In Summertime, the Dressing is Easy
I am a separatist. Well, sartorially speaking. I’m a passionate shopper who splurges on a must-have “piece”—like a YSL high-waist bow-tied purple skirt—and then spends who knows how many seasons deciphering what the hell goes with it. (This spring, I’ve finally got that old purple skirt right where I want it.) In the fall, the pieces come together via a hatbox full of tricks—belts, scarves, tights, hats and jewelry. Dressing can be quite an effort. Don’t get me wrong, I take an almost obscene joy in puzzling it all together. Still, even the most vigilant fashioneur requires the occasional vacation—a summer vacation.
Summer, of course, is fashion’s ugly stepchild. The spring collections are a stereotypical beauty queen—pretty, but not terribly complex. While fall, at its sophisticated best, is more Tilda Swinton or Cate Blanchett—with striking layers, texture and smarts. Winter brings glorious coats. Summer meanwhile, is barely a shrinking violet, stuck with hand-me-downs from spring. I suppose the fashion set escapes during the hottest months to places where they’ve little need for clothes.
Here on earth, where we must dress for all four seasons on that pesky Gregorian calendar, summer brings with it the promise of ease. There’s no call for peacocking the latest fashions—there aren’t any!—and no real need to dress to impress—who’s in town to notice? So the answer to the question, “What should I wear?” is a no-brainer. Pick one no-fuss, statement piece…then fuggedaboutit.
Admittedly, one-piece dressing kind of chafes my nature. While I always appreciate a perfect LBD, I still prefer to amp it up with a boyfriend blazer and monster brooch (and maybe a fedora; ooh, and patterned tights!). But last summer, I finally found my solo act: a racer-back jumper with a plunging cutout back and drawstrings for various adjustments. Scored at Osklen—the Brazilian purveyor of devil-may-care sportswear in SoHo—the dress cost under $300 and solved the problem of a blistering New York August.
I was sure this would become a vacation-only staple until everyone, and I mean everyone, took notice. In truth, I’ve never received so many compliments, from shop girls to connoisseurs to skater dudes. The irony is that this is no Hervé Léger bandage dress nor rumpled Prada frock. Its long, billowing shape lets me let it all hang out without anyone being the wiser, and the shiny black nylon could literally be hosed down at the end of the day. It requires no accessories but a flat gladiator sandal and a long, lazy gait.
For me, the allure of this dress is obvious. It’s so comfortable that I forget I’m wearing it. For all I care, I could have just rolled out of bed, nude and on my own private island with only a warm beach and sea breeze awaiting me. It doesn’t look like I tried too hard or even that I tried at all. I’m just a gal in a dress enjoying a summer day and, I guess, there’s nothing much sexier than that.
If you lack your own perfect summer piece, allow me to make some suggestions. I’m crazy about jumpsuits and, this spring, designers loved them too. Zero + Maria Cornejo cut a gorgeous piece in weightless, black washed silk, while Phillip Lim’s ivory rendition has a feminine décolleté. If you’re among the majority of women who won’t brave this retro onesie, opt for a carefree T-shirt dress from BCBG or Alexander Wang’s sleeveless shirtdress with a swooping asymmetrical hem. Two rules of thumb: Do accessorize but remember, easy does it. One bang-up bauble is plenty. And finally, don’t blow your budget. I say this not because of the Great Recession. Summer is no time for wardrobe investments. Save your wages for cocktails instead.
Tags: accessories, accessorize, Alexander Wang, bauble, BCBG, beauty queen, Cate Blanchett, dress to impress, fashion set, feminine décolleté, Hervé Léger, jewelry, monster brooch, one-piece dressing, Osklen, passionate shopper, Phillip Lim, Prada, statement piece, Tilda Swanton, vigilant fashioneur, Zero + Maria Cornejo