Dressed Out: Summer Slump
The chaotic evil that is my summer outfits.
Summer has its perks… hot dogs, longer days, my bday in July… (That’s right, ya girl’s a Leo.)
But nevertheless, every summer, the temperatures rise, and suddenly, the idea of putting anything on my body seems untenable.
Originally from Houston, I'm no stranger to heat and humidity. But, as happens to many people who make Southern California their home, I’ve gone soft.
Now, any temp over 75 degrees seems too steamy to leave my air-conditioned apartment, let alone get dressed.
So summer and I are beefing, sartorially, at least. And I know I’m not alone.
TikTok is filled with fashion enthusiasts searching for something that speaks to their style without causing heatstroke.
For example: the saint that is Taila Mayden, @there_y0u_are, and her TikTok series on the Ultimate Summer City Shoe. (Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear Campers!)
@there_y0u_are ultimate city summer shoe reveal!!!! special thanks to @hereu_ @nomasei_paris @Carel Paris @FitFlop @Maison Margiela @Camper @TORY BURCH @ECCO @Coclico @margaux @bassike ♬ original sound - talia mayden
Last summer, my hunt was for a button-up that I could wear with anything. (See my pick and the rest of HI HQ’s favorite white button-ups here!)
This year, I’m yearning for a summer look that’s somewhere between Chloë Sevigny walking around New York and Michelle Williams’s character, Mitzi Fabelman, in The Fabelmans.
Patron Saint of Cool - Chloë Sevigny
For some reason this look lives rent free in my head.
As a result, my shopping list is as follows:
An interesting white blouse.
Chic sandals
Some kind of dress/kaftan that makes me feel glam and cool, in both meanings of the word.
I started my hunt as I always do, online, but my usual haunts yielded little to no results. Yes, that’s right, even my beloved Ganni had nothing on offer but heavy polyester dresses that would melt me.
I felt the need to shop. In person. *GASP*
See the things, touch them, and, dare I say, put them on my body. Here at HI, we’re big advocates of shopping IRL, so I took to the stores…
First, I dragged my husband 90 minutes in traffic to the Topanga Canyon Mall for an old-fashioned mall day.
From Neiman’s to Urban to Anthro to Nordstrom to Sandro. No store went unshopped.
The type of day where you putter around in the A/C, hoping to strike gold in stores you’d never normally venture to. At least you know that, regardless of what the stores may have for you, there’s the reward of a sweet almond pretzel still toasty from the heat lamp of Auntie Anne’s.
From Neiman’s to Urban to Anthro to Nordstrom to Sandro. No store went unshopped.
For the most part, I found empty landscapes filled with little merchandise and even less inspiration. All were selling their version of crochet, accompanied by a raffia accessory.
Nothing Chloë or Mitzi about it.
I did, however, find a pair of the hard-to-come-by, viral Hereu Bena Sandals, which, as advertised, were buttery soft and surprisingly chic. They were tucked in the sale section of Nordstrom, just my size.
Very Mitzi, I thought. Add a sock? Very Chloë.
Ugh. I hate when TikTok is right.
But, alas, it felt slightly too early in my sandal shopping journey to take the plunge.
Was I just being strong-armed by the TikTok powers that be?
(Dear reader, I was not. I have regretted each day since I left those sandals. And I will only publish this essay when I am confident that either:
A: I don’t want them.
B: They’re gone.
C: I have hauled my cookies back to Topanga, purchased them, and they are safely in my possession.)
So I left Topanga Canyon Mall empty-handed - but not entirely empty - see the aforementioned sweet almond pretzel.
Next, I went where all white women of a certain age go for answers, the Brentwood Country Mart. This was a more strategic, surgical mission. I had to try on the Judith Low Sandals from Sézane and to eye some blouses at DÔEN.
Le sigh. What could have been...
I’ve been looking at the sandals online for weeks. Never a Sézane girlie myself; something about them seemed like the answer to my cool girl sandal dreams.
To my disappointment, they were stiff, slick, and much too low for my high instep.
Don’t you hate that? When you obsess over something online, only to find out there’s no spark IRL. The perils of both online dating and online shopping.
It felt more like a “Summer in the City Edit” you’d see on IG with some kind of iced matcha in the corner.
On my way to DÔEN, I stopped by to check in on GOOP, where I found more raffia and a gold initial pendant I took a mental picture of for another day when I’m not on a mission.
At DÔEN, I found racks of breezy pieces that I’d love to add to my closet, as would every other girl in Los Angeles.
Maybe that’s why they didn’t feel quite like me. It felt more like a “Summer in the City Edit” you’d see on IG with some kind of iced matcha in the corner.
The Hettie top was sweet and swingy - I thought of it with a pair of cuffed dark denim and a penny loafer.
The dress I tried on seemed to be on the wrong side of the eternal question, “Is this a summer dress? Or a nightgown?” Only to discover that it was, in fact, the Orielle Nightgown.
On the left, def a nightgown. On the right, the blouse heard ‘round Silverlake.
Yet again, I left empty-handed, save an Arnold Palmer and a cranberry oatmeal cookie from Farmshop.
My soul search next took me to Gil Rodriguez on an unbelievably hot day that had me and the sales associate both agreeing that trying on was out of the question. A crinkly sheer shift dress was calling my name - but the length and large arm holes meant it didn’t quite fill the brief.
But do I need this fish platter? Maybe.
Focus Alice, focus.
I love her.
Finally, I went to the place I always go to feel something, Dover Street Market.
Crisp and cold, filled with things to get excited about.
Summer doesn’t exist in Dover Street Market.
A sequin snakeskin jacket from Dries, a Simone Rocha Tutu Bag, and this Chopova Lowena embellished coat.
See you in September snakeskin.
All lovely. All completely off brief.
With one month of summer over, feeling defeated, I resigned myself to another July of white t-shirts and ballet flats that hurt my left ankle so much that I’ve developed a very un-chic hobble first thing in the morning.
My summer slump had me shouting like Andre Leon Talley in The September Issue.
And then I ended up at Bode.
I was going to pick up my husband’s anniversary gift, one of their custom Senior Cord pillows. (Yes, thank you. It WAS the perfect gift.)
Tucked inside their unassuming Melrose location is a lovely little space that feels more like a historical collection than a store.
Bode’s swoony store on Melrose.
Sporty menswear pieces that are the brand’s DNA saddled up against slinky silk kaftans with beading and embroidery from their still burgeoning womenswear line.
Layers of sheer pieces intermixed with classic Americana, like this baseball mitt coin purse, that I just so happen to have the clutch version of.
It felt fresh and fun and, dare I say - cool in both senses of the word. (Despite the presence of yet more crochet - although this time it took the form of shackets made from vintage blankets.)
Bode’s mix of 20s silouettes with 70s touches.
I left Bode inspired. I took to the internet with this new knowledge and sleuthed yet again.
A linen sailor dress from LA cult favorite Fashion Brand Company felt like a bit of Americana, reminiscent of what I saw at Bode, with the right balance of Chloë and Mitzi.
Still feeling very called to that DÔEN blouse, I eventually opted for a more structured cotton style from Rixo after living in one of their shirtdresses this past fall.
And in a beautiful bit of vintage kismet, a 1920s silk embroidered caftan, the exact kind Bode is often referencing, happened to cross my path. Perfect for my bday dinner.
My slinky lil' silk kaftan.
Maybe not exactly the runaround, everyday dress I was looking for - but too good to pass up.
So summer and I are mending fences, shall we say.
Now, excuse me; I have to drive an hour and a half to the Nordstrom in Topanga.
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