Dressing Up Your Summer Casual

It can totally be done, ladies! You can dress up a casual, comfortable cotton dress to take it beyond the flip flops and standard summer wear. I took this cotton dress from Lilly and paired it with a structured cotton blazer. I think keeping the fabrics uniform is key with this- adding a wool blazer, even in the same cut, would be weird. Don't forget your colorful accessories- or more formal ones to dress it up even more. Paired with nude wedges or espadrilles, this outfit is ready for more than just the beach!

Shorts in Style

Instead of a pencil skirt with this outfit, i went with a pair of black shorts. I think sometimes it's okay to take a dressy top and temper it down with some casual pieces. To spice it up, I put on a sparkly cardigan and a silky sash belt. Flip flops were necessary for chasing after the little one, who, as you can see, already has taken a liking to jewelry.

An Extra Layer

Check out my super cool nametag, by the way.

This outfit was a total experiment. I needed extra layers to keep me warm in the over
air-conditioned conference room, yet light enough to bear the 90 degree heat outside. It all started with a floaty dress in my closet that morning. I tried on cardigan after cardigan before I looked up at my button downs. This shirt had a yellow stripe in the plaid- just enough to convince me to try it on and... Voila! I quickly slipped into some flip flops and was out the door. (I know a heel is always a good choice, but I live in flip flops all summer long, so why fool you!)
I loved it, but what do you think? Was this closet experiment a success or a flop?