Ageless Style: The Heat Is On


And is it ever! It actually only really hit here on Long Island about ten days ago or so; July was uncharacteristically cool (relatively speaking). I didn’t even get my window air conditioner put in til just today!

I’ve always been hot. The house I (mostly) grew up in, was three levels. I was at the top. It was hot. My father didn’t really believe in air conditioning. We had a big attic fan. On super hot evenings (and he was the arbiter of what defined super hot) my father would make the proclamation that he was going to turn on the attic fan. As though it was the answer to all our August prayers. But other than the first big, cool whoosh through the house, it was pretty ineffective. It certainly did nothing about the humidity. And as we know, “it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.”

Long Island is humid. Technically it is a “humid subtropical climate.” You sweat without even moving. You learn to dress defensively.

My priority during times of discomfort…is to make myself as comfortable as possible. At this time my interest is not on how I look, but how I feel. Until I feel good, I can’t even think about looking good. I know people that are (or appear) unaffected by the heat. Their hair stays glossy and smooth, their face stays dry, they wear cute outfits and look darling. That is not me.
This is me:

During the hottest parts of the summer, I live in loose, breathable (read: woven), natural-fiber dresses. The more the fabric floats away from the body, the better. Nothing is more uncomfortable than clothing sticking to your sweaty skin!

I saw this dress on the Osie-Duro site and fell deep deep in love. The fabric is a lovely rayon batiste – lightweight and cool. The brand uses stunning fabrics, dye methods, colors, designs–I can’t say enough good things about them. I’ve already got a list of other things I want to order once this dress is paid off (they accept Afterpay, a payment tool that has been life-changing for me!).

I keep makeup to a minimum (which I do pretty much anyway): a swipe of waterproof mascara and a lipstick. Done.

Hairstyling, the same. Very little blow-drying, other than my bangs, then I just twist into a tiny bun or do a messy pony. It needs to be Off My Neck. I’m really overdue for an overall cut but right now in the heat, the more length the better, so I can hold it back off my face.

This is the time of year when, though I wish the days could stay long, I start dreaming about cooler days ahead. Though honestly, that’s not til early-to-mid October (for me, anyway), so I still have two-ish more months of maximum sweatiness. While others are dreaming of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy cardigans I am still internally screaming GET IT OFF ME!!!


Make sure you visit my friends to see how they are dealing with the heat this summer…
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest
Bettye ~ Fashion Schlub Blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
Daenel ~ Living outside the stacks Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter
Debbie ~ Fashion Fairy Dust Bloglovin, Blog, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter
Jennie ~ A Pocketful of Polka Dots Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style Blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter
Julia ~ When the Girls Rule Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, InstagramKellyann ~ This Blonde’s Shopping Bag Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Twitter
Shelly ~ The Queen in Between Blog, Instagram, Bloglovin, Pinterest, Facebook
diane c
That dress is gorgeous on you. Definitely a keeper!!
bettyewp
Yeah, I loved wearing it!
Linda Root
Oh, how I can relate to Dads & the attic fan ! 😊 That dress — very nice color & fabric.
bettyewp
Ha ha, Dads. And same in the winter. DON’T TOUCH THE THERMOSTAT!
Penny
That is one lovely dress. It looks so good on you. And hair off the neck – oh yes!
bettyewp
Thanks, Penny! Oh, the hair!
Amy Johnson
You have such a wonderful sense of humor! I love your dress! I’ve lived without air conditioning most of my life. I never felt I needed it and I certainly didn’t like it. But now that I’m older, I seem to struggle more with the heat and I turn the air conditioner on. I also live in a pony tail or a messy bun all summer long because I can’t stand to have my hair down on hot days.
bettyewp
I definitely think we have less tolerance for temperature extremes as we get older. I wonder if there’s actually more to it than that.
julia
Ok, so funny little time lapse video at the end! I’m going to check out your dress company b/c between seeing this dress and the last post where you talked about them in length, I am intrigued. It’s a beautiful dress with the right color and pattern size. Also, a big, big thank you for writing a review for my podcast! I saw it and it warmed my heart. Have a great week Bettye!
bettyewp
You’re doing a great job with the podcast! It sounds very professional, it’s entertaining to listen to…TWO THUMBS UP!
Karen
LOVE THIS DRESS! You captured it and yourself in the heat to the max! I’m looking up the company too, although purchases and deliveries to Canada are often not what you’d hope. Stay well and healthy … and as cool as humanly possible.
xo karen
bettyewp
I never understand why mail delivery to certain places is such a challenge. What IS that??
jodie filogomo
Definitely a fabulous dress Bettye!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the color on you.
And maybe that’s why I don’t mind the heat here….it’s not humid. I remember those days from growing up in Ohio….it’s craziness. Which is why I love a print dress…you don’t see the sweat!!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
bettyewp
Ha ha, yeah, like my “prints that hide spilled food stains” 🙂
Deborah Stinedurf
This is so so pretty, I love it! And I agree with basically everything you said…unbearable heat/humidity calls for floaty clothing, hair up always…the heat doesn’t break until October (which irritates the hell out of me because by then I AM OVER IT)…and Afterpay may well be one of the best inventions EVER! It’s like layaway back in the old days, except you get your stuff up front! xo
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
bettyewp
LAYAWAY!!! Ha ha, I think I was the biggest layaway user EVER. Well, after my mother (who taught me her evil ways). I think Marshalls was the last place around here with layaway…and that was in the mid-80s. I’d put HUNDREDS of dollars of stuff on layaway…so you got the thrill of (sort of) having bought all that stuff…and by the time the month was up and the balance due, I’d put half or more of the stuff back. It was really a good tool that way. It was RESERVED for you so it wouldn’t sell out…but it gave you time to think about it and change your mind without spending any money!
I love Afterpay cuz I can just pay 25% of the item, get it, try it on, decide if it’s a keeper or not, and manage to return it before the third payment hits…so I’ve only tied up HALF the money for the time it takes to receive, try, decide, return, wait for refund (cuz that can easily be a month).
Iris
LOVE the dress. It’s attractive, flattering and does look comfty. I’m all about comfort these days too.
Grace & Peace,Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com