Share In Style "Flowers" - Faux Flower Border Print (Swiss National Day Dress)

When I read that one of the upcoming editions of #bloggersharingstyle would be about flowers, I was most happy to join. One of the best themes! I love flowers, flower fabrics, flower jewelry - what else could you expect from a sewer that grows more than 100 different roses in her garden?

Als ich das Motto für das kommende "Share In Style" vernahm, war ich überglücklich. Blumen - das beste Thema! Ich liebe Blumen in jeder Form. Was sonst ist bei jemandem zu erwarten, wo über 100 verschiedene Rosen im Garten wachsen?

It's a fact that vintage fabrics in sufficient length are difficult to find in my country, and if you find them, some are in a poor condition or very expensive, or both, and you just get a sad rag for lots of money. Ever harder to come by are border print fabrics, of all fabrics that are most amazing to create lovely full vintage style skirts!

Vintage Stoffe sind schwierig zu finden. Viele sind in armseliger Verfassung, oder sehr teuer, oder  gleich beides, so dass man oft teure Lumpen kauft. Noch seltener zu finden sind Stoffe mit Bordüren-Drucken, die für Vintage-Mode und besonders schöne Sommer-Röcke hervorragend geeignet wären.

Recently I came across this lovely modern border print by Timeless Treasures featuring several borders of lovely red geraniums.

Dann stiess ich auf diesen schönen modernen Stoff…

Why not creating  my own border fabric? The colour range of the geranium print would make it easy. A solid black fabric to complete the "faux border" look should not be too difficult to find. 

If the mountain won't come to the prophet, the prophet must go to the mountain.

Weshalb nicht meinen eigenen Bordüren-Stoff kreieren? Mit einem schwarzen Uni-Stoff als Ergänzung?

Wenn der Berg nicht zum Propheten kommt….

So I cut two borders - the print is lengthwise, along the selvage - and stitched them to the solid black fabric. Black, however, is not always black. I mean it IS black, but in a different "nuance", as we say. So the two blacks were different, and I wanted to add some red piping between the two fabrics.

Ich schnitt zwei Bordüren-Streifen und plante, sie an schwarzen Stoff zu nähen. Aber Schwarz ist nicht immer Schwarz. Rotes Paspel-Band sollte Abhilfe schaffen!

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However, I had to remove the cord from the piping - it made the skirt so stiff that it would have looked rather like an oversized teapot cozier than a skirt. Nonetheless, it looks nice like that as well. And it still makes the skirt a little bit fuller, even without petticoat!

Letztlich musste ich die Kordel des Paspelndes entfernen (was blieb war das "Schrägband") - es hätte den Rock unheimlich steif werden lassen und ich hätte darin wie ein überdimensionaler Teekannen-Wärmer ausgeschaut. Der Rock wirkt auch so noch relativ "voll", selbst ohne Petticoat.

I had ordered 1.5 yards, so the skirt is almost 3 yards wide in circumference. For the start I didn't want to use a particular skirt pattern. A pleated skirt is a pleated skirt. Just maths. And some sewing. But I was lucky: in my pattern collection there was a vintage pattern (Simplicity 1700 from 1956) for a pleated skirt that had, when upgraded to my size, exactly the same circumference as my skirt, therefore I knew more or less how deep the pleats should be. So less maths. Happy face.

Zuerst wollte ich aus den fast 3 Yards Rockumfang ohne Muster einen Faltenrock machen. Ist ja nicht so ein Ding. Dazu muss man nur rechnen können (was auf mich nicht wirklich zutrifft…). Und nähen. Doch dann fand ich dieses Muster, das meinen Massen insofern entsprach, dass ich nichts mehr rechnen musste, ausser ein paar Anpassungen, da mein Rock statt der einzelnen rückwärtigen Mittelnaht zwei Seitennähte hat. Aber immerhin ersparte ich mir etwas Rechnerei...

The only problem was that my skirt had two side seams, not a single back seam, so I had to re-arrange the pleats. They are pleated in two different "directions", so they meet in the middle back and front.

And I used a green zipper! I didn't have a black one, and I kind of loved the idea of having this secret colourful detail that is there, even though it's not visible and hidden in the pleats…

Mein Reissverschluss ist grün - das sieht natürlich wegen der Falten niemand, macht mir aber trotzdem Freude, so als "kleines spezielles Detail"...

