Making better choices for summer

Like most of you I've been getting my summer clothes out of storage and pondering over what I need.  I made some poor choices last year that I hardly wore, for one reason or another. Quite a lot of my "old stalwarts" from years gone by are looking a bit dated for this year, so I'll wear them only at home.
Last summer I had two weddings to attend and I bought a couple more dresses than I needed, in case I changed my mind about what I was going to wear.  So the dress on the left actually didn't get an airing at all. I figured I might wear it in winter with a silky roll neck jumper underneath, but Kettlewell (or anyone else) didn't have the colour I wanted.

The green dress in the middle was a contender for one of the weddings and was bought pre-loved from eBay. But again, although I liked it, I only wore it once all summer.

The striped maxi dress didn't see the light of day.  I had imagined wafting around in it on holiday, but I never wear maxis and felt I was going to look silly/uncomfortable, plus I don't like exposing my arms. Sigh.

Bottom left is a skirt I bought on eBay and a little top from M&S.  I wore the top a lot (my favourite lilac colour) but the skirt is the wrong length for this year.  I have quite a few skirts from Boden and Laura Ashley which I've worn for years:  mostly floral patterns that I wear with tops in solid colours. This summer I am still fixated on the midi length so I won't be wearing them except at home.

The tangerine-y dress in the middle was worn  to one of the weddings and then sold on eBay. It was a bit too "body con" for me, requiring Spanx and a lot of breathing in, as was the mint green dress I wore to the other wedding, which again was only worn once and then sold.

And finally, the dress bottom right, by Joseph Ribkoff and bought from eBay, was also a wedding contender but I rejected it because the short sleeves cut off my arms at their largest point.  It languishes in storage.

What I'm Looking For

It wasn't all bad last summer, I did buy a couple of things I will wear a lot this year:  a midi length beige skirt from M&S and white knee-length shorts, perfect for holidays. I didn't need to buy any sandals because I have several pairs in different colours, plus my pair of new "naked" barely-there sandals for this year.

I need to make better choices and part of it comes down to: what do I need clothes for?  I need outfits for work of course, and these will typically be skirts or trousers/cargo trousers with tops and blouses, or possibly dresses. I also need a couple of dresses for evenings out, and the usual t-shirts, shorts, cropped jeans and kaftans for weekends at home and holidays.

My usual mistake is buying too many dresses and then not wearing them, because I don't have the occasions and I don't want to wear them to work. I'm always tempted by jumpsuits / boiler suits, but I know I wouldn't wear them.

So I've evaluated my wardrobe and decided on what I specifically need to look for. 

For skirts, I already have this white and black patterned skirt from Asos which I love, and the skirt I mentioned from last summer, below.

I'd like to get midi skirts in both pink and white to wear to work, as these will go with some of the tops and blouses I already have. I bought recently. I've ordered the pink button skirt from Marks and Spencer in the gallery below and this white broderie anglaise skirt from Pure Collection. It looks quite long on the model and she's 5'8, so hopefully it will be long enough (it's described as "just below knee").

For trousers, I already have the statement wide legged large circle pants I showed last week. I'm keen to get some cropped white jeans but it may take a while to find the right ones. Sometimes the fabric is thin and a bit see through, or they wrinkle too much, or don't fit very well. Let me know if you've found a pair of winners.

I'm on the look out for tops which have a bit of stand-out, either with colour blocking or bows, like the one below from Red Valentino (but hopefully a bit cheaper!).  And I love silk blouses and tops, although it's harder to find these now. I found a few to show you.

I actually prefer winter clothes (although not the season) because summer unleashes a lot of body insecurities.  Your arms are exposed, colours are lighter, materials are more flimsy and there are no long cardigans to hide under. But, having said that, it's going to be fun to get a few new bits and pieces!  What are you looking for this summer?  Do share in the comments.

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday!

Ladies and gents, time to share your beauty and fashion posts to brighten up our Wednesday.  Nicole's post on designer brands to look for in thrift shops was your favourite. Check out her gallery of outfits featuring designer brands she found.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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