MAY: ALL THE THINGS

ALL THE THINGS is a recap where I chat about things that inspired me throughout the month, what I bought, and new things on the horizon. This month’s recap is a little different with the majority of May spent traveling. Details on that will have a separate post. Today, I want to dig into summer style. Specifically, what I want to wear now. After thoughtfully packing a suitcase for various climates and activities, running around several areas of Portugal – from cities to country to beaches – I felt prepared for anything thrown my way. But because of cooler than expected weather everywhere, I ended up repeating a handful of pieces. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw me wearing denim, black, and stripes…a lot. An occasional splash of ivory, a pair of olive chinos, and a black skirt made appearances too. I wore that grouping in as many ways as I could create. Home now, I’m very ready for a change. A pale palette, sandals, and a pop of color are what have me excited now.

Summer Style Moodboard: Relaxed looks always dominate my vision of summer style. Loose clothing, easy slip on flats, a pale palette with lots of white thrown in is the vibe. Pair that with minimal makeup, undone hair, glowing skin (a forever goal), and a swipe of lipstick. My favorite thing to do to with all of the casualness is to inject a tailored piece or something less expected with personality. A great piece of jewelry, a fabulous scarf, a beautiful bag – anything that summarizes a collected look. You know that woman who is wearing something very basic but you have to look twice to dissect why it’s so good? That’s the look. A blazer with soft loose jeans, a tailored trouser with a t-shirt are good places to start. Ground those pieces with a casual flat sandal. The somewhat mismatched pairing is what makes the outfit work.

A flip flop is the trend driven piece of the season, and I’m on board. I’ve always loved a quality leather pair (no rubber flip flops for me) and there are lots to choose from. Red is my first choice (try these or these), followed by ivory then black or brown. If flip flops aren’t you’re thing, a simple red sandal works too – Gucci’s horsebit thong comes to mind. Old school Gucci (specifically horsebit hardware) speaks to me for various reasons – mostly for its nostalgic nature of classic Gucci style in the 70s.

Styling Lessons: The opening image and the looks above are from Massimo Dutti. It’s not a brand I’ve previously posted on and I can’t speak to the quality of merchandise, but the styling is good and fits today’s moodboard perfectly as inspiration. I like the pops of color, relaxed layering, scarves tied casually at the waist or neck and the overall collected aesthetic. It’s so imperfect, it’s perfect.

Check Please: Checks, plaid and gingham are on my what I want to purchase now list. Kallmeyer’s skirt in a gorgeous check voile is absolute perfection to my eye. Summer with a tank, tee, or a white shirt tucked in, then fall with an ivory, grey or beige sweater and loafers. Add a pop of red, toss on a shrunken blazer, mary-janes or flip flops, you get the idea. The extra details with sheer panels, lace up sides, seamed waistband make the skirt extra special. Take it even further with the matching top (on sale) to create the look of a dress. Then wear the top with every bottom imaginable. Such great pieces.

from left: dress, shirt, coat, shirt, dress

Other perfect plaids and checks can be found from The Row (who, along with Bottega Veneta and maybe even Dries Van Noten’s final collection, got the movement going), Acne Studios, Sezanne, DOEN, Lela Rose, Jil Sander, and Isabel Marant Etoile.

I Want Skirts: I wore jeans and khakis for the majority of May traveling with the exception of one full black skirt. It felt great to switch out of pants and has given me a renewed interest in upping my skirt options. I underestimated the value of traveling with a skirt that goes from day to night, with sneakers to sandals, and a tee or sweater. (Skirt originally posted here.)

from left: skirts in white, ecru, white, sand, khaki, and black

I like the styling options from this selection of skirts – a J. Crew lace-trimmed pintuck in black or white cotton, a pleated linen blend in black or white, a pintucked waist maxi from House of Dagmar, khaki pleats from The Great, either black or white skirts from Apiece Apart, and a simple ecru a-line denim from A.P.C. They could all be worn and styles as I did on my trip.

Summer Bags: Raffia bags are de rigueur this time of year and it always surprises me how wildly the prices vary for the simplest most straight forward design. Of the ones I checked out, all are handwoven by local artisans but the country of origin is the key factor in determining pricing. Obviously, the quality of raffia and amount of workmanship carry weight too. For a casual beach tote, I prefer to pick one up on my travels. It’s a great, useful souvenir. Again, I’m referring to true beach totes, not a bag I’d consider for everyday wear. For that scenario, I like them with a little more structure, like the Mini Shopper above.

from left: “Perello” Tote, Market Tote, Puzzle Fold Tote, Emilie Bag (and in mocha or black), Raffia Tote

For more polished raffia bags, refer to this post with my recently purchased BV Andiamo being a favorite along with this and this. Less structured with exceptional detailing is the Khaite Zoe Tote, especially in natural with suede sides. Love.

Another option removes raffia from the equation and instead utilizes knotted rope. It’s the Clare V Sandy Tote which has been around for several seasons and still looks really good. Because it lies flat, it’s an excellent option for packing consideration. I’ve worn mine with a zippered pouch and swap out the pouch colors for different outfits. Ecru or black.

Mesh bags are also having a moment and are ideal for summer travel. I brought a COS mesh tote with me on my trip. It weighed practically nothing and folded flat into the outside pocket of my suitcase. Plus, it’s not limited to poolside and works great with street wear.

The Little Things: I don’t like to travel with jewelry that’s special or draws attention. Dressing low key allows me to freely roam and blend in. The most I wore were a beautiful pair of Dorsey drop earrings at night or a simple sterling bar for day. The Dorsey drops are understated and added just enough sparkle.

Travel Skin SOS: Lastly, my skin feels and looks weathered from travel. Change of diet, being outdoors all day, air conditioned hotel rooms, flying – they all played a part in the tired looking condition of my skin. Before I left, Dr. Diamond’s Metacine gifted me their best selling Instafacial Plasma serum. I wanted to wait until I returned to give it a fair try. Designed to repair, firm, and restore the skin with a “growth factor complex”, peptides and antioxidants, I’m looking forward to layering it into my skincare routine. I’ll start this weekend. (Disclosure: this product was gifted, and by publishing/providing a link, it is considered an AD.)