What to wear on those cool summer evenings, the Finnish edition

striped maxi dress

What to wear on those cooler summer evenings?

I don’t like wearing jeans in summer. Maybe it’s because I wear jeans so often in winter that by summer I can’t stand seeing them anymore, let alone wearing them. At least not when I’m going to a nice restaurant (even though the dress code in summer restaurants is casual or smart casual). So, for summer I need something to wear instead of jeans. Something you can wear anywhere, anytime, and dress up or down. 

And here it is: I just love this jersey maxi skirt. It’s my new no-jeans jeans-substitute. Or something to that effect. I wear it on a hot day, and I wear it when the temperature drops. Did I already say how much I love it? And not just because of the stripes… the A-line shape is perfect, too: it allows me to move without restrictions but without too much fabric to drive me crazy.

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A wool poncho is one of my summer staples for cooler evenings as it can be worn over any outfit. I have this poncho in white (you’ve seen it before with a pink top, red (worn here with stripes, and a lace skirt, and stripes again) and blue (worn here with a plaid shirt and with a Breton top).

And where did I wear this outfit? This is what we call a summer restaurant. It is located on a samll island, accessible by boat (the restaurant has a shuttle service, the crossing took about two minutes…) and open all summer. There are plenty of restaurants such as this one on islands around Helsinki. This particular restaurant is owned by a yacht club, so there’s also a marina on the island. By the way, the neighbouring island also has a restaurant…

summer restaurant

maxi skirt

leopard print sunglasses

Outfit details:

max skirt: Lexington / silk-cotton sweater: Jigsaw / sunglasses: Dolce and Gabbana / shoes: Clarks  / 
necklace / Kenneth Jay Lane / white poncho: Marja Kurki / bag: Adolfo Dominguez
location: restaurant NJK, Helsinki

Do you wear jeans in summer? 

Tiina

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21 Comments

  1. Connie
    9 June 2016 / 1:28 am

    I agree. As much as I love jeans, they are much too hot for summer. You knit skirt is the perfect solution. You look cool and relaxed and chic. And the poncho is another cool touch. That restaurant! Soooo pretty.

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:11 am

      Thanks, Connie. I really, really like this skirt. I've worn it a lot, everywhere from work to holiday to dinner.

  2. nancy baten
    9 June 2016 / 9:35 am

    That shade of blue looks very good on you! I love the poncho, why do I only use it in the winter? And the lenght of that maxi skirt is just right for me, I always hate it when they are to long and you fall over it!www.nancysfashionstyle.com

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:15 am

      I wish I could wear a poncho in winter, but that would require a very different type of winter, with a lot milder climate…The wool poncho is one of my staples in summer. Both in Finland and in the UK the weather can be really unreliable: hot one day and freezing the next. It's almost as if you need two summer wardrobes: one for hot days and the other for rain and storm and cold days. But this skirt can do both, isn't that great? And I totally agree with you on the length (especially since I'm quite short…)

  3. Suzanne Carillo
    9 June 2016 / 12:34 pm

    I love this skirt. I'm with you on the whole maxi skirt being super comfy for summer. I'm amazed those restaurants are able to make enough money when they only operate during the summer months. bisousSuzanne

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:27 am

      A summer restaurant is often part of a chain of restaurants, or a bigger company that runs several different restaurants and hotels, so the staff might work somewhere else during winter. But still, there are lots of islands here, and lots of these restaurants. And usually there's also a marina (and a guest marina) next to the restaurant, so there are a lot of people stopping by on their boats, and then there are the tourists, too, of course. But believe or not, some of these restaurants are always full and it might be difficult to get a reservation.

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:27 am

      Thanks, Ada!

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:28 am

      Thanks, Isobel!

  4. Nicole Mölders
    10 June 2016 / 5:20 am

    Thanks for linking up to Top of the World Style

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:28 am

      Thanks, Nicole!

  5. Alice Warren
    10 June 2016 / 5:30 am

    What a great location and love your maxi!Thank you for joining TBT Fashion link up and hope to see you next week. Have a great weekend!Alicewww.happinessatmidlife.com

    • Tiina L
      10 June 2016 / 10:28 am

      Thanks you, Alice.

  6. No Fear of Fashion
    11 June 2016 / 8:59 am

    Don't know whether it would look as good on me as it does on you. But if it did I would buy it as well.Greetje

    • Tiina L
      11 June 2016 / 9:26 am

      I just bought another one of these skirts… The exact same skirt, same colour. I want to have one in Finland and and the other in the U.K. so that I don't have to carry it back and forth. I sometimes do that with clothes I wear a lot, I get two of them, one for each home, to have a good collection of trusty basics that can be mixed and matched. Does it work? Well, the challenge is to make them stay in the assigned home/country…

    • No Fear of Fashion
      27 June 2016 / 2:27 pm

      Very clever. I love it because you have an hourglass figure. I would look like a stick in this. Never mind. We all have different things to emphasize.

  7. Shelbee On The Edge
    11 June 2016 / 11:54 am

    I agree! I hate jeans in summer. They make me feel claustrophobic unless it is a cooler day and they are a super lightweight denim in a super loose and baggy fit. I go for maxi skirts and shirt dresses instead! You look lovely in this striped maxi skirt and that beautiful poncho! And that restaurant and its view are fabulous!Shelbeewww.shelbeeontheedge.com

    • Tiina L
      12 June 2016 / 8:34 am

      Claustrophobic, that's a good way to descibe it! It has to get really cold before I put on my jeans in summer. Although, in Finland that can happen, too, given how unpredictable the weather has been. And I do remember a few very cold and windy days in the U.K., too… So, better never say never..

  8. Natalia Lialina
    11 June 2016 / 10:15 pm

    Great skirt! And lovely architecture. I'd love to visit Helsinki some day!I also have a couple of jersey skirts that are very comfortable, and no – no jeans for me either… better linen pants. 🙂

    • Tiina L
      12 June 2016 / 8:41 am

      Thanks, Natalia. Helsinki has quite a lot of Jugend / Art Nouveau (or National Romanticism, as it's often called here) architecture. Art Nouveau in Northern Europe looks very different from the style of that period in Southern or Central Europe, with massive structures and darker colours. And then there are a lot of these old wooden villas, some of them now housing reastaurants or hotels.

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