Just in case you missed all of my recent complaints about the unbearable summer weather, let me alert you to an important fact: it is hot in Chicago. Disgustingly, humidly, sweat-through-your-clothes-immediately HOT. For reasons that now seem incredibly silly, I decided to tough it out this summer and go without air-conditioning. Those reasons included the following:
1) We don't own an A/C;
2) It would cost a fortune;
3) We'd have to call our building manager to install an A/C
4) We have lots of fans!
5) We survived unbearable heat last summer.
This is clearly not how next summer will go. When it's this hot, I don't want to do anything, even things I typically love. Cook dinner? You've got to be kidding me! Take a walk? Um, maybe in October. Wear my favorite dresses? Absolutely not -- I don't want them to get sweaty, and I don't want to be uncomfortable, either. This last one has led me to finally embrace a major trend in the retro-style world: wearing my dresses as skirts!
These pictures were taken during the world's fastest photo shoot, since the air was so oppressively thick that I couldn't bear to actually stand outside for more than approximately five minutes. I wouldn't have gotten dressed at all, except I realized that I'm better off spending a day of blogging inside an air-conditioned building, and the university's performing-arts center happens to be across the street from my apartment.
Another benefit of the dress-to-skirt conversion: T-shirts and cotton tank tops are much easier to wash than most of my dress collection, so this life hack lets me wear my favorite prints without making a ton of difficult laundry that I'd have to do when it's miserably hot outside.
This tomato-print Bernie Dexter dress is one of my all-time favorites, so I don't really want to wear it as a dress when I'm sweating up a storm. This, along with the handy belt loops, made it the perfect candidate for a dress-to-skirt conversion! I'm wearing bike shorts under the dress, both because the swampy, still air is a recipe for epic chafing, and to keep the outside of the bodice from irritating my legs.
I've found that red is actually one of the hardest colors to match, since there are so many different undertones, so it took a bit of a hunt to find the right top. Eventually, I settled on this old T-shirt I got when the California Faculty Association was campaigning for a new contract. (Fun fact: when I went up to where they were tabling, they were shocked that I was faculty rather than a student. #shortgirlproblems!) I'm not usually one for T-shirts, but I am quite fond of this one, as I greatly admire all the gains that the CFA made for contingent faculty (read: adjuncts) within the California State University system.
In other news, between writing the previous paragraph and beginning this sentence, I had to dash home, because the skies darkened ominously. Now it is thundering quite impressively, so I'm glad I left when I did.
I'll let you in on a secret: I am terrified of thunder, so I'm deeply unhappy that Jeff is out of town. I'll admit that I'm slightly embarrassed by how much thunder and lightning scares me. My cousin and his partner came over this past weekend to catch up on Game of Thrones, and I felt horribly guilty for how unbearably hot my apartment was, but also super glad that they were there when it started to storm. We went out for a walk after the fourth episode to try to cool down, and saw the storm rolling in at dystopian/horror-movie speed, so we beat a hasty retreat to my apartment and watched three more episodes. Aunt Vicki, if you read this post, please don't tell Abe that I'm afraid of thunderstorms!
Ahem. Back to the outfit. I found it very comfortable to wear a dress as a skirt, and think it'll be something I do a lot more before summer is over! I can also see wearing some of my dresses with inappropriate necklines as skirts so that I can wear them to work.
1) We don't own an A/C;
2) It would cost a fortune;
3) We'd have to call our building manager to install an A/C
4) We have lots of fans!
5) We survived unbearable heat last summer.
This is clearly not how next summer will go. When it's this hot, I don't want to do anything, even things I typically love. Cook dinner? You've got to be kidding me! Take a walk? Um, maybe in October. Wear my favorite dresses? Absolutely not -- I don't want them to get sweaty, and I don't want to be uncomfortable, either. This last one has led me to finally embrace a major trend in the retro-style world: wearing my dresses as skirts!
Another benefit of the dress-to-skirt conversion: T-shirts and cotton tank tops are much easier to wash than most of my dress collection, so this life hack lets me wear my favorite prints without making a ton of difficult laundry that I'd have to do when it's miserably hot outside.
This tomato-print Bernie Dexter dress is one of my all-time favorites, so I don't really want to wear it as a dress when I'm sweating up a storm. This, along with the handy belt loops, made it the perfect candidate for a dress-to-skirt conversion! I'm wearing bike shorts under the dress, both because the swampy, still air is a recipe for epic chafing, and to keep the outside of the bodice from irritating my legs.
I've found that red is actually one of the hardest colors to match, since there are so many different undertones, so it took a bit of a hunt to find the right top. Eventually, I settled on this old T-shirt I got when the California Faculty Association was campaigning for a new contract. (Fun fact: when I went up to where they were tabling, they were shocked that I was faculty rather than a student. #shortgirlproblems!) I'm not usually one for T-shirts, but I am quite fond of this one, as I greatly admire all the gains that the CFA made for contingent faculty (read: adjuncts) within the California State University system.