I had still two borders left to make a matching top - making it a dress. I used this pattern here from one of my vintage sewing magazines from 1953:

Ich hatte noch zwei Bordüren-Streifen übrig, um ein passendes Top draus zu machen, und versuchte mich an einem Schnitt aus einem Modemagazin von 1953:

I chose the one with the square neckline, but made it without collar and added a  lining along the neck and front.

The magazine is missing its cover, but there are tons of the most amazing patterns in it!

Without collar it looks a dirndl style top. The red piping is definitely nice, but was a nightmare to sew. The overlapping fronts are closed with buttons. Vintage glass buttons! I was so happy I could use some of my treasures for this project. However, they are not my first choice, and when I was searching for my vintage red button earrings for the pictures, I found some more vintage black buttons that would have been a better choice. Maybe I will change them later. (Reminds me that buttons should not be stored with jewelry…)

Ohne Kargen sieht es ein wenig aus wie ein Dirndl-Oberteil. Das rote Paspelnd sieht zwar hübsch aus, war aber ein Alptraum zum Verarbeiten. Die überlappenden Vorderteile werden mit Knöpfen verschlossen. Mit Glas-Knöpfen aus den 1940ern! Ich war total happy, dass ich die aus meinem Fundus verabreden konnte, auch wenn sie von der Musterung her nicht so meine erste Wahl waren. Jedenfalls fand ich noch mehr, die gepasst hätten, als ich später meinen roten Ohrschmuck für die Fotoaufnahmen suchte. Vielleicht werde ich das später noch ändern. (Und ich muss mich unbedingt daran erinnern, dass ich Knöpfe definitiv NICHT mit meinem Vintage-Schmuck aufbewahren sollte….)

If you have a close look, you will probably notice that the fabric pattern of the front wrap  meets exactly with the pattern of the other front part. This was sheer coincidence, but I'm extremely proud of it.

And, oh, I made a matching red belt with a red vintage belt buckle! 

Das Muster der überlappenden Vorderteile ergänzt sich nahezu perfekt. Purer Zufall. Trotzdem bin ich stolz auf den Effekt. Auch ein blindes Huhn legt mal ein Ei. Oder so…

Und ein passender Gürtel dazu - selbst genäht mit einer Schliesse aus den 40ern oder 50ern!

My dress was ready to wear on August 1st - Swiss National Day!

Und das Kleid wurde genau zu unserm Nationalfeiertag fertig, dem 1. August!

Many people in Switzerland grow geraniums on their window benches and balconies in summer. Often smiled at and being mocked as "square" and typical for a rural and small-burgeois lifestyle, it is, at least for me, a must-have each summer. They bloom constantly and don't mind being without water for some days (perfect for me). 

In meinem Land haben viele Leute im Sommer Geranien vor den Fenstern oder auf Balkonen. Oft werden diese Blumen als etwas kleinkariert und spiessig angesehen, ich aber muss sie jeden Sommer um unser Haus herum haben. Sie blühen unermüdlich und nehmen es einem nicht übel, wenn sie mal ein paar Tage kein Wasser haben (wie praktisch für mich). 

I have a lovely red hat from the 1950s that is perfect for this outfit. The veil is still intact! And - best of all things - it is covered with lots of delicate silk flowers… Flowers on my dress, flowers on my hat…

Der hübsche Hut aus den 50ern passt prima zu meinem Kleid. Der Schleier ist noch vollständig intakt! Er ist besetzt mit ganz vielen zarten Seidenblumen… Ganz wie mein Kleid, blumenübersät.

I had also planned and cut a lovely vintage style purse from the rest of the border print fabric, but then the weather forecast changed quite drastically, so we had to take the pictures a day earlier than expected and the purse was not finished.

Eigentlich hatte ich noch eine passende Handtasche aus dem Geranien-Stoff in Arbeit, aber dann änderte sich das Wetter schnell und wir mussten unsern Foto-Termin rasch vorverlegen, so dass die Tasche unvollendet blieb (kommt später noch).

Skirt: me-made after Simplicity 1700
Top: me-made, pattern from a 1953 German sewing magazine
Fabric: Timeless Treasures, bought on Etsy
Belt: me-made with a vintage buckle (bought on Etsy)
Buttons: vintage, bought on Etsy
Earrings: vintage, bought on Etsy
Shoes: plateau sling-backs, bought about 8 years ago, but they are still in great shape and great to wear
Hat: vintage silky flower and veil hat from the 1950's, bought on Ebay
Sunglasses: vintage repro, no idea where from…

In case you didn't notice, I'm an avid Etsy-an. :-)

Vintage Slacks

Ignore my silliness. We stayed at some friends' place and had a good time...

