Cool Breeze

So I was looking at Vera Wang's newest resort collection the other day and I just loved it.

I mean, I just ate it up, I wanted every single thing in it.

This dress? Is perfect. Perfect. Who wouldn't look great in this dress?

Of course, I always love Vera Wang's dark, slightly funky, geometrically romantic clothes.

But for some reason I was just gritting my teeth with lust over these things, even more than usual.

And then it struck me -- they look so cool. Not cool as in hip or nifty, but cool as in, it's damned hot out there and I need to wear something cool. These clothes all float away from the body so beautifully -- it looks like it would be easy to catch a breeze in them. It's not enough, for me, anyway, that warm weather clothes be skimpy or short. I want them to not stick to me. I want fabrics that will sort of fall around me rather than cling to me, which is why I often will prefer a summer dress made of something like polished cotton to a jersey. I don't want stuff glomming on to me.

Because it is damned hot out there here where I live. It's already shaping up to be one of the hottest Junes in recorded history, and this does not bode well for the summer. It's unlikely things are going to significantly cool off for July and August.

Of course, summer is always hot here. It just is. Austin, in case you're wondering, is on roughly the same latitude as Cairo. (Cairo, Egypt. You know, where the pyramids are. And the big desert.) I have a friend from Kenya who feels the heat here. When the guy from Africa thinks it's too hot, it? Is hot.

There's not much point in complaining about it, although some people seem to do nothing but complain. Personally, I think complaint just raises the temperature. That's no way to deal with the heat. When the going gets tough, the tough slow down, sit back, order another margarita, and buy seasonally appropriate clothing. Like the ones I'm going to show you.

With all these items, I was shooting for something that had that easy, non-sticky Vera-ness to them. Veracity, if you will. (HAH!) Click photos or hypertext for links.

Crinkled Artsy Print Dress

I bought this blouse. I am a crazy fool for this blouse. I'm going to get another one as a backup, because I promise you by September I will have worn this thing to rags. So pretty and so comfy.

Love this. So cute.

These are silk, so probably best for indoors or after sundown. But so pretty, no?

All of these dresses are best worn like the ones from the collection -- with cute little flats, preferably something metallic and strappy.

This is better in the white, but the photo of the black makes it easier to see the sweet eyelet detail at the bottom. Adorable.

And of course, who's more Vera than Vera herself?

(I love the way the Kohl's website makes the clothes look as though they're hanging from an invisible clothes line with a gentle breeze blowing them. For some reason, it just cracks me up.)




Another fantastic white blouse -- I'm very tempted by this. I do have a white blouse monkey on my back, I can never get enough of them.

I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I do not have an occasion for this dress, because it is crazy on sale as well as completely wonderful.

These next ones are from Neiman Marcus, and right now their sale merch is an extra 25% off. These are steals!

You should click on this to go to the site and look at the back. Just gorgeous.

So, go! Shop!!