Heat

What I wear during a heat wave

/ edebock / 2 Comments

logo-by-samHere in Alberta, we’re enjoying (enduring?) a stretch of unusually hot weather. Midday temperatures are hitting the low to mid 30s C (mid 80s to mid 90s F). I know that this might not seem overly hot to many of you, but for those of us who live in an area that is described as having a cool, continental climate, this is hot! The heat warning issued by Environment Canada calls this a “prolonged heat event” and suggests that “very high temperature conditions are expected to pose an elevated risk of heat illnesses, such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion.”

Personally, you won’t hear me complaining about the heat. I often feel cold when everyone around me is warm, so I don’t mind a bit of heat for a change. Golfing this afternoon with barely a breeze moving the flags on the course was just about enough for me though! So how do I dress during a heat wave?

IMG_7119

A lot of women my age (I’m 71) aren’t comfortable wearing shorts and/or sleeveless tops, but when it’s hot, you’ll find me wearing both. Light colours reflect the heat and loose fitting tops are more comfortable than something form-fitting or clingy. Although the top I’m wearing in the photos is a made of a polyester blend, a breathable, lightweight fabric such as linen or cotton would be an even better choice.

IMG_7126

A wide-brimmed hat and sandals complete my outdoor wear. I exchange the hat for a ball cap when I’m golfing, hiking, or kayaking.

You’ll notice that, except for a simple pair of earrings, I’m not wearing any accessories. When it’s really hot, I don’t want anything extra against my skin. If you looked really close, you’d also see that I’m makeup free. When it comes to cosmetics, I’m a minimalist at the best of times, but when it’s hot, I prefer not to wear any at all. Of course, If I was going to an event, especially an indoor event that required a higher level of dress, I would probably add a necklace and/or bracelet and some makeup.

Finally, for outdoor wear, regardless of the event or activity, there’s one item that is absolutely essential… sunscreen! The dermatologist I saw recently recommends a minimum of SPF 30, but I always wear one with SPF 50+.

Dressing for a heat wave

/ edebock / 8 Comments

Logo by SamAs a Canadian, I know all about dressing for extreme cold, but dressing for a heat wave like we experienced here in Alberta recently is much more challenging for me. If I lived where these temperatures were the norm, I’m sure I’d have a wardrobe full of cotton and linen, but alas, I do not.

Day after day, I wore shorts and sleeveless tops on repeat. Thankfully, I have plenty of both and was able to mix and match to create numerous different looks from casual to dressy.

IMG_5661

Of course, there are those who say that women my age shouldn’t wear shorts, but you probably know by now that I don’t follow fashion rules, particularly those related to age. When I was younger, I was self-conscious about my skinny legs and knobby knees, but not any more. I actually don’t think they look too bad for 70!

IMG_5648

Most summers, I wear shorts mainly for golfing which is why I have several pairs. I prefer them to hit just above the knee and to be loose enough to move comfortably. For a dressier look, I wear those, like this black pair, that  are slightly more tailored looking.

IMG_5652

In addition to shorts and sleeveless tops, I’ve been living in sandals. Again, I have several pairs. My new Ecco walking sandals have been getting plenty of use as have my golfing sandals. In addition to those, I have dressier as well as casual pairs to choose from.

IMG_5668

Perhaps the most important thing that I wear during a heat wave though is sunscreen. Before I leave the house to play golf, go for a walk, or work in the yard, I slather on a good layer of a broad spectrum SPF 50+ lotion to protect my delicate skin from the sun’s damaging rays.

It doesn’t look like I’ll need to do that as often for the next few days though. As soon as I started working on this post, the weather changed! It’s much cooler now and we finally got some of the rain that we’ve been needing so very badly!

Inspiration for a hot day

/ edebock / Leave a comment

LogoI often get outfit inspiration from other fashion bloggers. Back in April, when I saw this post from Jennifer Connolly, writer of A Well Styled Life, it sparked an idea for me.

stripe-tee-dress

I bought a similar poly cotton dress at one of our local thrift stores several years ago, but until now I’d only used it as a cover up at the beach. I dug it out of the beach bag, washed it, hung it in my closet, and waited for the heat of summer to arrive here in Alberta. This week’s heat wave was the perfect time to try it out.

IMG_2559

As you can see, there are several differences between my dress and Jennifer’s, the most obvious being that mine is sleeveless and the stripes are much narrower. On closer inspection, you’ll see that the hemlines are also different. When we’re inspired by the way another woman dresses, the idea is not to copy her, but to take elements of what she’s wearing and make the look our own. I started by pairing the navy and white dress with a pair of black sandals, but I also tried it with my white leather sneakers. 

IMG_2566

If I was to step out of the shade where the photos were taken, I’d also want a hat to shield my face from the sun. 

And though it was much too hot for a jacket when the photos were taken, I really like the way the dress looks with a jean jacket. 

IMG_2580

One thing I did learn from all of this was how comfortable a dress like this can be on a really hot day. We rarely get a week like this one with temperatures in the high 30s C (90s F) but from now on, I think I’ll make sure that there are at least one or two casual dresses in my summer wardrobe.

PS. Happy Independence Day to all my American readers! We celebrated Canada Day on the 1st.