Hibiscus In Bloom

This dress (another loaner from my friend - I really hope this helps her sell them, because everything that's she's loaned me has been divine!) is a bit of a departure for me. I don't usually do 60s styles, and with the empire waist and slight bell sleeves, it's not a silhouette I'm hugely comfortable with. Once I put it on, though, I really fell in love!

While it's not a Shaheen or anything, it was made in Hawaii, and the fabric and cut are insanely comfortable. I got caught in the rain while I was shooting - not just once, but twice! - and it made it through it like nothing ever happened. I'm going to have a hard time giving this one back.

Of course, I couldn't resist topping it off with this hat. I went through a serious hat buying phase a few years ago, and this one was just too weird to resist. The shape is so fun, and I love the net and little shells hanging off it. There's also a felt mermaid on it, which I wore in the back for these shots. Not that I don't love my little mermaid, but I figured there was enough going on with the look already.

Despite what the calendar keeps telling me ("Labor Day has come and gone! We're less than a week away from actual fall!"), the weather has taken a turn for Indian Summer. It's been downright hot for the past week or so - we actually hit 90 degrees yesterday! As much as I look forward to fall every year, I do love these weird, unseasonably warm days that we often get here in Chicago. There's always a point in late summer where I look back in regret for all of the things I didn't get around to doing, and these unseasonably warm late summer/early fall days feel like an opportunity to finish things off right.

Dress: c/o Margaret Ann - I'll post a link when she lists the dress
Hat: Vintage Underground