like we were all on the same wavelength with print dresses.
Let me introduce my friend, Stacy again. She filled in for today’s post since Nancy, my stepmom, is on sabbatical with her house move. Stacy even joined us recently while Nancy was on vacation so you might even recognize her.
And a shout out to Anne, for suggesting this venue for photos. Anne is the woman who created my logo with the characters of us, and she recently sent me an email about this moon pod in Colorado Springs. I figured it’d be a great field trip for us to explore, and so off to the ENT Center for Art we went.
Jodie’s (50+) Outfit
Dress: Charming Charlies (similar here)~~Shoes: Old Navy (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Bracelet: (similar here)~~Purse: Patricia Nash-thrifted (similar here)
Why I Wore This Outfit
I wore this dress last summer on the blog for a great outfit for sitting. Like we talked about recently in our maxi skirt post, I think maxis are a skirt option that are easier when you know you’ll be sitting around like at a concert or picnic.
Personally I still love the open shoulder trend. Even though my bra straps show, I’m trying not to let my upbringing about that being such a faux pas interfere with having fun with my outfits.
How You Could Change This Outfit
Since there are many colors in the dress, I think shoe choice isn’t too hard for most of us. You could substitute a nude sandal in the same style of my peach ones or even add in a gold sandal for a little more bling. If you love the idea of matching, then a red shoe would also be very lovely.
Interesting Tidbit
The dress was quite the deal from Charming Charlies for only $10 with one of their online sales. It’s not the normal place I look for clothing items, but I figured I could hardly lose for this price. Heck, I considered the fact that if it didn’t fit then someone I know very well (you know, my mom….) could use the material and recreate something else. The other thing I keep in mind when buying a maxi is the possibility of shortening it to “normal” length if and when maxis go out of style. This dress would be easy to do alterations on because the under slip is only half long.
Stacy’s (60+) Outfit
Dress: LOFT (similar here)~~Shoes: Unisa (here)~~Necklace: remade by Diane V. Smith (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Purse: (similar here)
Why Stacy Wore This Outfit
We talked about in the video below how Stacy is a natural fill in for Nancy because they both have these same shoes. You can see that Nancy wore her pair with her choker top recently.
Stacy loved this print of the dress when she saw it at the LOFT. Since it’s a shift silhouette, it fits perfectly for a women’s hot weather clothing item because it’s not fitted. And because Stacy has been working out, she doesn’t mind showing off her shoulders. Yay for shoulders!
How You Could Change This Outfit
If you are one of those women that aren’t comfortable with sleeveless dresses, then there are many short sleeved versions that are still flowy like this one. If you gravitate towards blue and white, then this one is lovely. The other option is to get a dress with a tie waist so you can make it more fitted. Yet when it’s crazy hot, you can still leave it loose for comfort.
Interesting Tidbit
The jewelry that Stacy is wearing was transformed by a friend of hers. What started out as a pink bead necklace was made into a necklace, earrings and bracelet by adding some Swarovski beads along with some gold spacers. I love the idea of taking a necklace that maybe isn’t your favorite and having it revamped into something else.
Charlotte’s (80+) Outfit
Dress: VIPme (similar here)~~T-shirt: Silver for Her (similar here)~~Shoes: Nine West (similar here)~~Necklace: (similar here)~~Earrings: (similar here)~~Purse: Hillard & Hanson (similar here)
Why Charlotte Wore This Outfit
My mom doesn’t have that many loose fitting clothing because she prefers fitted pieces. But this is such a pretty dress that works almost all year long. In fact, she wore it with orange last year.
Since she doesn’t wear sleeveless items, she layered the t-shirt under this maxi dress. We recently styled white blouses under dresses this spring, which can be a great idea for many sleeveless items. In fact, it’s one of my mom’s favorite tricks because she uses it in many outfits. In fact, she layered like this for our white pants post too. I know we usually think about adding a cardigan or jacket over our sleeveless items, but layering under them can work also.
