Last winter was so terrible, it’s hard to think about summer ending. Why does it always go so fast? One way to prolong it, fashion wise, is to mix summer clothing with warmer tops or vice versa.

James Perse makes the greatest cotton clothing. It is soft and luxurious at the same time. It also has elastic in the fabric, so it gives. Here, I am wearing the James Perse pencil skirt.  It is good if you have no hips, like me.  Not all women are so fortunate, but then it’s not so great health-wise to carry your weight in your stomach area, which is how I am built.  The belt around the middle helps give the illusion that I in fact have a waist, when I don’t. They call this body type, the glass of water.  It’s more of a male frame, also not great for delivering babies!!

That said, however, Kim Kardashian was recently photographed in the dress that is the counterpart to this skirt. She looked very sexy with her ample bottom; if nothing else, she has done so much to bring backthe beauty of an ample and full figure. You must give her credit where credit where credit is due. So, if you are daring, and have a sexy derriere, you might want to try it.

The skirt is great for summer/fall fashion because it is a medium weight cotton. Opaque stockings with some cute shoe-boots on cooler fall days makes this so versatile. It is also stretchy so you can bring it as low over your leg as you want.  I like to cover my knees since they are beginning to sag, sadly enough!!! With opaque stockings, however, you can smoosh it up higher for a more youthful look.

This was taken on a cooler August night in Chicago.  As the weather changes every 15 minutes in that city, it’s better to be prepared for anything.  The top is a long sleeved BCBG light weight T-shirt material. Not too hot, but provides enough warmth in the event of a cool breeze off the lake or freezing air conditioning in restaurants. Again, I put a belt around the waist to give the illusion of a waistline. It also breaks up the stripes for a more interesting look.

Air conditioning can really be a problem, especially when the weather gets cooler, and the restaurants forget to turn it down. A good rule of thumb is to always bring a sweater.  In the summer, it’s a good idea to bring at least a shirt as a cover up so you don’t have to do what I do, and get at least 10 napkins and use them as a blanket!!!

This is a great DKNY mesh knit sweater that I have had for years.  It NEVER goes out of style and it goes with so many things. She comes out with a variation of this sweater every spring, and it is highly recommended to buy one.  You won’t regret it.

Lastly, the outfit is pretty bland, gray, white and taupe. So, time to pull out a fun summer bag. What a great way to add a little life, and it feels so nice to wear something whimsical when summer is about to end. The purse is by Tilly of Malibu, and she sells online.  Anthropologie used to carry them, but this summer, I didn’t see any.

That just about completes the outfit except for the Via Spiga Gladiator-type sandals. Those photos will be added later since the picture seems to be on another computer!!

Here’s the entire look, and hopefully, it will inspire you to experiment with simple styling with a dash of whimsy and practicality. Have fun.