We’re in the middle of yet another heat wave here in Philly, because summer just won’t end without a fight. Getting dressed these days is both boring and annoying, so it’s time like this when I grab a swing dress. Swing dresses require minimal contact on the stickiest days, just the way I like it. (Also, a patterned swing dress makes life even easier!)
I love this geometric beaded necklace because it’s simple but still packs a punch of color. The woven bag compliments the shades of purple well, and straw bags are definitely trending. I’ve had this one for a few years, so it isn’t the ubiquitous circle straw bag that’s all over Instagram. No need to follow trends exactly!
To dress up this laid-back look, I added my favorite clogs. Super comfy, and I’m always a fan of the ’70s twist they add to my outfits.
Stay cool!
~ Sarah
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Dress: Amazon | Clogs: Old Navy (similar) | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Bag: Hand-me-down (similar) | Necklace: Etsy
Summer is all about dresses. They keep you cool and you don’t have to overthink things — key ingredients for a laid-back summer.
This black-and-white mixed print dress is one of my long-time favorites (last blogged here!). The palm print is on the trendy side, but the color scheme is classic. For a shopping trip to the suburbs, I dressed it up with heeled sandals (I love them, but I almost never have reason to wear them!) and my go-to tote.
Jewelry brand Kendra Scott was kind enough to contribute color bar gift cards for all Blog Connect attendees, so Melissa, Priyanka and I ventured to Ardmore to customize some accessories! I’ve never worn Kendra Scott pieces before, and I was pleasantly surprised with all their options! I choose these drop earrings in rose gold with peach-colored stones. Lately I’ve been gravitating more towards neutral jewelry, and I love that these are delicate but still have a twist to them.
Have I sung my praises for Smak Parlour before? Okay, that’s a trick question because a quick search of my own archives tells me, no, I haven’t. It’s time though, so pull up a seat.
For the uninitiated, Smak Parlour is a a boutique in Old City Philadelphia, plus a fashion truck (think food truck, but with clothes not tacos). The store is painted pink, and they sell clothes and accessories that are a mix of retro, kitschy and modern. The founders, Katie and Abby, have their own USA-made label, Smak Parlour Cut & Sew Collection. Oh, and the Smak Parlour Instagram is everything.
Anyway, most of my past purchases from Smak Parlour have been accessories. I’ve wanted one of their dresses for years, but the price tags meant I could only justify it as a special occasion purchase. So I promised myself when I found a new job, I would purchase my first Smak Parlour dress.
As luck would have it, my new job has me working from home most of the time, so I don’t really need new clothes for the office. It felt silly to spend money on a dress just to keep a silly promise to myself.
The weekend before I started my new job, my friend and I were browsing Smak Parlour. It was Memorial Day weekend, so the store was having a sale. This fruit print dress was in my size, marked down to $15(!!) and you know, it fit like a glove. Even better, it was just fun.
Do you know what we call that? Fate.
The first time my fruit print dress and I went out was for brunch with the PHLbloggers team — Chrystina, Melissa and Priyanka. This dress seemed a little too casual, too American for Parc, so I dressed it up — as much as you can dress up a dress covered in cherries, strawberries and watermelons. Hopefully, sand-colored wedges, pearl studs and subtle makeup did the trick. It doesn’t really matter though, because I was too busy enjoying my mimosas and my new dress.
