Wool Over My Eyes

I spent much of the last week in hot weather, both at home and on the road. I had an unexpectedly long stay in Arizona, where it was 115 degrees every day. Looking professional and staying cool was something of a wardrobe challenge, especially when I expected only to be there one day and ended up staying for three.

By now, I've gotten pretty good at packing very few clothing items that could be mixed and matched should an extended stay become necessary. Too bad I didn't have any time to take any pictures of my actual outfits, but I think I can cobble together a description.

My go-to pieces are things that will not wrinkle despite much jostling around. The pretty and light blouse that I actually paid full price for from Target (about $20) is definitely worth the money spent--I wear it all the time, and it never wrinkles no matter the abuse (and I mean never). I wore this blouse on Day 1. You can see enough of the blouse from this older outfit of mine:


[Target blouse, Mike & Chris blazer, black pants from Ross, Bloch London ballet flats]

I also packed a pair black pants, which was worn on the first and last days. Yes, the weather is really hot, but you really can't go wrong with a pair of black pants because no one can tell you've worn the same pair of pants for a few days in a row. If you know that you will be in air-conditioned spaces for most of the time, it really won't be too bad.

My PJs double as an emergency change of daytime clothes. The top I brought to sleep in is comfortable, and definitely not a pajama top--it is an H&M cotton top with a ruffly collar and floral print. I wounded up wearing that top on the last day I was there.

The clothes that I wore to the airport the night before work started also serves as a backup outfit. I wore an Old Navy sleeveless tie-neck, tuxedo-front shirt, Marc Jacobs low-heeled "mouse" slingbacks (which I wore everyday), and my new Rick Owens cropped wool pants (which I got from The Outnet for 80% off). I ended up not wearing the Old Navy shirt again because it got too wrinkled (and I had no time to iron), but I did end up wearing the wool pants again on Day 2. Yes, you've heard right--wool pants in 115-degree heat.

It is actually not as loony as it sounds. I have a couple of pairs of lightweight wool dress pants that are very light and do not feel like wool at all; in fact, I get to wear them year-round because they stay cool in the summer but keep me warm in the colder weather. This new pair of pants was something I got as an alternative to linen pants--I wanted the lightness and the rough texture of linen without the propensity to wrinkle the minute it is worn. I also wanted something that was clearly office-appropriate but relaxed enough for the weekends. I test-drove the pants in a casual weekend outfit before the work trip. I felt like wearing earth tones that day and blended into the urban landscape:




[Forever 21 tank, my own Rock Paper Scissors necklace, Liz Claiborne bag, Rick Owens pants, Maison Martin Margiela shoes]

The "summer-weight" wool is just perfect. It was a hot day, but the fabric felt very breathable. The wide pant legs also make the pants very comfortable. When I wore the pants in 115 degree heat, I didn't feel remotely like I was going to fry. Who would have thunk that wool would be good for summer?

Since my Old Navy shirt was too wrinkled and my H&M shirt did not look right with the wool pants, I had to buy something for my Day 2 outfit, something that I can get a lot of mileage out of. Although I could have just gotten something really cheap from places like Charlotte Russe, I opted for an embellished tee in "Montana Grape", which I bought from Ann Taylor Loft. I love that a) it's essentially a t-shirt, so it was comfortable, b) it is machine-washable/easy to take care of, and c) the petals are just downright pretty and looks professional. It also does not wrinkle easily, which makes it an ideal candidate for travel.