The warmer months are finally arriving and while many of us have been longing for summer fun at the lake, al fresco dinners at The Deck, country club soirées or outdoor weddings, summer’s heat can often bring styling challenges with it: the challenge to continue to dress confidently while remaining comfortable in the heat of summer. Let’s face it, there is not a woman out there who doesn’t feel slightly insecure about some part of her body, no body is perfect, and as time passes our shape changes, calling for your wardrobe to change with it. With that in mind Jophiel stylists sat down for a fashionable confabulation! Read the latest Jophiel Table Talk about how to find your comfortable and confident put-together-look for any warm weather occasions.
Julie Eckert Clancy, President and founder of Jophiel begins, “A major point to make, both as a woman and stylist, is to know the place in life of the woman you are dressing. Is she a business professional that is going to be in the comfort of air conditioning 90% of her day? If that is the case then her wardrobe may only vary by the fabrics, not style.”
Leah Strauss Grant; Former Stylist & Associate Director for Digital Media and Marketing adds on, “I like that you brought that up Julie. I noticed during my time in New York that no one scarified their business apparel despite the summertime heat on the train! I would still see appropriate work attire, such as a woman in a button up, pencil skirt and jacket despite the sweltering heat. The differences would be in the fabric of her garments.”
Clients often come in requesting lighter fabrics for both a relaxed lifestyle and for the warmer months, Janice Futter, Stylist of 20 + years, “I have clients who are naturally hot blooded, and I recognize this all year long.”
Julie dives deeper, “Natural fabrics are always a better choice, cotton, linen, silks and wool; yes wool blends should not be excluded for summer. Natural fibers blended with poly (polyamide), rayon, or viscose also offer a breathability to garments.”
Nancy Stuck; Stylist & Vice President of Sales And Merchandising elaborates, “So many women are anti-poly. I got to tell you I think it’s a great summer fabric, it’s the fit that I think makes a difference. Anything tight fitted won’t wick away the moisture. It’s that wicking that makes it very summer friendly to me.”
One thing that is often perceived as a draw back from these light weight fabrics and blends is that they often don’t provide the structured silhouette that, especially as we age, we feel more comfortable wearing.
Nancy explains, “There are not a lot of options if you want both a fitted silhouette and to stay cool, anything snug to the body is going to create warmth. To many women, including myself, it is about adding the right kind of base layer, made of the right breathable fabric, in order to still be cool and comfortable while wearing those certain silhouettes. Consider dressing from closest to your skin out.”
Another fabric that has adaptability and light weight feel is the Crash Light fabric from designer Peter O. Mahler. This new fabric provides the best of both worlds Nancy explains, “It offers structure and that professional business look without being heavy, with an easy fit that allows air to circulate.”
Julie demonstrates the structure of the fabric, as she is sporting the Crash Light black button up, “I love it!”
Summer months often bring upon us outdoor events and celebrations that women can find challenging for dressing appropriately. “When it comes to wearing less, wear less where you are the most confident at showing a bit more skin. This is when the help of a stylist can be the most useful; to know that a woman has great arms and is confident showing them, as a stylist I would shop to accentuate that asset while covering what she’s less confident revealing,” Leah explains.
“Cropped pants, ankle pants, pedal pushers and capris have all become popular because very few women really look good and are confident in shorts after a certain age. These different styles often provide a better look than shorts do,” Julie expressed, referring to her own style, “on my days off and away from the store I can be seen in linen pants because they are lightweight and offer me more comfort in the heat without wearing shorts. If your legs aren’t your asset don’t wear a short dress. Pick a length that works with your body, for me I tend to pick a length that hits below the knee,” Julie shares.
For contrast, Nancy adds, “I would choose to go sleeveless or wear a cap sleeve to lighten my look.” Nancy elaborates, “The shoulders don’t age and are often a beautiful part of a women, you can use a light weight or a silk wrap to cover the fleshy part of your arm and allow your shoulders to show and lighten up your look.”
Wearing less can be intimidating but with the guidance of a Jophiel stylists one can feel more confident when shedding a layer. And if we all get to have a summer, why not beat the heat and feel fabulous enjoying it without sacrificing style.
Check in next week because we'll be talking all about discovering those details to finish your personal stylish summer look.
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