Comfort And Style - Looking Hot While Staying Cool

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Hampton Resident Magazine - June 06, 2006

Looking hot while staying cool.

By Courtney Reed

Summer in the Hamptons offers exclusive parties, exquisite dining and extreme heat. Residents who want to look their best without feeling their worst can test these predictions for what's going to be hot this summer - while still keeping your cool.

Big, floppy straw hats paired with sizeable sunglasses will not only be fashionable this summer, but also provide shade to protect our delicate faces from the sun, according to Polished Social Image Consultant founder Samantha von Sperling. She suggests choosing hats fit for today's stars that are "elegant and dramatic." Match big necklaces and chunky bracelets with your oversized hat and glasses, she says.

White linen trousers are all the rage this summer, says von Sperling. You can pair trousers with inexpensive, reliable flip-flops or wedges. She also recommends trying Stuart Weitzman's sandals adorned with crystals for a more glamorous look. Antonia Short of New York Image Consultant foresees sandals as "super-strappy - the more the merrier is the theme this year, so don't go for half measures there."

For those seeking a sexier style, von Sperling explains that while peasant-skirts are no longer trendy, this summer will showcase a "wink to the can-can" with mid-calf or knee-length skirts featuring tons of layers. These comfortable and light skirts are perfect for battling the humidity. Add a spaghetti-strap tank top in the summer's hottest colors such as bright green, pink, lavender and turquoise while avoiding black or gray, says von Sperling. Short adds that "antique creams, brilliant whites, pearls, nudes and almond tones make up the creamy palette of the season, with white giving black a real run for its money."

Von Sperling advises anyone seeking a more sophisticated ensemble for the summer to make an appointment with up-and-coming designer Michael Simone of Mione Designs for "fabulous and elegant couture dresses." Short describes necessary evening-wear for the summer to include "chiffons, lace and silks. Soft and glimmering, the look is feminine, subtle and anything but simple."

Let's not forget the men. We'll be seeing white dinner jackets that can be casual or formal depending on the material of the jacket and pants, says von Sperling. For a more relaxed look, linen or cotton jackets can be matched with jeans and a colorful shirt such as aqua or burnt-orange. For the "Cary Grant, beyond fabulous" evening flair, complement a silk jacket with white linen pants, says von Sperling.

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