As a mother of two little ones, I can't always wear dresses and skirts, and most trousers that are available off-the-rack don't fit me. Or are terrible. Or both. High-waisted pants are mostly available in larger or so-called "short" sizes for elderly, rather short women. And as the waists of trousers got lower and lower during the past years, and I constantly feel cold around my kidneys, I somehow felt I was getting too old for such things. You can guess that buying pants is a nightmare.

I never thought that, after leaving the 1980s fashion nightmares behind me, I would gladly opt for high-waisted trousers again. But… I always liked the wide-legged trousers Marlene Dietrich used to wear. (This reminds me that I should write a post about her.) Of course they would look different on me, as I'm not that slim, but still, it's a style I love and that will always look very neat and decent. Even if I don't do swing dancing or that kind of cool stuff. (I can't dance at all, I'm unfortunately born with two left legs.)

I bought this wonderful pattern from Eva Dress Patterns. It's a reproduction of Simplicity 3322. The patterns costa little bit, but they're worth it, as they offer some very nice and searched-after patterns in excellent quality. Some come along as multiple-size patterns, like this one.

For many of the patterns there are also pictures of finished projects, so it's really helpful to have a closer look at the entire site.

As a non-native English speaker (even though I am used to talk, write and read in English since 20 years), I didn't know what "slacks" are - until I found that pattern.

I was looking for something exactly like this! I am not sure how I would look in an overall, but the trousers are definitely worth giving a try! 

Since years I had a large piece of a inexpensive poly-cotton gabardine in my stash that I bought for about $10 per meter. I think I bought it about 10 years or more ago to make a trench coat. Of course I never made it. The fabric was still there, looking at me reproachfully each time I opened the shelf. It's a nice tan or dark-beige colour, making it perfect for cooler summer days, spring and autumn, as it has a lightly heavier drape.

After our 1.5 hours drive, the trouser look a little bit wrinkled... 

The colour is certainly not my first choice, even though I think it's not bad and can be spiced up with some top or blouse in a lovely colour or pattern, but I would have liked something that looked like denim or at least a blue fabric to be incorporated in my summer (holiday) wardrobe. Blue, especially combined with red and white, always makes me feel like holiday at the sea. But for now this has to do it. I chose some wooden buttons I bought from a warehouse that closed down many years ago, so I guess they are somehow vintage too...

They are super comfy and were easy to sew (haha, no small bust to deal with this time!!!), and I hope they will be a valuable garment. However, as you can see on the last picture, from my hips downward they are far too baggy and I look much bigger than I am (my bottom IS NOT that fat, at least I hope so), soI will try to make my next pair in a smaller size and look how they turn out.

I am wearing the self-designed peasant knit top I posted already here…

And yes, I definitely look very silly on the pictures. I was standing by this column and my lovely husband said, let's take some pics of your trousers for the blog (how well-educated is he?). I was in a very cheerful mood being with friends and relatives - hehe, maybe too cheerful...

But look what I bought and what arrived yesterday - perfect for summer, especially as we had to cancel our summer holidays! Flamingo cocktail sticks! Aren't they great?

Pattern: Eva Dress Pattern, Vintage Slacks

Fabric: cotton poly gabardine

Peasant top: me-made pattern, organic cotton knit in red gingham by Lillestoff

Lipstick: MAC, Russian Red

Earrings: fruit salad, NOS vintage bought on Ebay

Shoes: pink Moheda Toffeln from Sweden

Toy octopus: not ours...

Vintage Play Suit, Ready To Go Out

As you could read in some of my previous posts here, I was joining a sew along for a vintage play suit. Usually, such sew alongs are too complicated to join in. There's always coming something in between. A freezer frozen solid, kids with chicken pox, a broken toe... I could write books.

But this sew along was different. We plan to go on holiday in Italy, my husband's country. So I was very excited about the idea, and as I am in desperate need of some decent pieces for my wardrobe, I was planning to sew some clothes anyway. The sew along just came in time! I am the kind of person that needs a little bit of extra-pressure to keep a project going on (you certainly do NOT want to know how many UFOs I have...), so I was happy to join.

