Summer Style: Tips and Tricks to Stay Cool & Look Chic

Diane von Furstenberg dress c/o Clotheshorse Anonymous | Wedges (old, love these wedges) | Earrings | Sunglasses 

Happy official first day of summer! Don’t let my huge grin from the pictures above fool you. I hate summer that much that I took these photos almost two weeks ago and even then, it was already hot. Texas-style. 

You say pool, beach, tan, sunshine. I say humidity, mosquitoes, sweat, energy-zapping heat.

Anyway, with my ongoing collaboration with Clotheshorse Anonymous (you can read my first post), this silk dress was my second great find when I was shopping a few weeks ago. 

Since it is the first day of summer, I thought I’d share with you some tips and tricks on not only how to look chic for the summer, but to also stay cool to beat the heat! 

1. Take a hot shower instead of a cold shower.

   This might seem crazy, but to stay cooler, take a hot shower to lower your body temperature instead of a cold shower. I say this because I took a nice cool shower only to sweat while putting on my makeup. Why? My body responded to my cold shower by raising my internal temperature. I know it’s hard to take a hot shower during the summer, but give it a go if you don’t want to sweat right after you dry off, ha!

2. Be thoughtful when choosing your fabrics. 

   You’ll hear me say this again and again: polyester is not your friend, especially during the summer. For hot weather, stay away from polyester and synthetic fabrics and go for natural fabrics like cotton, silk (like the dress I’m wearing above that I found at Clotheshorse Anonymous!) and linen. Breathable fabrics will help you feel cooler while synthetic fabrics like polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate, spandex and latex, trap heat. 

3. Choose loose clothing in light colors. 

   It’s obvious that loose clothing feels better than tight clothing. However, you may not think about colors when trying to figure out what to wear for the day. Light colors reflect light while dark colors absorb. It’s like your car. If you have a dark-colored or black car, ever notice how incredibly hot it is even with tinted windows and sunshades? Yeah, your car has been absorbing those pretty rays while you were inside. Anyway, now is the time to shop at consignment shops to look for those expensive silk dresses for a great price! That and to shop great summer deals before all the fall and winter clothing starts rolling in for the next seasons! 

4. Protect your skin.

   Whatever your style is, protect your skin with a lightweight scarf or a hat, especially if you happened to forget to wear sunscreen before you left the house. You can also wear clothes with built-in sun protection (which I did not know existed so I may be extremely late to this fashion game, lol)! 

I always say that I’m much better at fall and winter fashion because I know how and love to layer. Summer? Not so much. This is a warning to please bear with me as I navigate my way through figuring out my summer style that doesn’t involve off-the-shoulder everything, haha! 

What are your tips for keeping cool while looking put together? 

SHOP THE PRODUCTS: 

I’d also love to how you stay cool and look chic for hot weather! Please feel free to include clothing and beauty brands you love in the comments below!

I plan on doing a fun “haul” post in the coming weeks so stay tuned! 

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Clotheshorse Anonymous for partnering with me on this post! As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

P.S. Please continue to ignore my legs. I really need a fake tan bad and since I’m refusing to go outside much this summer, I plan on ordering some product from Loving Tan. More on this later! I’m sure it’ll be humorous!