Who wouldn't love a fair contract?
I am really proud of all those muscles you can't see!
I'll let you in on a secret: I am terrified of thunder, so I'm deeply unhappy that Jeff is out of town. I'll admit that I'm slightly embarrassed by how much thunder and lightning scares me. My cousin and his partner came over this past weekend to catch up on Game of Thrones, and I felt horribly guilty for how unbearably hot my apartment was, but also super glad that they were there when it started to storm. We went out for a walk after the fourth episode to try to cool down, and saw the storm rolling in at dystopian/horror-movie speed, so we beat a hasty retreat to my apartment and watched three more episodes. Aunt Vicki, if you read this post, please don't tell Abe that I'm afraid of thunderstorms!
Ahem. Back to the outfit. I found it very comfortable to wear a dress as a skirt, and think it'll be something I do a lot more before summer is over! I can also see wearing some of my dresses with inappropriate necklines as skirts so that I can wear them to work.
My face when the wind finally blows, but it's so hot that all it accomplishes is ruining your photo.
The first photo of the shoot, and I'm visibly proud of my lifehacking skills!
Does anyone else have a super embarrassing fear? Am I the only one who literally yelps and whimpers when thunder crashes directly overhead?
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NO AC??? Cody and I decided it was worth it to just get an AC after 1 summer without it. It's just not worth it to be so uncomfortable and sweaty!! We split the bills so we knew it wouldn't be TOO painful $$ wise. Seriously consider it - even just a small one for 1 room in your house - maybe your bedroom so you can sleep with ease at night? That's what we do!
ReplyDeleteAlso, seeing your tomato dress makes me sad and miss mine. I had a small (I KNOW, WHAT?) and sold it since it didn't fit anymore. Someday perhaps I'll find it in a medium!! I am opposite - I LOVE wearing just one piece of clothing, a dress, when it's super hot. Just zip it on and go! ;)
No A/C is the worst decision I've ever made. This is 100% the last time I'll ever try to survive a summer without it! It was so hot last night that I couldn't sleep.
DeleteI hope you can find a medium soon, and will definitely keep my eyes peeled. And I understand the appeal of one article of clothing in the heat -- I'm the queen of rompers in summer!
Your secret is safe with me! much love, Aunt Vicki
ReplyDelete<3 <3 <3!!!
DeleteThe tomato dress is always a GREAT choice!
ReplyDeleteI don't know you are surviving without AC! You are much stronger than me! I hope the heat breaks for you soon. It's been especially hot & humid here this summer.
After seeing the tomato dress on your blog, it became a unicorn of mine! No A/C is okayish during the week, since it's freezing in my office, but on the weekend, I have to spend the day in a cafe if I want to get anything done!
DeleteI always forget about this trick - I've only done it once...I must remember to follow your footsteps and convert my dresses with the va-va-voom necklines lol.
ReplyDeleteI used to be terrified of thunder and lightening. I psycho analyzed myself and I think it's because I remember my parents fighting during one of the worst storms. But now I love them and find them beautiful! When I hear thunder I run outside with my camera in hopes to catch a lightening storm.
I do, however, have a huge fear of water bugs and roaches. When I was younger, our garage was converted into a bedroom. It was the time to have waterbeds because the were "cool" lol I used to have a meticulous routine of jumping from furniture piece to furniture piece to turn on my light (which was a lamp across the room) so I wouldn't accidentally step on said bugs. One day, I rolled across my bed I thought I felt a rubber band roll on my skin. I remember thinking "why do I have a rubber band on the bed?" When I turned on the light...there it was...staring at me like a jerk. I could hear it laugh and mock me!! Damn water bug...or roach...I don't care which, it was effing gross! I ran out of my room screaming! I ran upstairs to wake up my mom...she thought there was an intruder in the house...um...THERE WAS....AND....IT WAS ON MY BED! I slept in her room that night. The next day my mom and cousin took apart my waterbed. There was a nest....you read that correctly. Yes...there...was...A....NEST under my friggin' bed. Are you for real?? Seriously gross!!!So there you go...now you know my biggest fear!
AHHHH water bugs and roaches are horrifying!!! A spider once dropped on my face while I was lying on my back in my bed and I spent YEARS terrified of sleeping on my back, so I understand how traumatic those bug run-ins can be. I cannot even imagine finding a nest under your bed!! The thought alone is making me a little scared, honestly. Maybe I'll go home and vacuum….
DeleteAw, you and my Border Collie would get along great during a thunderstorm :-p But seriously, cute outfit! I have yet to try a dress as a skirt. And, I regret not getting this BD! XO
ReplyDeletePS- Cooking during a heat wave? HELL NO!
We could sit in the middle of a room and cower together!
DeleteThank you so much! I feel like this dress would look gorgeous on you. I don't recall seeing you in many Chelseas yet, but you look super cute in spaghetti-strapped tops!