The Closet Coach

Oh, August — you can be such a cruel month, especially for the stylish.

How can one retain an air of elegance in wilting heat, rising humidity and general dog-days malaise?

Here are a few ideas to defy these waning days of summer.

1. Drink up! No, not the alcoholic kind (though a frosty margarita often hits the spot). Now, more than ever, your body craves a refreshing, restoring glass of water. So load up the ice and drop in a slice or two of cooling cucumber — even better if you can pick it fresh from your back-yard garden.
2. Let it be. Put away the sweat-inducing hair dryer. Your style will probably wilt within moments of stepping outside, anyway. Indulge in the opportunity to let your hair air dry. If it’s long, try twisting it up in a loose top-knot in the morning; by lunch you’ll have sexy tousles. Or pull back your shorter layers in little decorative pins or barrettes.
3. Dive in. If you hit the pool once all summer, now is the time. And if you live in driving distance of a beach, lucky you. Even if you don’t have either of these options at your disposal, who says you can’t enjoy soaking in a kiddie pool? And at the end of a hot day, a quick, cool shower always feels divine; take 5 minutes and pretend it’s your own Hawaiian waterfall.

My ideas all revolve around water in some way. What are your August survival methods?

Related posts:

1. The 5 S’s of summer dressing