Summer Time Chic (Feat. Trousers & Midi Skirts)

It's summer time. It's hot. I'm not a fan. 

Throughout my whole life I always preferred cool weather over hot weather. Here's how I see it, if it's cold, you can just go ahead and layer on some more clothes and still keep it chic, but if it's hot, you have to wear less articles of clothing or something more revealing, which personally is not my preference in fashion, but kudos to the women and men who can confidently rock some short shorts and a tank top showing your beautiful skin, you look awesome. Back to my groaning, and also did I mention how hot weather makes me feel? A face of makeup + sweat + additional hot weather crankiness isn't really what really makes me feel like a million bucks. Nevertheless, what can I do? I'm still thankful to be living here, the sunshine can indeed be a mood lifter and the majority of people who live here seem to love it. So as the warmer weather is kicking in, I started looking online to see if I can find some inspiration to keep cool yet keep it chic. 

Last summer I made things easy for myself and stuck with simple light weight dresses and cotton shorts, but this year I can't stop my love for midi dresses/skirts and trousers. Both are pretty lightweight in material and keep outfits looking unique and classy while keeping cool and breezy. 

Jessica Mau (Free People), Keira Knightley ('Begin Again'), Sarah Linh Tran

First, trousers.

It took me a hot minute to finally just say okay to buying a pair of trousers. I always felt a bit out of place wearing looser bottoms, I felt like I was never tall and slender enough to pull off the off duty model look, but after looking through some blogs and websites, I'm seeing how great trousers can accommodate to any body type. Let's be real, who doesn't want to basically wear pajama bottoms throughout the whole day? They're incredibly comfortable, stylish, and effortless. I learned that the trick to making trousers look best on my body personally is to belt the waist, wear a cropped shirt (cropped enough to show my belt or the top area of the pant) (or tucking in my top into the trousers to show my figure), and to roll up or make sure the pant legs hug my ankles. Most of the trousers that I've seen in stores lately are always lightweight and airy, absolutely perfect for the warmer months. I like pairing my trousers with ankle strap flats or oxfords for a more chic look, or with trainers with a simple tee for running errands while staying cool and comfortable. 

Oroma Elewa (oromastherapy.com), Madewell, Rachel Nguyen (thatschic.com)

Finally, the midi dress/skirt.

A couple months ago bought two plain black midi dresses from Forever 21 on a whim. I didn't think much of it, I mainly purchased them to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone which is just short mid thigh dresses and skirts. I love this midi trend, I think it elongates the body, looks really slick, and keeps things simple yet unique. Full on maxi dresses almost made me look shorter and more stumpy, so when I started seeing the midi trend rolling around I saw how much of a difference a little length difference did to my body. Midi skirts/dresses are also perfect for the a day to night look for the summer time. They're lightweight enough to wear out on a warm summer day out, and for the night time, long enough to keep your legs warm from the summer time evening chill. For the evening you can throw on a cardigan or a structured jacket along with some strappy heels to liven up the look for the evening. 

Hopefully this was helpful to someone who was unsure about trying these looks out.
With everything you wear, add your own flare, change whatever you like, and wear it with confidence! You look great.

All the best,
Janis Rebecca