Styling with Sydne #14

black in summer? always. 7 ways to wear a maxi dress

Black for summer? Yes please. It hides sweat, stains, and when it’s in lightweight cotton, it’s breezy but still chic enough for city life. Not that I live in the city anymore, but Life 1.0 Sydne majorly appreciated this part.

Tbh, Life 2.0 is in full fight or flight mode. It started in March and seriously escalated last week. So I’m giving myself major kudos for even getting this newsletter out today. I’ll share more when I’m ready. But when my nervous system gets like this, it’s best to focus on one thing at a time. When my son is awake, it’s him. While he’s asleep right now, it’s getting this newsletter out.

So let’s do this.

Today’s staple: the black maxi dress

Why I love this one from Cleobella ($268):

• I can wear a bra

• Cinched waist shows off my figure

• Sweetheart neckline is small chest friendly

• Smocked back is super comfy

• The flouncy skirt makes me want to twirl

• Pockets!

Yes, it’s on the pricier side. But it’s organic cotton, and I love how one of the brand’s major causes is supporting women from moms in America to young women in India.

p.s. I made it easy to shop each outfit in my Substack ShopMy. You can search by each Styling with Sydne session. Here’s today’s:

The beauty of a maxi that already has details like ruffles, a print, or both? You really don’t need much. Throw on some slides and you’re good to go. With sweetheart necklines, though, I feel naked without something on my neck. So I added a couple more gold necklaces to the Pisces one I haven’t taken off for months. (Over on Insta, I added a green one for a pop of color.)

I love getting more use out of my dresses by wearing them as skirts. This shirt is perfect for summer. It’s lightweight but thick enough to hide the ruffled shoulder underneath. Bonus? If you have narrow shoulders like me it gives a subtle shoulder-pad-like boost. I used a thick, stretchy belt to hold it all together and keep the look from overwhelming my frame.

A few simple accessories make the dress feel more daytime: a straw hat and straw belt. This is the fedora-visor hybrid I have in three colors (it’s 30% off for the brand’s birthday!). I ordered this belt and the black one above when I realized I didn’t have any summery black belts. I spent under $30 for both!

Our styling sessions go deeper after the paywall. Here’s what’s below this week:

• 4 more ways to wear this dress

• The easiest way to embrace the Western trend (+ little Sydne)