thePULSEOutfit Your Outdoor Needs in Style
Say B’bye Forever To Asexual Hiking Shorts and Boxy Ts
By Elizabeth Cutler
June 2006 –If you peel away the leaves of an artichoke, you reveal its heart. Chances are, as you shed your “leaves,” shrugging off layers of winter coats and sweaters, you’ll find your heart (and sense of fun!), too.
Summer is simpler than other seasons. The sunshine gives us excuses to remember how to laugh, swing, and scrape our knees. We get to date amidst the glow of fireflies, camp under constellations, brown ourselves at the beach and go back in time, visiting antique car shows and seeing drive-in movies. With each carefree summer outing, the perfect clothing piece can aide in transforming us and helping us slip into the part we would like to play for the day.
Pack a Picnic. Nibble on crackers and brie in Old Navy’s Pleated Ribbon Trim skirt, on sale for $10.99. (Don’t be fooled by the name: Completely revamped, Old Navy needs to be careful… if it keeps up at this rate, it’ll be deemed the “New Black.”) Pair the skirt with Barking Irons’ yellow Sitting Bull T-shirt($59). Emblazoned with an orange monarch wing, it can help you crackle out of your cocoon and morph into your finest. Barking Irons has the some of the finest quality T-shirts I’ve found. All their fabric and succulently soft and silky garments are made by the brand in their little Brooklyn studio. Click “Bazarre” on their website BarkingIrons.com to order online.
Bake at the Beach. Slather on sunscreen and wiggle into a Peach Ruffled Triangle Bikini by Victoria’s Secret($36). After sunning, slip into Gap’s short sleeved pocket T in Babe Pink ($10)and C&C California’s Shorts-in Scammer ($44 at ShopBop.Com). Gap.com has python thongs (the shoes, silly!) in Island Palm for $24.50 so the sand doesn’t scorch your piggies on your the way to the market.
Can You Camp Without Being Campy? Fear bugs, bears and campfire stories, but don’t worry about having to wear oversized asexual hiking shorts or boxy high-cut tops. Patagonia’s sleek active wear has will keep you sexily covered, maybe even uncovered! Add their W Bandha Top in Menthol Green ($42) and their Serenity Shorts in Artic Blue ($36) to the check list between mosquito spray and marshmallows. Highly functional and made for wicking away sweat, they beg you to go ahead and get hot…Or, if no one’s watching, get hot and bothered!
Fantasy Outdoor Date. Carpe noche. Forget the summer days and embrace those summer nights. For cool evenings either on the town or by the symphony (of music or crickets), slide into Anthropologie’s Orchard Dress, $228. Rachel Leigh, whose Cape Cod background influences her designs, has crafted a lovely Go Fish necklace ($142). Wear it on dates to remind yourself that there are other fish in the sea, or that you’ve caught your limit.
Plan a Back to the Future Day. Head out to an antique car show for the day and say a little thank-you prayer that your thighs no longer have to stick to vinyl seats. In cat-eye glasses, long lashes, and Mary Janes (Lacoste has my favorite up-to-date pair for $110 at NeimanMarcus.com), slurp raspberry Lime Rickeys and snarf down cheeseburgers, switch on some Golden Oldies, and catch a drive-in movie. Unique-vintage.com has a 1950s vintage yellow day dress for $40. If you’re feeling adventurous, dive into second-hand stores and see if you can find a vintage treasure.
Whether you spend your summer days in a tent or a Chevy pick-up, dripping with salt water or watermelon juice, make sure you wear what makes you feel best. Find clothing that makes you sizzle in the summer sunshine.
