Two New Tops

It was scorching hot here in Los Angeles last week. One evening, shortly after 7 p.m., it was still 93 degrees! In heat like that, even my short-sleeved tee shirts are too hot. Too clingy.

So I went to my favorite resale shop to search for light, floaty, summery tops. Bad news: I didn't find any tops that were exactly right for me. Good news: I found two lovely mini dresses that, with a bit of tailoring, would be perfect lightweight tops. The terrific price I got them for allowed me to justify the cost of tailoring.

Here they are, back from the tailor. The first one is a black-and-white, gauzy tunic, taken up to hip length, with slits on the sides (the tailor simply took the slits up a little higher than they were when it was a mini):

It looks ladylike worn with a flesh-colored bra. With a black or dark, jewel-tone bra underneath, it would be a bit more daring. It'll look great worn with white skinny jeans.

The second mini is from BCBGMaxAzria. No way would I pay what this must've cost, retail. But it was a steal. The silver bugle beading and icy blue color are absolutely gorgeous with my coloring (pale Anglo skin, silvery hair). I had the tailor lop off a chunk of the bottom of the mini to bring it up to rest just at the top of my hips. He also nipped it in under the arms a bit to get rid of a little gapping problem.

This is the view of the back:

Straps this skinny make it hard to avoid errant bra straps showing, so I asked the tailor to add some lingerie straps. They are added to the underside of the top of the strap, just where the top of your shoulder is. A simple fix and very effective:

Is there a minidress in your closet or at the store that you just can't see yourself in because it shows too much leg?

Maybe it's really your next tunic or top, just waiting for a little tailoring.