Details matter, especially on footwear. I love to contrast my flowery, feminine outfit with some metallic flare on my heels or play with a dark dramatic look against an unexpected pattern on my flats. However, for summer, when the toes are out & I’m all about sandals, I love the studded look for any casual outfit or maxi dress. A metallic stud in silver or gold instantly makes a jelly or PVC material sandals more elegant & definitely on-trend. Check out the below options from Macy’s, currently on sale for under $30!
On sunny, summer days, aside from packing some sunscreen & shades, I keep reminding myself to invest in a stylish & fun floppy hat to protect my face from sun damage. I’m excited to have found the perfectly feminine, playful, & affordable floppy straw hat to add to my accessories arsenal, which is the packable straw floppy hat by Shade & Shore from Target for $10.00, available in 6 stylish colors: natural, black, green, orange, pink, and white. However, my current conundrum is: which color to choose?
I can picture wearing the neutral or green hat with a summer separates outfit in earth tones for an afternoon at the park, the black with my favorite maxi dress & studded sandals for a day date with my husband, the orange or pink with a swimsuit & flip flops for a day at the beach, or the white one for a patriotic look this coming 4th of July. And… for $10, why stop at getting just one hat?!
Floppy and/or straw hats aren’t necessarily a new trend for the season as seen on stylish celebrities, including: Meghan Markle at a sporting event, Anne Hathaway while traveling, Jessica Alba at the beach, Lupita Nyong’o for a daytime social occasion, and Jamie Chung showcasing her effortless style for a photo shoot.
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with summer, even though the fashion I’ve touted (summer dresses, tops, sandals, & more) for over a decade on Style Darling Daily has been some of the most colorful, joyful, & stylish of the entire year. It’s the heat that gets me–literally & figuratively frazzled! I vehemently dislike having to plan my wardrobe around oppressively hot weather when it comes to outdoor events, such as family gatherings, headed to festivals or farms with the family, etc. However, last summer on a vacation to upstate New York with my husband & daughter, I sweat through my cute cotton dress & desperately needed a change of wardrobe just for the drive back to Long Island. Our sudden stop to a Walmart changed my perspective on one long-avoided summer staple: shorts.
I’ve been a fan of Walmart‘s Time and Tru label for some time now, but always steered away from shorts in my adult years out of self-consciousness about my body & feeling much more comfortable & feminine in a dress or skirt outfit. Now, I accept that my legs are my legs & worrying over my self image takes time away from the fun things I could be doing out in the world. I’m usually the only person thinking about my legs, anyways! So… I’ve come to learn that I feel much better about myself when I’m wearing something that I feel best represents me, especially on sunny days, which is certainly the case for the cotton & linen shorts featured below:
These shorts can be paired with any variety of tee or tank (see some options below), along with flip-flops, sandals, or wedges for a perfectly fashionable & budget-friendly day or night out this summer. Additionally, I love that Time and Tru designs for a variety of sizes; the featured shorts above are available in XS – 3XL while supplies last, ranging in price from $12.98 – $16.98. Suggested coordinating tanks below range in price from $6.50 – $12.98 in sizes XS – 3XL, which means that you can easily wear an outfit for under $20 before tax!
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