Just Too Damn Hot

As summer finally takes off, albeit with drenching evidence of pole ward-moving storm tracks. vaguely retro dresses are popping up everywhere. Designs may be modest—capped sleeves, necklines round rather than plunging--but the floral prints are big, brash and fully exposed. The fabrics are cool and get their sexual kicks from cling while protesting “I don’t mean to be provocative.” Two vintage floral print dresses on offer at the nydesignroom evoke summer festivals that never quite occurred, but would do well in a cool dark bar over spiked lemonade. Speaking of spiked lemonade, check out the Julia Dress by Tocca now on sale at the Tocca Web site. Yellow and white—so air-conditioned. GGrippo will be putting the flirt into tunics and other tops with figure-draping, ecofriendly breezy bamboo, leaving flowers to the imagination. And yes, I do see a lot of very-high-cut hot pants or short shorts; pick your decade. The update, hose or leggings and knee high boots may resonate with a certain erotic frisson, but it can’t be doing a body’s thermal regulation any good. If you really must bare, I suggest a diminutive floral print update on the regulation high school gym suit spotted on Bedford. The wearer seemed the embodiment of this generation’s version of the popular girl who beat us at badminton. Maybe the gym suit rekindled adolescent jealousies. Please eschew overalls with only narrow straps holding the bib in place worn shirtless with a waist so loose the hardly subtextual invitation is to reach down and grab a handful. Contrary to the floral trend, this was done up in a drab unbleached cotton cream. Fashion trend guru David Wolfe predicted polkadots. And polkadots are indeed present, mostly small to medium, but not as abundant as flowers. Check out the polkadot diaphanous number in the window of Sir up north on Bedford. Down-market but intriguing are the sheer tops with metallic polkadots I saw on Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint. Who says irony is elitist?

p.s. for the guys And speaking of irony, I really like how classic seersucker has been recruited from spiffy summer suits on Southern gentlemen of a certain age into biker-style jackets and cargo shorts on clearly hipster guys.

http://www.tocca.com/store/catalog/collection/juliana-dress-sale
Sir Brooklyn, 129 Bedford, Brooklyn