ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTEEN/ summer essentials

There are a handful of pieces that I can't live without in the summer. The first thing that I want to mention is a simple cotton dress - it's definitely an understated look but there's little to no thinking involved when deciding to throw one on and you almost always look put together. It also receives major bonus points for being the most comfortable thing to wear and for having a breathable material. The one that I'm wearing in this post is a spaghetti strap number from Forever 21+. I also have it in black and I get a lot of wear out of the two of them.

The second thing I want to talk about are leggings. This might seem a bit controversial because they trap in heat and they don't let your legs air out but I can't live without them during the summertime. Chaffing is not a joke - it is super painful and it's something I've dealt with my entire life. I've tried many different ways to combat this issue, from shorts to creams to everything in between but leggings are the only fool proof option in my eyes. The ones that I've been living in this summer are from ASOS Curve. They're a take on the infamous American Apparel nylon-tricot leggings but they're available up to a size US24.

The last thing I want to talk about are sunglasses. I like mine to be big and to have blackout lenses. With humidity comes bleeding mascara and smudged eyeliner and no one can tell the difference if you're rocking a pair of killer shades. I was fortunate enough to have Go Wood Sunglasses send me the pair pictured below to share with you guys. They're made from wood and they're super lightweight and chic. I wore them around all day today and I got a lot of questions and compliments because of them. You guys know me and I would never mention to you anything that I didn't fully love or support but I'm a huge fan of these sunglasses. They were even sent to me in an adorable wooden box with their logo engraved on it. I highly recommend checking them out.

I also love throwing on a lightweight layer over top my ensembles to add a bit of dimension and interest to the look. I'm a sucker for layers, no matter how hot it is outside.

This is going to sound incredibly cheesy but wearing clothing and accessories that you love and trust to do their job makes bearing this season a lot easier. I think it's important to find pieces, or styles, that you truly adore.

SWEATER/ Forever 21+ DRESS/ Forever 21+
SUNGLASSES/ c/o Go Wood Sunglasses 'Montreal Red Skateboard Wooden Sunglasses'
HANDBAG/ 3.1 Phillip Lim 'Pashli'

Photos by Kaitlyn Brady / Thank you to Go Wood Sunglasses for reaching out to me and for sending me these awesome wood sunglasses. Expect to see them fairly often in outfit posts this summer!