Creating a play suit set offers countless possibilities, in the end I just had to decide for one pattern for a skirt, short pants, a bra and a halter top or blouse. And the fabrics of course.

I chose a simple buttoned skirt from a German 1951 sewing magazine. They had lots of play suit options in there!

However, I lengthened my skirt, and I made is with pleats instead of gathering it. I wanted to use some of my vintage buttons, but I didn't have enough of the same style. (I love brown, but I wonder why I do have only so little brown buttons...) I found some rectangular, almost square horn buttons I bought about 10 years ago at a flea market, they are all handmade and differ slightly in size and shape. So even being not properly vintage, they somehow seemed to be a nice choice.

From another German sewing magazine of the same year, I took the pattern for the trousers, as they came along in a bigger size there. I planned to use a remnant piece, but in the end I had to order some more again as it was not enough. I absolutely wanted to have the red pants! They would be perfect, especially under the patterned skirt.

I also planned in the beginning to make the pattern of the striped bra, but after I copied the pattern (which is rather demanding, look at the pattern sheet!), I realised that bra would probably not fit me very well. Despite having breast-fed my two children for quite some time, I still belong to the species of small-busted gals. I needed something more cheating "shaping", so after trying to alter the pattern I threw my muslin away and then decided to give a try to the beach bustier from Mrs. Depew. Anna has lots of very special patterns available as downloads. However, in the end I made so many alterations, that not much was left of the original pattern. And it still didn't fit. Despite having fed both my kids, I'm still rather small-busted not particularly full-busted. So another muslin flew to to bin. I will do that again later. It makes no sense to lose so much time when you are in a hurry to finish a project.

As I really wanted some interchangeable pieces for this set as possible, I also made a cotton knit top to wear with the skirt. On a holiday in Italy, in certain places it is necessary to be dressed in a decent way. (And I completely agree, it's just not appropriate to enter a public location in town when you're wearing a beach outfit.) Easy to make (I have an almost antique serger machine I use for my kids' stuff micro-business), comfy to wear, and looking always neat. I do have some of those peasant blouses I bought off the shelf, but most of them have huge midriffs, or they become larger with each washing, so I decided to make my own better fitting design. I simply made a traditional peasant blouse to add some fullness to the bust (remember - small-busted gal) and made a more or less tubular lower part below the bust. That's it. This is some kind of prototype, so with some minor adjustments I will get a really decent and not so usual looking peasant top. And yes, I usually do NOT mix patterned materials, but ginghams are synonymous for summer, and gingham is probably the only pattern that goes well with many flower patterns.

So this is how my set looks like on Kunigunde. Unfortunately, she isn't able to wear pants, and I am far to embarrassed to expose my entire legs or my chubby belly on my blog. I leave this to younger and slimmer girls... :-) And as it's raining since days, I was not able to pose outside or make decent indoor pictures. And, worst of all, my mom broke her hip and we spent a lot of time in the hospital, and as I still have some holiday wardrobe projects on my table, I really have to postpone that. You will have to wait until we are on holiday. I promise to post about the fort day out of my playsuit set.

I admit, I am not a person who love to lie on the beach (I dislike being exposed to the sun, however, it can't be avoided when you doing as much garden work as I do), but it's certainly a "must have" for any vintage wearer, and as it's so versatile, it doesn't have to be worn on the beach necessarily. Wear it for the cocktails on early evening, or for a nice summer day on your holidays when you're in town!

Share In Style "Gold" - Turquoise & Gold Assam Tea Dress

Golden sunshine in the morning - perfect for my dress with golden accents

In my previous post I wrote about the "Share In Style" project I was invited to by dear Rosy. I wanted something Asian or Oriental inspired. The lanterns and flowers on my fabric looked somehow like that, and the name of the fabric (printed on the selvage) said something like "Geisha". In my previous post you can see the golden accents on the fabric much better.

My pattern, Simplicity 4087 from 1952, was till in factory folds that came in a rather large size 20, but I though it would be easier to downgrade it slightly than to enlarge it. (Wrong - I'm not good at adjusting patterns, neither this or the other way.) The oblique wrap front and the collar remind slightly of Asian dresses with frog closures and mandarin collars, but I didn't want the dress to look too much like a Chinese cheongsam. Now it's a rather "Oriental" dress in tea dress length.

