Staples of Every Southern Girl's Spring Wardrobe:

1. Searsucker

Every summer girl knows searsucker is an essential....What was originally the material of men's southern summer suits has become the sundress/summer pant essntial.  Searsucker must not be worn before Easter and after Labor Day, so gentleman and ladies who like to wear searsucker in your schools colors well into September and October, you are wrong.  Although the remainder of the country has picked up on the searsucker trend (thanks to J Crew), we southerners know we invented and perfected this spring wardrobe staple.

2. Freshly painted toenails

When I would come home from college, if I work flip flops WITHOUT freshly painted toes, my mother would make me correct that immediately.... "Do not go out in public in my hometown with your toenails chipped, young lady!  People will think I raised you that way."  And, although I would whine, most southerners, myself included, agree - why wear a perfectly matched outfit if you aren't polished (pun intended) everywhere? So ladies, for goodness sake, paint your toenails before rocking your latest summer fashions.


3. Lilly Pulitzer

Nothing says beach wedding, summer soiree, or SEC sorority Rush like a "Lilly"....  Every girl should own atleast one piece.  Although this brand can be quite pricy, the summer prints stay in style year after year, so its a dress you can wear for multiple years. 100% worth your money :)

4. Pearls

This is a year round basic - but essential with cute summer skirts and sweaters.  Pearl Earrings or a necklace, - whatever your jewelry piece of choice, you must have something pearl in your wardrobe.

5. Sandals

Most of the world is big on the flip flop, and I am not opposed -- for specific situations - casual Friday nights, trips to the pool, shopping, but few things irritate me more than seeing someone in an adorable outfit at church with flip flops on.  Evern southern girl knows the better alternative is the summer sandal.


6. Sundresses

Sundresses are my favorite piece of clothing - so versatile. Perfect for a night on the town AND church (with a cardigan - see below), great casual with flats or dressy with heals.  And southern girls know a secret -- when it gets uber hot in the Mississippi heat, nothing beats a breezy loose sundress!

7. White

Southern girls love WHITE clothing - worn at appropriate times of course (which is Easter to Labor day).  Few things look as nice as a white sundress or slacks on a sunkissed tan.  Who knows why white is so popular down south? Maybe its our early training to love all things involving weddings and deb balls. :)

8. The perfect pool hat

We lay out a lot in the hot south and the beach is our favorite place to go. We must protect our skin from wrinkles....but we must do so in style, nothing that you would see a cowboy or baseball player wear and certainly nothing with multiple flowers on it.

9. A nice tan.

My mother always said "Tan fat looks better than White fat."  Hopefully she wasn't calling me fat, but the point she was making is true -- every flaw we have (chunky thighs, pudgy arms, scrawny legs, etc.) looks better with a little healthy glow. Note that this is a slight tan or even in the modern world, a fake tan,  PLEASE, nothing that screams "Tanning Bed Membership" or "I want skin cancer" - a slight glow goes a long way.

10. The perfect cardigan

We love sundresses and it is a summer basic, but sometimes bare shoulders are not appropriate -- thats why its always important to have a cardigan on hand to make a cute sundress flexible for all occasions.

Let’s Use Our Charm Y’all

According to Ronda Rich in What Southern Women Know (That Every Women Should), the allure of the Southern woman is more than the drawl. “Southern women have the ability to survive in a man’s world while wrapped in a pouf of flower, femininity and gracious, thoughtful manners.” Charm, the art of making others feel good about themselves and about you, is the key to the Southern woman’s success.  


Well, you’re probably much more savvy at your charm than I am. It has taken me a long time to realize that people love to talk about themselves. Being a more introverted type myself, I try to start conversations and get people to talk about their lives. It allows them to feel good about themselves, i.e. using our charm. Remember to pay attention to details by repeating some of the comments later on in conversation. It is important, so that they know that you are sincerely listening and not tuning them out.  


Charm also comes across in conversations with men. Yes, I am going to call males men. When we call men guys, we allow them to act like teenagers. I don’t know about you, but I am not looking for a teenager for my spouse. I’m looking for a husband that will be able to care and provide for me. I am definitely needing much practice in this category. One of my friends and I were talking about attracting men. The evening before a party, we talked about making eye contact. Looking for a few seconds at them, then looking aware so as not to stare. It makes the man more intrigued by you. Well, this little trick worked for my friend. At the party, she used the little eye move, and it brought over a nice gentleman. After that, she used her charm to get him talking about things he liked. Needless to say, they are dating, so there must be some truth to this madness.  


I’m going to have to try it out this charm business. I have tried the eye move before unsuccessfully. I was trying to make eye contact with Mr. Dreamy, but I did not realize that Mr. Not So Dreamy was behind him. Ladies, the eyes work. With my luck though, I attracted Mr. Not So Dreamy who bought me a drink. Well, it wasn’t the right guy, but I decided that I needed some practice with my charm. I asked a few questions like what do you do? Every man loves to talk about what they do. Ladies, we have to stroke their egos. It makes them feel proud of our they’re doing. After all, they want to be able to provide for a family one day. Back to my story, using my “charm” helped me get more comfortable with the tricks of the trade. I will tell you later if my charm skills actually have some success. Just think about using your charm on those men, the next time that you’re out!

Preview

This is a blog created by southern belles for southern belles.  We are a group of ladies in our mid to late twenties sharing stories about living in the place some like to call the Deep South.   We will have more entries to come.  We hope that you enjoy...