How to Dress and Look Great in Hot Weather

Hot humid days go to your head. No matter how perfect your blow-dry or clean and fresh your ’do, just step outside. Bangs flip, waves and curls balloon to a frizzy puff and your scalp feels wet and drippy. One surefire antidote is to forget attempting your usual look and embrace hair accessories. Wide hairbands in solids and prints like the Tasha Paisley Knot Hairband in Pink Multi ($24, nordstrom.com) and the Half Boho Bandeau in Navy Cream Mandala ($10, naturallife.com) are perfect for holding hair of every length off the face and stopping moisture from creeping down at the forehead hairline. Hats can also be heat-wave allies, especially non-beachy straws with wide (but not floppy) brims, such as the & Other Stories Woven Straw Hat in Straw ($49, stories.com/en_usd) and cotton-blend buckets like the Driono Women’s Wide Brim Bucket Hat UPF 50 in Black ($20, amazon.com). Both provide shade and effectively protect scalp and face from UV rays.

Closed shoes and sneakers are not your best friend right now. Feet (and for some, ankles) swell in the heat, and increased friction between sweaty soles and shoes can lead to blisters. Instead, match your shoe selection to your need. Sandals in thong and thinly strapped styles and slides like the Sam Edelman Bay Slide Sandals in Milos Blue or Seafoam Blue ($72, 6pm.com) let feet air and show off a bright pedicure to advantage. For work dress codes that frown on exposed toes, open-back mules, such as the Cole Haan Vandam Buckle Mule in Denim ($150, zappos.com) and open-sided espadrilles like the Kelly & Katie Darmouth Espadrille Wedge Sandal in Taupe or Black ($50, dsw.com/en/us), are a cool compromise. For a welcome lift off hot pavement, add some elevation with platform- and wedge-style sandals such as Madewell’s The Pearl Wedge Mule in Amber Brown or Bright Poppy ($128, madewell.com). But no matter what shoes you wear, add bouncy inserts like the Foot Petals Women’s Rounded Ball of Foot Gel Cushions ($12, amazon.com) for extra shock absorption and to help prevent sore soles. Amazing even in the flattest flats.

Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and style editor who focuses on women 50 and older. She was the beauty and style editor at Ladies’ Home Journal and a founding editor of More magazine. She has written three books: The Makeup Wakeup, The Wardrobe Wakeup and The Woman's Wakeup.

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