Holy smokes, it's hot out there

Here are some nightgowns you could wear as dresses because second to nudity, they're the next best thing

There are 3 good dressing options when it comes to how to cover your body in the kind of weather that makes your skin feel like it’s a gravity blanket. Also good (the options are) when you’re hungover or tired or just feeling IRRITABLE but need to be dressed and don’t feel like zippers, buttons or anything that could bring to mind any recognition of your own mortality:

• The first: Wear a lightweight t-shirt or short-sleeve button-down, really any top that is airy enough (a design with holes, like crochet or wtvr helps with this) with a lightweight bottom, like this:

  

  RNDL x Jack’s Wife Freda sunglasses, Rebecca Taylor short sleeve button down shirt, but here’s a similar one from Hunter Bell and here’s an amenably-priced option from Asos, with snails and butterflies embroidered in!!!, Khaite skirt, K. Jacques sandals

• The second: “Public pajamas,” which is how I referred to the first look in this story, published last summer. You basically take a pair of boxer shorts or pants in materials like cotton or linen and mix them with a tank top or t-shirt that’s either black or white. Unless you don’t care about exposed beads of sweat, in which case, I salute you.

  

  The other way to do this is by wearing an already-existing set, which includes the added benefit of not having to think for longer than the time it takes to actually put the clothes on your person about what you should wear:

  

  Attersee popover set, K. Jacques sandals

• The third: WEAR A NIGHTGOWN LIKE IT IS A DRESS

  You don’t have to do this:

  

  But it would not kill you and in fact might save you to take a lightweight cotton dress, pair it over, I don’t know, a bathing suit? Briefs? A full black ensemble of intimates? and peel away from there.

This is my preferred method of staying cool because it takes the least amount of thought and effort, doesn’t have to preclude showing off your personal style (carry a cool basket bag!, wear a tennis necklace! Fun sunglasses!), can be easily approximated using stuff you already own, and there are plenty of reasonably priced ways to “get the look” if you don’t already have a nightgown.

Here, for example, are some great options from Etsy:

Here’s the yellow one for $45, the next one for $50, the one I got for $56, for and the last one for $41, also, here’s one for $51 that isn’t pictured because you need to see more of the pictures to get the full sense

And then here is a set with pants that look great. I’d take it apart and wear the top/bottoms separately, and another one, actually, with pants lightweight enough to feel like nothing against your body, and possibly recreate this vibe:

Maria McManus shirt (also in white! Both on sale), Doen pants (the first Etsy pants are possibly an even better comp for these in shape), K. Jacques sandals, Khaite bag

Anyone for an ice pop?

Stay cool, but also kewl and I’ll see you Friday for the subscriber-only Letter of Rec.

In the meantime, here is one rec gratis: Becky Malinsky, the pickiest, smartest, most intentional shopper/fashion editor on the face of the earth, the only person I trust more than myself to bless or curse a purchase has launched her own Substack on the quest to help you build a better wardrobe. Do yourself the favor of signing up and, again, don’t forget to stay cool AND kewl.

Signing off,

Leandra