pin real life / 20

i can't believe the Summer is halfway over!

here we are mid-July and i have definitely fallen into a Summer uniform which i had Russ snap a pic of on our way home from the water park below, but first, here are some looks that to me represent a clever twist on the standard beach/swim cover-up.

☞i am obsessed with the denim cut-off. nothing is more beautiful to me than pair of long legs, and nothing shows them off quite like the cut-off.

☞the baggy tee/ thin sweater. i like that these tops don't scream "i'm going swimming!"

☞a billowing wrap or blouse is such a classy cover-up.

in real life:

on me:

Russ' button-down [F21] // & cut-off [DIESEL] denim // hat [TARGET] // wayfarers [RAY-BANS]

cheetah flip-flops [OLD NAVY] // hot pink [EMI JAY] elastic.

 not shown: neon yellow halter swim top [OLD NAVY] and high waisted buffalo check bottoms [COTTON ON]

on Hayes:

cut-off flannel button-down [THRIFTED] swim trunks [OLD NAVY] converse [NORDSTROM]

here's the details:

☞my arms and back got pretty tan a lot faster than the rest of my body. in an effort to even out the coloring, i figured i could wear a button-down to cover my back and arms, and leave it open so my chest and stomach (and legs) could keep soaking up the sun. i didn't feel too self-conscious if i needed to run to the bank afterwards, and i could easily nurse Cal with it.

 it proved to be the perfect pool-side top. i usually just wear one of Russ' button downs

because i like it to fit larger and have a little length so my tooshie is covered  if needs be- like here.

☞who does their hair in the Summer? not me. it's either covered with a hat or head scarf, also like here.

my hair has been saved by Emi Jay elastics (don't rip, pull, or break your hair.) and this spray:

   

☞the cut-offs are also my husband's! we were sorting his jeans and he made a pile he doesn't wear or has out grown. i saved these from the give-away bag and cut them off myself.

again, perfect choice by accident, because cutting off a pair of women's jeans will leave you with a thigh situation. a reverse muffin-top, if you will. having a wider-legged jean to begin with gives you a much more comfortable pair of cut-offs.

and a little post-script:

i've never made any public declarations of this before, but in my everyday life i wear things that cover my shoulders, back, and stomach on top, and things that hit my knee or lower on bottom. i prefer dressing this way and i've made a commitment to continue to do so my whole life. no one is forcing me to, it was a personal choice and honestly wasn't hard to choose & isn't that hard to uphold. is it a sacrifice at times? absolutely. for someone who has loved fashion since before i could walk and talk, there are plenty of trends, outfits, styles that i would love to wear, but simply don't align with the standard of dress i hold myself to.

there are a few settings where my commitment to dress modestly gets pretty flexible, because frankly, it'd be pretty hard to dress that way during activities like swimming and certain sports & exercise. 

i hope that despite sharing this particular outfit, you will know my commitment is in tact. 

also, since this decision like anyone's style choices are 100% personal, i in no way am saying that my way is better, it's simply my choice. i admire (good) fashion and style in all forms!