I should NOT cut my fabrics in the late evening after a hard work's day... I made a small mistake, but I guess most people will not notice. :-) In the end, I even like it better this way.

I made the facings of bodice and skirt and the side pockets in a contrasting colour, and that the facings would just show a tiny bit. I love this tiny detail.

But I didn't have any matching buttons. I have a lot of buttons, but they had either the wrong colour or the wrong size. I decided not to lose too much time searching around and make some fabric covered buttons instead. You can't go wrong with them. 100% matching. Doing this, I thought I could make a fabric covered belt buckle as well, as I knew I didn't have a matching one. To be honest, I didn't wear belts very often when I was younger, but they are an absolute must when it comes to vintage dresses! And this one is even reversible! While I was looking through my buttons I found a pack of turquoise seam binding from the 1950s - and in the perfect colour.

The shoes are authentic ballerinas (if there is such a thing like "authentic" ballerinas...), made by Porselli in Milan. They also make the ballet shoes for the dancers at the famous La Scala opera house which is right next to their shop. (And they also have tutus for little girls and all that stuff that makes you want to dance...) However, today I wished I had bought a golden pair as well...

I chose a golden tan vintage hat and goldtone vintage earrings made from brass. They also have a small amber rhinestone that looks lovely with the hat and the golden accents on the fabric. In the end I forgot to take my purse with me for the pictures... But I had a lot of golden morning sunshine!

Yes, side seam pockets! I had to overcome my phobia...

Just as a footnote: the flags on the pole are from Switzerland (I'm Swiss) and Italy (my husband is Italian). Mostly it's the Swiss flag only. My husband is insisting on doing that, even though he lives here as a foreigner. The night before, there were two games for the world championship in football (soccer), and both Italy and Switzerland played. (Haha, and both lost...)

I should have "photoshopped" the wrinkles... ;-)

I got my dress finished very late somewhere between Friday and Saturday. Well, it WAS Saturday already, but it was worth working late. I definitely will make and wear more dresses again.

I love the traditional afternoon tea as it's custom in many countries, especially in GB. And I love tea! So, now I'm just waiting for an invitation to an afternoon tea. :-)



And here are the pictures of what the lovely and talented Rosy made for the "Share In Style". Isn't that dress wonderful? Just a golden ray of sunshine on a wonderful sunny day. I love the fabric that has a vintage vibe! She is very photogenic and is blessed with beautiful locations on her Spanish island to take those marvelous pictures. Isn't that gorgeous?

I love the buttons!

Rosy created this lovely collage of both of us in a similar pose with our dresses. Thanks! Of course she does much better, I guess she has far more experience than me - I usually get embarrassed when being photographed, and it will take some time to get used to pose in a decent way without making funny faces.

Pattern: Simplicity 4087 (size 20, adjusted)
Fabric: true vintage cotton print by Avon, "Geisha"
Belt buckle: upcycled vintage fabric covered buckle
Hat: vintage hat bought on Ebay
Earrings: true vintage screw-backs bought on Etsy
Shoes: Porselli, Milan

The dress is worn with a petticoat.

Photography by my husband

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Share in Style Announcement

Yesterday I was asked by my lovely friend Rosy from Sewingadicta if I would like to be her partner in "Share in Style". I had seen her wonderful contributions to those projects a few times, but had no idea what it was about really. Not before she asked me.

Just a few words about Rosy. Rosy is living on a beautiful Spanish island and she is an amazingly skilled sewer and very talented crafter. She even does hand-painting on fabrics that are made into dresses, and she makes her own hats - isn't that wonderful? (I have a vague suspect she's a master of the art, and I guess it's about time I ask her to find out. Her creations are amazing, and she makes the drafts for many of her dresses by her own! I like the fact that she proofs that women beyond 40 can look absolutely splendid. Wearing vintage inspired items is not only for twenty-something year old, but also for mature women.) So being her partner would certainly be not only a huge honour, but also lots of fun.

Now, I would have said "yes" in a heartbeat, if it had not been for the motto of the next "Share in Style" project: Gold.

I would have to lie if I said I disliked gold. Gold is my favorite materials - on jewelry. I think it has something to do with my Celtic ancestors that adored gold over any other material. (Yes, in Switzerland, we had Celtic tribes as well, the Helvetii in my region, only that they melted away to submerge with the Romans, but this is just the historian in me that goes wild once more...) I love the buttery look of pure gold.

