I was asked if the BoB strategy (Big Over Big) survives heat. While California’s weather usually allows us to extend spring clothes well into summer, throwing on linen dresses in a semi-panic when temperatures rise above 85F, I do think we could find some outfits that address the question as posed.
Key tenets:
- a cotton-silk blend, or a cotton gauze shirt, are your coolest options. Linen should be good, but in shirts I often find it heavy
- pants should be loose and pull on. no closure is final in the summertime
- as always, you can carry anything off if you look like you mean it
The simplest BoB version here is a “set,” as matching top and bottom are called now. From Vince.
However, these are a passport for pajamaland, which I don’t enjoy unless I can see the cerulean sea over my left shoulder. So, Florida? At a guess yes. The SF Bay Area, I’m suspicious.
All is not lost. One can urbanize stripes. For example. Notice no raffia resort sandals, no hoop earrings. Patent leather makes anything floaty just a tad tougher. And I’d want to carry the J.W. Anderson loafer bag which is my new obsession and which I do not own.
Given the preppy vibes haunting this shirt, I’d probably want even cooler shoes, but I live in a suburb where “cool” is perplexing.
Below are raw links. These are monetized, as a farewell wave to the platform I used to used for Style Blogging, Shopstyle. Enjoy your retirement, old friend, or as we said in software in the dinosaur age, your deprecation. My image downloading and Photoshop skills have evidently retired already.
Everyone else? Have a good weekend. Maybe enjoy the privilege of ignoring the world. For one day. Or two.
Lightning earrings: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfLu
Raffia ankle strap sandals: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfMa
GAP denim: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfMb
Green silk and cotton poplin shirt: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfLF
Turquoise studs: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfLE
Sand and white-striped silk and cotton blend shirt: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfLG
White cotton jacquard cotton pants: https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfMc
Black patent Birkenstocks https://shopstyle.it/l/cyfMd
13 Responses
I love the top outfit. Put on a black tank, instead of white and it changes everything.
Oh yes, it does! Thank you!
I’ve become a fan of the Ina Garten favorite Boyfriend shirt from Talbots. Unfortunately, it’s currently only available in white (which is okay here in Sonoma), but I did get a bright-blue + white striped version on sale last year. It’s great over a camisole or tank top.
There used to be a shop in San Francisco called Company Store that had the same style in Dupioni silk, but I’m not aware of any source now.
I love that Ina Garten has a shirt:). Seems so on-brand. Love it when we find something that works so well we buy it in more colors.
Love the Vince top outfit, too- great fabric, colour and pattern! But all your options were great, beautifully curated. Just the right, laid-back vibe, but not too informal.
You might also want to consider the amazing linen clothing by Claire Desjardins, which is based on her visual art https://clairedesjardins.com/en-ca/collections/all-available-works. These are clothes designed to live in, travel in, and work in!
There’s been very recent structural changes due to the tariff situation, and her clothing line is now apparently going to be carried as of (?April 2026) by https://www.boutique-v-zoe.com/, which carries the very similar line by Carre Noir https://www.boutique-v-zoe.com/collections/carre-noir-spring-summer-2025. See the very comfy (pull-on) but elegant (flat front) ivory linen pants and coordinating sandals: https://www.boutique-v-zoe.com/collections/carre-noir-spring-summer-2025/products/carre-noir-pull-on-wide-leg-linen-pants?variant=42647928668275
Ah, thank you so much for the recommendations! I will enjoy a good browse today.
The fabric of the Vince set looks so dreamy. I really don’t think I’m brave enough to attempt BoB personally, as a small pear/hourglass bordering on petite… It seems like it looks amazing on the tall and/or proportionally slim-hipped. I’d LOVE to wear the top with black twill shorts, but probably couldn’t make it work with loose pants — and the admonition to never wear shorts out in public except on a boat or a beach sticks with me rather strongly, so they’re for home only until temps rise to the point that I don’t care who sees my knees. :) Linen and cotton poplin dresses are perennial favorites for me too.
Have a lovely weekend, Lisa and friends. The bad news just keeps on coming, but thank you for the welcome respite.
It’s quite possible that BoB is not your wheelhouse. I think it’s also my age. I truly enjoy fabric these days LOL.
Jess writes: “…the admonition to never wear shorts out in public except on a boat or a beach sticks with me rather strongly”
I’m late to this, Jess – such an interesting comment. I have many, many similar rules about dressing lodged in my head, compliments of our mothers most of the time. Never wear diagonal plaids. Never wear navy blue [or “menopause blue,” as she called it]. A [matching] dress and jacket is far better than a suit. No pierced ears under any circumstances. A fun topic, maybe Lisa will expand on it some time in the future.
“Menopause blue”? Oh dear — I’d never heard that! And I do have pierced ears but was very late to that party (13) and it only happened when I begged. I wonder if we all were given different rules? Here I was thinking everyone else must have heard the boat and beach thing too, but was I wrong? I agree — it would be a fun topic for a post!
Funnily enough (or not — algorithms being what they are), shortly after I posted the shorts comment, I was served an article about the scandal it caused when King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson wore shorts.
Let me stress: I am oooold. And my mother was oooold when she had me. So I [and her dicta] probably belong in the century before this one! But wow how “they” led you to the King/Wallis Simpson scandal!
https://www.emmeparsons.com/products/bari-black-nappa-black-sole?_pos=14&_fid=716a4f7f4&_ss=c
I also think a more “upscale” shoe works well with all these loose summer clothes (which I do wear)
It keeps them out of the pajama zone, and is a lighter and more intentional look than Arizonas.
Beautiful shoes.