Happy Tuesday my loyal blogger fam, how is your week going so far? I am doing pretty well, I can’t believe we are heading into August already. It’s so unfair! I don’t know about you but I am so annoyed with the back to school commercials, ads for fall and winter clothing, and the dollar store even has stuff out for Halloween! Like I say, go away, I still have a summer to enjoy!
And let me tell you the heat wave we just got certainly reminded me we were in the thick of summer, man was it hot. I personally don’t do well with extreme temperatures like that so I was glad when it finally broke. Are you still in the midst of a heat wave or have you gotten some relief too? If not, man I am praying it ends for you soon because it is no joke.
So despite the heat wave and unbearable temperatures we still have to go about living our lives and trying to stay as cool as possible in the process. Adulting sure sucks sometimes right? With that in mind I thought I would piggy back off my last post in partnership with Woman Within which featured linen as a great option for a cool summer fabric and add two more of my favourites to the list – crinkle and seer sucker. Let me tell you that Woman Within has really made sure our needs for clothes that keep us cool but cute. So well this post is sponsored by Woman Within, all opinions are my own, as always, xoxo.
If you are a Woman Within customer then you know that crinkle fabric dresses and skirts are one of their number one best sellers. They are literally a cult favourite among their loyal long term customers. They make this style for all 4 seasons and you can get them in various different styles – long, short, sleeves, no sleeves, trapeze, empire waist, tiered skirts, prints, solids etc. Basically if you can think of it, they have probably made it.
Now I will be completely upfront and honest with you and say that until now I was not a fan of the crinkle dress. That’s right, I have dismissed wearing one the entire time I worked with the brand because my initial reaction was they looked frumpy. And I really don’t do frumpy lol. But when they launched their #EveryBodyIsBeautiful campaign in the spring and I saw some of my fellow blogger babes rocking their crinkle dresses I thought alright Lisa, I think you need to give them a try. Well I am happy to report that I am so glad that I did because I am now a loyal converted fan of crinkle.
The interesting thing about crinkle fabric dresses and skirts is that they are actually made of a rayon which I wouldn’t normally consider a breathable and cool fabric that is perfect for hot summer temperatures but honestly it is exactly that. The fabric is so unbelievably lightweight it feels like you have nothing on and it totally breathes. We shot this look on a very hot day and I was so cool in it, I couldn’t believe it. After I shot 14 different outfits, this is the dress I chose to put back on, that is how comfortable it was.
And then I wore it to work the following week and I was completely sold. This particular style is a tank dress with a flounce hem and a button front with a belt at the waist. And let’s not forget the pockets! In this case I was okay with the pockets because they actually lay flat. I got a size 30 in this dress and I have to say that I would definitely size down in the future. It stretches after you wear it the first time and with the smocked back it was a little too big in the chest for me. I was pleasantly surprised by the fit as I typically have to size up with Woman Within.
I chose this particular print because I love a combination of blue, red and white for a bit of an Americana feel but since it is floral, its not too patriotic. I mean I am Canadian so I can’t go too far lol. It also comes in a lilac and white print or a black and white pinstripe print. This dress is available in sizes 14 to 34. I also want to let you know that it is fully lined in the same fabric so although it is lightweight it is not see through.
This dress is perfect for a casual weekend look so I paired it with my classic white sneakers that are also from Woman Within and added some definite sass with the rest of my accessories. These red statement earrings were an easy choice but it is these glorious retro cat eyed sunnies from Unique Vintage and this clutch from Aldo that really make this look. And I know you are all going to be so mad at me but I don’t have a link for you for this clutch. It sold out online a while back and I was just fortunate enough to find one on clearance when I popped into a store location. So if you must have it, I recommend you go to a store and see if you can find it. I did give you a link for a cute red straw circle bag as an alternative.
Now the second fabric on my list is seer sucker and let me tell you this brought me back to my childhood. I remember many outfits that I wore as a little girl that were made out of seer sucker. Do you have any of the same memories? The unique thing about this fabric is that it is a cotton polyester blend and it has a light “quilting” effect to it. I like to say it is like having built in ventilation.
I know that all of you don’t love floral prints as much as I do so I chose this stripe print instead in an array of soft shades of primary colours. For those of you who like to cover your arms, it has short sleeves. The button front is also fully functional. I am wearing the size 32 in this dress and it fit perfectly everywhere except the bust where I found it ran small for the size of my chest. In the future, I would probably wear a bralette underneath and open up the top few buttons. I also found that the bottom of the sleeve was a little snug.
I like this dress because it is very versatile, it can be worn to the office, on the weekend, on vacation or to Church. The print and colours are very whimsical and fun. I mean can you imagine how excited I was when I randomly ordered this Jolly Rancher slushie and realized it matched my dress perfectly? It was an unplanned camera perfect moment! It also comes in a blue plaid if this colour combination isn’t your thing.
I always like to have fun when I put a look together and this one was no exception. These yellow tassel sandals are from my ever growing collection of Woman Within shoes and sandals. So while these are from last season I did give you a link to another alternative that is equally cute and in stock and on sale. I have been obsessed with this Watermelon tote for months but being the accountant I am I wouldn’t pay full price for it. So I was finally able to snag it on clearance and if you love it as much as I do it is still in stock! Fun pom pom earrings and my favourite sunnies completed the outfit.
So I hope you enjoyed learning more about these options from Woman Within that will help keep you cool for the rest of summer. They are having an amazing clearance sale still so these are both only $26. Keep in mind that if you are shipping internationally you do need to order through the Full Beauty website but all the pricing and deals are the same.
Special thanks to Rebecca of Rebecca Northcott Photography for capturing these images.
Shop Look #1 here:
Dress by WOMAN WITHIN | Sneakers by WOMAN WITHIN | Earrings by TORRID | Sunglasses by UNIQUE VINTAGE | Clutch by ALDO (alternative here) |
Shop Look #2 here:
Dress by WOMAN WITHIN | Sandals by WOMAN WITHIN (alternative here) | Bag by ALDO |
