Four Tips for Dressing in Hot Weather

I don't know about you guys, but things are crazy hot down here in the South right now. I get ridiculously excited about 94 degree weather and when temperatures are in the 80s in the mornings, it's like a miracle. Since I shared my favorite summer hairstyles and the best ways to dress up buns and ponytails for hot days, I thought I'd also share my top tips for getting dressed when you can't imagine walking around anywhere without a personal, portable AC unit. To be honest, there are some days when I just go out in a t-shirt and cotton shorts, but I'd like to think that as someone who's lived in the South her whole life, I know a few things or to about dressing for the heat.

You guys might already know that I love borrowing my brother's shirts, but I recently discovered that among other things, they're perfect for summer. They give any outfit a cute, effortless vibe and are super comfy and loose. While I really like them with skirts, like in the outfit above, I also love pairing men's tees with my patterned high-waisted shorts as well as jean shorts, for a perfect tomboy look.

Basic dresses and outfits that can stand alone are absolute saviors when it gets really hot. At some point, I just don't want to put any more thought and energy into an outfit. Mostly because I don't want to leave the house in the first place, but when it's just one of those days, I always reach for a sweet and simple dress or classic outfits like jean shorts and t-shirts.

Pattern mixing is just one of my answers to any problem (only kind of kidding) and that's especially true in the summer. Don't know what to wear? Mix patterns. Is everything you're coming up with super bland because you can't stand to wear any extra layers? Mixing patterns will save the day. It's crazy how well that works, right? Basically, you get more oomph out of your outfit, even if you're only wearing two items. While there's definitely a place for those perfectly relaxed outfits made up of solids (basically a life goal to reach that kind of effortless cool), when you want a little something more, mixing patterns is your answer.

In addition to the three other tips, minimal accessories is always a fail safe when it comes to wanting to put together a cute outfit without melting. I love lightweight things, like anklets, woven bracelets, sunglasses, and thin scarves because they add something extra to your outfit without adding any additional heat. Basically, when it's so hot, anything tight and constricting is practically painful to wear, and so if you add accessories like these that can easily move around (instead of heavy scarves or thick bracelets or necklaces that stay in place), you don't have to choose between surviving the temperatures and having some accessories.

When I can, I like wear my hair down, but I have three other hairstyles that I always use in the summer, and seven ways to make a basic bun or ponytail more interesting with just two elastics, which definitely helps manage the hot weather, too.

Is there anything I missed? What are your foolproof ways to survive the summer heat?

Charlotte