How You Could Change This Outfit
Since most of us find it normal to layer over a sleeveless item, you could easily substitute a lilac summer cardigan for the shirt. Or if you are as obsessed with a white denim jacket as I am, then this one even has embroidery and 3/4 length sleeves.
The other detail that we discuss in the video is the shoes. Considering most of us may not have dark purple shoes like this, there are many other options that would still look great. If you like the darker shoes in this look, then black sandals would always be appropriate. Yet, I think your nude sandals are made for outfits like this.
Interesting Tidbit
In the video, my mom talks about how this dress is fitted differently than she’s used to. The waistband is about 2 inches higher than her natural waist. Yet I think you look at these photos and see a gorgeous outfit. In fact, to me it looks like my mom has legs for days. Maybe we ought to get more dresses with this higher waistband?
I blame my mom for coming up with the idea to copy the poses we see around us now, like she did in our spring break post. Heck, this time it was almost like a workout class. Bend…breathe…stretch..ha ha!
Tips & Tricks
Keeping cool in the summer doesn’t have to mean baring everything. There are so many lightweight fabrics and styles right now. With sheer tops, open shoulder tops, and even summer materials, you should be able to stay comfortable most days.
Personally, I always feel like skirts are cooler in the hot months, yet if you don’t love baring your legs, then the maxis work great. Of course, we’ve styled capris on the blog before too, if that’s your item of choice.
Yet, the best way to stay cool? Stay inside where it’s air conditioned….LOL!
We had a great time in Colorado Springs for a quick getaway from Denver. The city is still small, yet growing, and there are many sights to see. The ENT Center for Art was quite an incredible place to visit and for taking photos both inside and outside.
I have to admit that I wouldn’t have know about this place if it weren’t for Anne’s email asking me to go since she wouldn’t be able to make it out from LA. Many people move south of Denver because the houses in Colorado Springs tend to be more affordable. I just noticed the there will be the 78th Annual Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo from July 11-14 in the Springs next week. If you happen to live near or are travelling in the area, it would be a blast..
We also put together a video talking about our outfits. It’s like we are having a little coffee chat and inviting you along with us.
Ageless Style Group
Make sure to check out the other women’s ideas about womens hot weather clothing and if you’re a blogger, join in on the link party. I think it’s very helpful to see everyone’s different takes on a theme. And maybe it’ll give you some ideas about staying cool in the summer.
Our co-host for the month is Cheryl, from Northwest Mountain Living. Make sure to follow her on Pinterest, Bloglovin, and Instagram too. If you’ve been around the blog for awhile, you might recognize Cheryl. She was my partner for our Fierce 50 campaign over a year ago. And because of this connection, we were even able to meet up this February when we were both in Arizona. It’s been quite amazing to create new friendships through this blogging experience.
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks blog, instagram, pinterest, twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust bloglovin, blog, instagram, pinterest, facebook, twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots blog, instagram, facebook, pinterest, twitter, bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style blog, facebook, instagram, pinterest, bloglovin, twitter
Jonet ~ Fabulously Chic Over 50 blog, facebook, , instagram, pinterest, twitter
Kellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag blog, instagram, bloglovin, twitter
Lisa ~ Coast to Coast blog, facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest
Paula ~ Dimples on my What blog, facebook, pinterest, instagram, twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between blog, instagram, bloglovin, pinterest, facebook
The Facts
If you liked any of these photos, it would help me if you pinned them to your own Pinterest board. It’s one way that others can see our outfits.
Even if you wouldn’t consider purchasing your clothing online, it can be helpful to look through my links to see what is available! It certainly doesn’t hurt my feelings, if you click on them but don’t like them. Just so you know, one of the ways I make money from this blog is through these linked items.
Keeping in Touch
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It’s so helpful to me if you follow me on any social platform that you’re on like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, You-Tube
And if you’re new to my blog, you can always see our outfits organized by categories, here. Don’t forget to check out the deals & discounts too, on this page. Also, feel free to Shop My Instagram items.
Since the three of us considered print dresses the perfect womens hot weather clothing, I found some for you to enjoy also.
