Hello, Hot Stuff!
Summer 2024 is BLAZING - What to Wear and Remain Cool
Holy HOT June and July!! Like WOWZA. And if you are of a “certain age” like myself, the hot flashes add a whole other level of heat.
Just call me Sweaty Betty.
Most, if not all of you are aware of the fact that natural fibers are the way to go when the temperatures rise: airy cottons like linens
and gauze fabrics, silks, and even very open knits - I hear that wearing your underwear so folks can see it under, or even AS your top layer is a
’thing’ right now; they are the way to go. Natural fibers. Silk. Bamboo. Cotton. You get it.
And not everybody wants to be wearing their underwear out and about. We like some coverage. So, WHAT to WEAR?
Well, included in the last edition of the newsletter (Spring 2024) was a bit on The KAFTAN. A kaftan in a super lightweight cotton
is ALWAYS a Summertime favorite! As temps go up, so too can the hemline of this versatile piece! Make it short and give those gams some air! And speaking of short…
If you are going to wear a dress of ANY kind, consider a boy short as your panty. I don’t care how spacious your “thigh gap” (that’s a ‘thing’ too now, yes?), shorts as your panties will keep your undercarriage more comfortable whilst you are at the family reunion at Aunt Clare’s farm where there is no shade and you’re not allowed in the main house which doesn’t have AC anyway, and it’s cookin’ at 97 with a real feel of 103. Again, you get it. If you can find a nice cotton set that isn’t to bulky - I buy the men’s boxer briefs from Hanes for under a fuller dress or kaftan. Not the sexiest, but they keep me pretty comfy!
Another tip: read your fabric content labels, doing your best to avoid fibers like nylon, acetate, acrylic, polyester and rayon. They do not absorb your sweat. A nice cotton or silk with some viscose can be nice, as the viscose helps the natural fibers - which wrinkle so - from looking ‘messy’.
SHOP VINTAGE! Aside from doing something nice to reduce the waste - ugh! the waste - from Fast Fashion (read more about more sustainable buying and wearing practices further down in this Newsletter), you can also find more pieces made from natural fibers, especially pre-1960’s.
You can also shop your own closet and spend less to have someone take the sleeves off of that dress or shorten that skirt you love and would wear all day every day if it were sleeveless or if it were shorter… I think I know a guy (-; Book a consultation with me, and we can raid your closet and make something sweaty into something sweet for the Sunshine!
In any and all cases, I’ll end with my best advice to everyone and anyone - stay hydrated, stay happy, and never let ‘em see you sweat.
“Show Me All the Parts of You That You Do not Love,
Sew I Will Know Where to Begin”
I do not recall from whom this quote comes or where I read it first, but it has been on my salutation from the emails that come from my phone
for years now. The words have always rung as relevant to whatever I was doing with my life. Whether it was selling the skin care or the shampoo,
teaching the people the yoga and administering the therapies, or, as I am, now fixing and making the clothes… heck, even in my relationships with
those I callfriends, I want to and can help people to find, cultivate and BE their best selves. And I am really good at it. In all of those ways.
When I was at PDA (I am no longer affiliated with the store in Ambler, and you can read a bit about that below) I was fitting/pinning a wedding
guest dress for a young woman in the dressing rooms area. As she stood and looked at herself, there was some self-criticism regarding parts of her
body that she did not like. It went something like this:
I exclaimed, as I looked at her in this dress, something like, “My GOODNESS, you look like a GODDESS”.
She then said, pointing to the crease where her arm meets her armpit, “But I don’t like this… this… this FAT”, to which I replied,
”But Darling, it’s YOUR fat. Love it. Look at yourself. You are beautiful”.
But wait, there’s more.
With that, a woman who was in the dressing room next to this gal came out from behind the curtain, looked at me, and said, “Can I hug you? I love what you just said to her…”
And I got my first hug from and introduction to Ms. Jill. Hi Jill, if you are reading this!!
All of that said, and the point of this piece: what I do is so very much more than sewing. Yes, I am detail oriented and every piece that I fix, alter or create is as close to perfect as can be, but there is something a little EXTRA that my clients receive in the experience. My goal - my purpose and my intention - in and with this little life of mine is to see the GOOD in people and then to help them to see that in themselves. And, likewise (there is ALWAYS a likewise), sometimes it is also to shine a light on and provide an opportunity for betterment in the areas that could use improving. Whether it is hair or nails or skin or clothing, or some part of YOUR little life that you do not love, I can help. If you let me.
I just and very sincerely want everyone to be happy.
Interested in learning more about the Slow Fashion Movement?
Follow one of my favorite profiles on IG, @thetrenddisruptor
Nic is sustainable personal shopper and fellow aspiring designer, and her content is informative with no pretenses or judgement.
Slow Fashion
What, Exactly Does That Mean?
Because you are already familiar with it, as it is what is happening in retail outlets everywhere around you, let’s first help you better understand Fast Fashion.
Located at 7 W Butler, right next to Harry’s Bluebell Tavern in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Remember What I Said About Paper Dolls in Ambler?
I Was Wrong.
Go. Be. Do.
CHECK OUT UPCOMING EVENTS with MILDRED! CLICK HERE. SAVE the DATE: May 9th from 5 PM to 8:30 PM
CHECK OUT UPCOMING EVENTS with MILDRED! CLICK HERE. SAVE the DATE: May 9th from 5 PM to 8:30 PM
ANY OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AND GREET MEMBERS OF THE AMBLER AND SURROUNDING AREAS COMMUNITIES WILL BE POSTED HERE BY MILDRED & FRIENDS.
To be held in the Ambler and Horsham local areas, some will be casual and some may even be fancy. The majority of them will be occasions for JUST the GIRLS, though there may be a few to which the fellas would be welcome… a few… maybe a couple. Okay, probably only one. Or none. Yeah. Who am I kidding? No boys allowed. Ever.
All of them will be a great time to be had by all, and will focus on FASHION, FUN, and what it means to be WILDLY FABULOUS!
#lifeasweknowit #lifeaswegrowit #lifeaswesewit