Look at all this pattern!

Ya’ll know that I rarely wear any prints or patterns, so this is a big change of course for me.  I’m trying to build up my summer heatwave wardrobe and prep myself for the never-cold-again life I’ll be living pretty soon (I almost can’t believe it).  I’ve been making a concerted effort to add more summer clothes to my wardrobe.  I thought I had enough, but then I discovered several things were stained beyond repair and two out of the 3 shorts I own no longer fit.  And did I mention I only own like 1 summer dress?!! (what is wrong with me! lol).  My wardrobe is feeling a bit deprived lately and I can’t seem to keep up with its demands.

I’m also on a tight budget because of all my moving expenses and taking two months off work as well. When in a pinch like this, ie. I need something quick and cheap, I usually resort to Uniqlo (which by the way has pretty high quality stuff for really cheap, ethics aside).  And sometimes, because it’s convenient, I’ll shop for select items at Target too.

Yesterday for example, I was at Target to pick up some moving supplies and snacks and took some time to browse the women’s clothing section.  I was actually surprised at the number of 100% cotton clothes they now carry.  This shirt for example is 100% cotton and has an airy dry hand feel to it.  It felt very coastal-resort-chic to me, which is exactly what I’ve been longing for lately.  I also picked up these pair of chino shorts with a 5 inch inseam.  Sometimes I like wearing it with the hem folded up, and other times I just let it go long.  Now that I’m 33 and for a while actually, I’m not really feelin’ those booty short shorts, with like 1-2 inch inseams anymore (not that I ever wore them much anyway).

And here’s a full view.  The Hopp sandals that were gifted to me were actually too small for my feet (and I didn’t realize it until after I walked outside in them), so I Macgyvered it by stretching out the leather and elastic band with applied heat from a blow dryer for a few minutes.  It fits better now but I’m realizing that with extended walking, the space between my toes just isn’t used to friction.  I remember back in the 90’s when I first started wearing flip flops, I had to go through an adjustment phase to build up a callous between my first two toes, and from then on it felt fine.  It’s been years since I’ve worn flip flops or any shoe with a toe ring, so I’ll have to ease into wearing these shoes as well.

One more thing about this cotton shirt.  It’s got a loop and button closure at the back neckline that you have to fasten after you’ve put it on.  Well I got lazy and tried to force my big head through it and broke the loop.  I mention this because this is like the 3rd time this has happened to me!  I have to make a mental note to try and avoid tops with back closures because I just can’t be bothered with them.  I might Macgyver this too by using fabric glue to hold the flaps inward and not even bother with fastening anymore.

I also received two oatmeal-tan summer tops from Need Supply this week which I’ll be showing you guys in the coming days.

And did anyone else check out Xin’s friend’s blog “Garb Guide”?  It’s really great!  I especially like this post on how Old Navy has better quality than Dolce & Gabbana.

[outfit: Target cotton top; Target chino shorts; Hopp sandals gifted for review; Baggu crossbody bag; *cluse watch]