I Don't Like Summer (There, I Said It)

Let me say something that no fashion girl from the South is supposed to say or feel: summer is trash.

Okay, mostly trash. Let me explain myself before you unsubscribe.

I don't have a problem with the season in theory. Everyone seems to be happy and more fun in the summer which is GREAT. But even with all the joy that radiates through the streets during this time I still have a problem with being hot. And here's the gag. I'm from New Orleans! One of the hottest, most humid places on God's green earth. The kind of heat that hits you like opening an oven door the second you step outside. So when I tell you summer and I have history, believe me, we go way back.

The summer is also very disrespectful and it doesn't care what I'm doing or where I'm going. The heat finds me every single time.

Walking to the park? Sweating. Running into the grocery store for one thing? Sweating. Standing still, doing absolutely nothing, minding my business? Somehow, sweating. There's no outfit cute enough to survive that kind of heat, and trust me, I've tried to style my way out of it.

I'm even about to break down and get me one of those Dyson handheld fans to see what all the hype is about. But let's be for real. Even I know it can't do a thing about the heat. Summer is going to humble that little fan real quick.

The one and only exception is the beach. Put me on the sand with a tan coming in and I will sing summer's praises all day long. A nice tan, Pina coladas and the sound of waves on the beach? Worth it. Glistening with sweat between and under my twins  because I walked to the car? Absolutely not. 

And can somebody explain to me the people who say they want to move South for the heat? On purpose? We spend our whole lives praying to God and trying to avoid "sin"  to keep us out of hell, and you want to relocate toward the fire? There's many other things that make the south amazing but the heat is NOT one of them lol

And Let's Talk About the Hair...

Because it's not just the sweat. It's what the sweat does.

I rock a pixie cut, no relaxer. It’s a cute semi low maintenance look and I love it. Until summer shows up. A little sweat and my edges and my roots curl up tighter than poodle hair. One walk outside and I'm looking like Eddie Kane from The Five Heartbeats. 

Now, the obvious fix is braids, the classic summer go-to. But there’s two problems. One, my hair is too short for braids right now, so that's out. And two, let's tell the truth in this house: braids pull our hair out. Whether y'all want to admit it or not, they do. 

And even when I can wear them? The braids I actually like, the  boho twists and the boho braids, those be hot too

Oh, and Did I Mention the Kids?

Let's add another asterisk to my summer feelings: I have three kids. Three. And every summer they fight me on going to summer camp like I'm sending them off to hard labor, then turn around and eat everything in the house down to the crumbs. The refrigerator and pantry don’t  stand a chance. I'll make  groceries on a Monday and by Wednesday I'm looking at an empty refrigerator like I got robbed.

So let me take a moment before I finish dragging summer to say: Bless the teachers and bless the schools. Bless every soul who keeps these children occupied nine months out of the year. AMEN. 

Now here’s the part that’s kind of crazy…

My brand’s  biggest and best sellers are summer  clothes and vacation pieces. I built a whole thing around a season I low-key can't stand. 

But you know what? I think that's probably why I'm good at it.

Summer Clothes Can Be A Bit Underwhelming, So I Refuse to Make and Sell Them That Way...

And let’s be real…most summer staples are  just not that great.  A tank. A short. A basic sundress. It's hard to give fashion girlie when it's 95 degrees and the goal is wear as little as legally possible so you don’t die.

Summer doesn't give you a lot to work with.

That's the whole challenge, and it's why I carry some of the most stylish pieces I can get my hands on. Our signature robes. Our colorful accordion dresses. We bring the fun and I am proud of that.

And yes, we've got more of those pieces on the way.

Which brings me to the good part. We're adding three new pieces to our dramatic top series, joining the Kishne, the Sobre, and the Bowie:

• The Stevie. A purple top with a floral design and mustard yellow sleeves. Moody, colorful, a little mystical. You'll know what to do with it.
• The Hendrix. Built just like the Bowie, but make it lime green. Bold, electric, impossible to ignore.
• The Marley. A tie-dye print crew neck. Easy, fun, full of personality, exactly the kind of energy summer actually deserves.

These are how I make peace with the season. If summer's going to make me sweat, the least it can do is let me look good while I do it.

I'm never going to be a summer girl. The heat and I are simply not that cool (no pun)  and we never will be. But I'll give it this. It pushed me to source and design some of the most fun, stylish, unboring pieces out there.

So, truce?