Source

But gold on clothing? An absolute no-go. As you may know, I'm a curly red-haired, and it would simply look too exaggerated on me. I once bought in what I recall a fashion frenzy a golden lamé shirt for Christmas. Believe me: I never wore it. I had it in my wardrobe for about  two years, feeling guilty about the purchase, and then I gave it away to some charity shop.

Now, as dear Rosy came up with the question and I always love a good challenge, I had a look at my stash to get some idea if a participation for that obviously rather delicate motto would still be possible.

Guess what I found? Not only one, but two authentic vintage fabrics that had golden accents on them. (I have a few more, modern ones from Japan.)

The first one is an amazing barkcloth I bought on Etsy, and compared to other bark cloths it was almost ridiculously cheap very inexpensive. For a stay-at-home mom of two little ones - I have no proper income - it was a lucky find! It is 5 yards long, and it has the most adorable pink flower sprigs on a decent grey background and golden splatters all over the fabric. The fabric is from the 1950s, and even after such a long time and having been laundered after I got it, the print, including the olden accents, looks so gorgeous. And I'm absolutely in love with the "rough" structure of the material!

However, as it's a barkcloth - therefore rare - and also suitable for a less summery project, so I would like to save it for a different project.

The other fabric is an Asian inspired turquoise dress cut print, also from the 1950s. It seemed to be new, newer used nor laundered when it arrived. Still so beautiful after so many decades!

Dress cuts were pre-cut pieces of about 5 yards length that could be bought back in those times to make a dress. This makes sense, as most patterns of the 1950s require 5 yards of material.

The aqua blue background features white flowers and oriental lanterns in shades of purple and blue. The motives are highlighted with metallic gold.

It still had this paper tag pinned to the selvage...

I bought this fabric because of it's Oriental touch, not being sure what to make of it, and certainly not because of the golden accents that require the right pattern to avoid being too tawdry. I guess this will be a lovely material to create something nice. Otherwise it will be in my stash for another 60 years...

So I agreed to join this "Share in Style" with Rosy. I even think I have some lush gold jewelry to accomplish my outfit once it's finished.

Wish me luck I make in time. I still have to sew a pair of bermuda shorts for my husband's upcoming birthday!

If you're interested to participate, there are only very little "rules". Create your outfit from "off-the-rack" clothes or by making it yourself, have fun and share it with other that love to dress in a special way. Doesn't have to be vintage. :-) Just check Rosy's post about the guidelines.

Vintage Playsuit Sew Along - Fabric Inspiration

Stripes are always nice - perfect for that nautical look!

Large florals for a summery flair

Border prints! 

And Hawaiian prints for a perfect tropical look! 

Looking at photos, pattern envelopes and drawings in sewing magazines as in my previous post can provide you with loads of ideas about the materials and patterns that could be used on a playsuit set. Of course, as a vintage lover and historian, I have a small "collection" of true vintage fabrics, but I guess for a play dress that is made of several garments as a short suit, a skirt, a top just need some more yardage than an "average" vintage dress. And not knowing if I will love to wear that playsuit, I'm not really sure if it's worth using my treasures for it.

So I decided to look through my fabric stash. There are some fabrics that are out of print since years, like this gorgeous Japanese Hawaiian print in navy and white. Just for that extra bit of summer feeling on a playsuit... Just like one of those amazing Alfred Shaheen Hawaiian dresses from the 1950s I adore. And not just a dress, but a whole playsuit set!

I have a re-print of a Shaheen fabric, but I would like to use it one a proper Hawaiian dress and not for the playsuit set.

Or shall I make a rather tropical suit, but in decent colours? One that could be worn even in not-so-tropical Switzerland without being ridiculous?

These two-toned fabrics have a rather classical Hawaiian look, even though the green one is more in a damask style, but pine-apples are so typical for Hawaii, but then, this is too much Aloha for my project. 

Shall I go for this one? But it doesn't drape as nice as I would like for the skirt.

Or I could use this one. Making a full skirt and pair it with solid short pants and halter top in green or teal. Or even purple.

I guess it will be either this one or the following. They both have a summery look without looking too tropical and they offer many possibilities to be combined with solids. Besides that, they are both of the right quality, not too soft, not too stiff, not too thick or thin...

Did I ever mention I have troubles taking decisions?