Whispery caresses of late spring breezes and glimpses of maybe-I-wanted-you-to-see-my-lingerie or maybe-I’m-innocently-oblivious gauziness have me feeling carefree and roadtrip-ready (more on that later). This is a fabric of slow glances, of underwater grace, of all those chillwave bands from 2010 that you still listen to [...]]]>

CHIFFON! I cannot get enough of you.

Whispery caresses of late spring breezes and glimpses of maybe-I-wanted-you-to-see-my-lingerie or maybe-I’m-innocently-oblivious gauziness have me feeling carefree and roadtrip-ready (more on that later). This is a fabric of slow glances, of underwater grace, of all those chillwave bands from 2010 that you still listen to constantly.

Chiffon has been too long typecast as sexy sleepwear, curtain panels, and over-layers on formal dresses. Sure, it works well in those mediums, but chiffon deserves a chance to really prove itself. Just think: what if Adam Sandler had never made Punch-Drunk Love? What if Arnold Schwarzenegger had never made Twins? This is bigger than you and me. This is about breaking out of your mold! Achieving your potential! Its time to let your true colors shine through, literally. And while you’re at it, why not let that gorgeous bralette you only wear on third dates see the light of day?

Example:

My current chiffascination began early this spring as Tucson began to heat up. The temperature hit 100 degrees in April and there was nowhere to go but inside. Of course, the only way to combat an onslaught of sun rays is to wear as little as possible, but when your work inexplicably has a deadly no air conditioning/no sleeveless shirts rule combo, what’s a girl to do? Why, take advantage of a certain dresscode loophole that fails to specify that sheer clothing may not be food-service apropos, of course!

In the way that California’s outlaw of cellphone car conversations overlooked the act of texting for six months and resulted in overly-distracted drivers, my employer’s overlooking of sheer fabrics has resulted in overly-distracted customers. Imagine a gaggle of twenty-something cashiers clad more or less like this:

And then imagine a clientele of lecherous older men with a false sense of entitlement. Endless adventures in objectification! (You can keep your “maybe you should stop dressing like that” comments to yourself, boys, lest you sound rapey. Sweat stains on t-shirts don’t make for great tips.)

But I digress.

CHIFFON! O, fabric of the heavens! Cover me (kind of) with your gossamer mist!
How to wear? Take a hint from Gucci and pair a chiffon maxi skirt with super short shorts:

Or do as I do and dress down long chiffon blouses with denim cut-offs and sandals.
Either way, a windswept prairie or beach makes a great backdrop, but doesn’t it always?


(photos via fashiongonerogue)

Hello, summer. We’ve missed you.

As I calmly began filing through the racks at Kohl’s, I was not expecting to end up with a huge armful of Jennifer Lopez and Lauren Conrad, yet there I was. When mine eyes received the glory of this deep purple pleated chiffon column dress, an involuntarily breathy “YESSSssss…” escaped my lips. [...]]]>

As I calmly began filing through the racks at Kohl’s, I was not expecting to end up with a huge armful of Jennifer Lopez and Lauren Conrad, yet there I was. When mine eyes received the glory of this deep purple pleated chiffon column dress, an involuntarily breathy “YESSSssss…” escaped my lips. I pined for her so hard, I referred to her with gender-specific pronouns and declared, Welcome, to my closet, new friend, welcome. We re going straight to the beach so we can have ourselves a Little House on the Prairie moment with the wind.

Now if you’re going to go bold, you might as well boldly go all the way, so I decided to go Full Seventies on this dress. On go a pair of studded vintage candy apple platforms, a cropped leather jacket and some gold chains, complete with a Neverending Story-worthy sapphire pendant.

It is fancy, it is long, but I imagine I ll be wearing this confection wherever the heck I feel like. It could be easily mistaken for red carpet fare when worn with pretty much any heel. But you could also rock it with flat sandals for shopping or beltless on the beach. Bright colors are an absolute must this spring (see my editorial inside Reinventing Beauty Magazine, available at all major drugstores). This dress was designed by Lauren Conrad, regularly priced at $75. But I found it on sale for $50! You better believe I’m pulling this off the hanger every chance I get. Shoes and necklace are from Barrio Vintage, Honolulu.

Disclosure: Bloggers received a gift card on behalf of Kohl’s via Glam Media to complete the trend look. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Kohl’s. All trademarks and service marks are owned or licensed by Kohl’s Illinois, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc.