Summer Chic: Mosaic Print Dress

With the first day of summer behind us, the challenge for the next few months is keeping cool and looking great at it, which oft times isn't easy in the heat.  Striking that delicate balance between fashionable and looking fresh is easier than previously thought if you choose a print and fabric to conceal your summertime woes.

1. Kmart -Attention Mosaic Print Halter Dress
2. Cole Haan -Village Zip Satchel in Emerald
3. Nine West -Ivorie Pump in Dark Blue

In cooler months, I love a firm, structured fabric such as cotton, denim or wool, but in the heat and humidity, one needs to think light, airy and, dare I say it?  Something which will hide the sweat marks; because one might dress to feel cool, but who can be confident with those unsightly wet spots?

My favorite fabric in the summer is a synthetic blend, usually of  95% polyester to 5% spandex, like this dress (1).  This fabric, although it doesn't necessarily wick away moisture, it dries relatively quickly.  The small, colorful print will mask the sweat until it dries giving you a fresh appearance all day long.

Chic!

Chic!

 Fashion Tip:

I saved the description of elements 2 and 3 of my Chic styling for here, and a close up of the dress' fabric.  I primarily chose this dress because of the emerald green tiles in the print to pair with my 'it' color bag (2) of 2013. 

The print of the dress incorporated many colors, and I chose these particular shoes to pair with the lavender in the dress.  Closer to the fall, or even for an evening outing, grey, tan or black shoes or a purse would have worked equally well with this dress.  Don't over think your accessories!  In this case, choosing any two colors would make this dress shine!

 How I Styled It?

1, 2, 3 Styling needs to remain fresh for the summer.  This little, print dress, set against a dark background can be dressed down for the day and up for the night; beautifully transitioning between the two, from boardroom to ballroom, there are no embarrassing sweat marks to detract from your fashion statement.

For the summer months, play with fabrics, prints and lengths to achieve a balance between fresh and fabulous!  SN