TGWIF: My Summer Uniform
It’s a wicked scorcher here in Austin today, and I’m sitting in the A/C working with the dogs at my feet, Good Will Hunting on in the background, mostly for the accents and Boston scenery, because I’m already oh-so homesick for the beach and New England even though we just got back a little over a week ago.
I brought dozens of souvenirs from home to tide me over until my next trip back in the fall (more on that haul soon), but by far the best of them all was finding this perfect summer uniform, thrifted from Goodwill and Uptown Cheapskate and with a pair of totally destroyed DIY denim cutoffs tying it all together. And it works for the Cape, the lake, the city, the humidity, and the blazing Texas sun.
Hat: Austin Goodwill // Sunnies: c/o TOMS
// Tunic: c/o Uptown Cheapskate // Cutoffs: DIY, from Austin Goodwill Outlet jeans // Shoes: c/o Minnetonka // Bag: vintage, The Haberdash
The gauzy tunic was a $3 find from Uptown Cheapskate, which I got at an additional discount because there was a pen stain around the hem (that I was able to get out in the first washing) using part of my $50 in review credits given to me by the Uptown Austin team. It’s lightweight and the perfect length to wear as either a swim coverup or tucked into cutoffs, and breathable yet opaque enough that I can wear it in the full sun to keep my skin from burning but without burning up.
Using the DIY cutoff tutorial I shared for the Goodwill Summer Lookbook (plus a tip from my friend Jesse about using a pair of men’s jeans a few sizes too large), I made these destroyed cutoffs from a pair of men’s Citizens for Humanity jeans Courtney found for me at the Austin Goodwill Outlet. For under $1 and in less than 30 minutes. I totally can’t live without them now.
Though I never, EVER thought I would see the day that I would embrace the fedora, something about this $5 find from Austin Goodwill really won me over. Maybe it’s the chambray trim. Maybe it’s that Texas has really taught me the importance of keeping the sun off your face. Either way, it’s now a daily staple. As is this vintage woven straw & leather tote bag I picked up years ago from Amy when The Haberdash was still parked at SoWA Market every Sunday. It’s identical to one I sported when I was in junior high in the early 90s and JCrew was relatively new on the scene, still so very classically New Englander in sartorial sensibility.
Now, to find a friend with a boat or a pool in Austin so I can get near the water again, and not just for the dogs! I’m gonna start with margaritas on the patio, since it is National Tequila Day today and all…