Happy Wednesday my awesome blogger family, how is your week going? Are all of my American friends getting ready to celebrate Independence Day tomorrow? Does everyone get a long weekend? Thankfully us Canadian peeps also get a short week since we were off on Monday for Canada Day. And starting this Friday I get half days off for the rest of the summer so I am super excited to have a lighter schedule and more time for the blog.
For those of you who follow along on Instagram then you know that Monday was also a very special day for the blog. That’s right, it was my blogiversary and MS2 turned 4! I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. Thank you so much for all your love and support on my special post on the gram to mark the occasion, I am so glad all of you love the red dress as much as I do. And if you don’t follow me you need to go check it out, just sayin!
It only seemed fitting that my first post that I had planned for year five was my regularly scheduled post with my friends at Woman Within. Woman Within and the Full Beauty group took a chance on me early on when I hadn’t been blogging very long and it has turned into a a wonderful relationship. I can’t thank them enough for taking that chance and giving me such amazing opportunities. So while this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own and they always will be. And trust me if you ask the team at WW, they will tell you I am not shy about sharing my opinions – good and bad!
For today’s post I decided to tackle pieces and looks that are made from one of summer’s hottest trends – linen. While linen is always a summer staple, it has been trending all over the place this year and it is definitely a must have for 2019. The great thing about linen is that it is such a versatile fabric, from dresses to pants to shorts to suits, all styles of clothing lend themselves well to being made from this fabric.
Of course one of the best things about linen is that it is a natural fabric that is very strong, absorbent and it actually dries faster than cotton. Garments that are made of linen are valued for their exceptional coolness and freshness in hot and and humid weather. Let me tell you that this girl who runs hot all year long is all about finding clothing that helps keep me cool. Because let’s face it, sweating off your make up is not pretty!
Now I know if you have tried linen than you are going to tell me that you hate that it wrinkles so easily. And well I totally hear you I think that sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and live with a wrinkle or two. I mean I have worn synthetic fabrics that wrinkle and don’t breathe so I would rather be cool and wrinkled than hot and wrinkled. And at least everyone knows that linen wrinkles so it kind of has a built in excuse lol.
And the great thing about this pieces from Woman Within is that most of them are made from a linen/rayon blend so they are still breathable and cool but the fabric blend helps keep wrinkles at bay. And let me tell you I am posting this at the perfect time because they are having a HUGE Independence Day sale from now till Sunday where all things summer are 50% to 75% off! You know that means I have some shopping to do.
So let’s talk about these 3 looks I put together for you. Yep, you heard me right, I threw in a third look for you just because I love you so much!
This first look is office casual at its best. I love a great capri for the office and these beige striped ones were a perfect choice. They have a half elastic waist at the back which helps combat any gaping at the waist and provides comfort. I love how the stripe is very subtle and pairs well with most colours. I am wearing the size 34 because I wanted to have that looser fit in the leg. They also come in 3 other colours.
I decided to pair them with this button up tunic which I have to admit was outside of my comfort zone as it is a little more conservative then what I would normally choose. But I loved the crispness of the style, the long tunic length, the side slits and the 3/4 length sleeve. I have to say that this top was much cooler once I had it on than I thought it would be. And it was certainly hot the day we shot these looks. I think is it perfect for the office because let’s face it, with the air conditioning it can often get a little chilly. I really enjoyed the contrast of the bolder stripe in the top with the subtle one in the capris.
To complete this look I added my favourite silver flat form sandals that are also from Woman Within. Now I know how much you all love these shoes but unfortunately they are from last year and they are no longer available but I did share a link for an alternative pair that are in stock. And don’t worry I have asked them to bring these sandals back next year. A fun striped canvas bag was the final little touch that completed my play with stripes.
The 2nd look is this simple striped sleeveless linen shirt dress. It comes in this fresh shade of pink and a lovely yellow too. I struggle with wearing a traditional shirt dress because of my hips so I loved that this one was an A-line cut with a full skirt. And it has pockets! I am wearing the size 32 in this, I definitely needed the room to accommodate my chest and hips. Its always important to remember that linen is a fabric that doesn’t stretch.
For this look I chose some fun white slide sandals from Woman Within that have a 3D flower detail on them. They were the perfect feminine touch and are super comfortable. This striped satchel was a fun colour contrast and I decided to give the whole look a classic vibe with these pearl earrings from Admit Jewelry. They are a modern take on a classic pearl earring and also super lightweight. Special thanks to Admit for sending them to me.
To finish things off is this casual Friday/weekend duo of crisp white shorts and a feminine style tunic. These shorts are the same style and cut as the capris. They are also available in navy and in khaki. I am wearing the size 34 in these as well and I really love the fit and the length. With this length I could easily wear them to the office.
I decided to make this a really feminine look as soon as I saw this soft lightweight tunic in this beautiful shade of pink. I loved the scoop neckline and the delicate crochet trim on the sleeves. I am wearing the size 3x (30/32) and it is loose and comfortable which is exactly how I wanted it. Unfortunately the pink is almost sold out but it also comes in crisp white and a beautiful soft shade of blue. But if you really want to wear pink I did give you links to two alternative tops.
When I accessorized this look I kept with the feminine vibe and chose these pink floral sandals that are also from Woman Within. These are the perfect walking sandal, they are supportive and comfortable but still cute because let’s face it who wants to sacrifice looking cute for comfort if they don’t have to? This vibrant striped bag was the perfect pop of colour and pulls together the whole look. Just add a pair of sunnies and you are good to go.
So there you have it, three different takes on linen. I love that Woman Within has such a great variety of pieces to choose from. Leave me a comment and tell me which look you could see yourself wearing. And you are okay with the wrinkles? Inquiring minds want to know!
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images.
Shop Look #1 here:
Tunic by WOMAN WITHIN | Capris by WOMAN WITHIN | Sandals by WOMAN WITHIN (alternative here) | Bag by JUSTFAB |
Shop Look #2 here:
Dress by WOMAN WITHIN | Sandals by WOMAN WITHIN |
Shop Look # 3 here:
Tunic by WOMAN WITHIN | Tunic Alternative #1 by WOMAN WITHIN | Tunic Alternative #2 by WOMAN WITHIN | Shorts by WOMAN WITHIN | Sandals by WOMAN WITHIN | Bag by ALDO |
