Seattleites have a special brand of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Most Seattleities, myself included, have sun guilt. 

Sun guilt is the feeling of crushing regret after spending a sunny day indoors. Seattle will often have marathons of grey days, and then, one glorious sunny day. Everyone pulls out their hiking boots, and their kayaks, and their picnic baskets, as if, maybe, if we express our gratitude for the sun actively enough, it'll stick around for a bit longer. 

We've had a really lovely sprint of summer days, and I promised myself that I'd take advantage of summer while we had it. No sun guilt for me! 

So, I'm drinking.

Is there anything more stereotypically summer than sitting outside with a refreshing cocktail? Throughout the rest of August, I'll be Inspired By | Summer Cocktails. Not only will my outfit be inspired by the essence of each drink, but I'll drink it, too! Today we begin with frosé.

THE EVENT: Meeting friends for dinner and drinks

THE SUMMER COCKTAIL: Frosé

THE BROKEN RULE: Never wear anything too girlish.

THE OUTFIT: Ahh, frosé! The slushy version of everyone's favorite pink wine.

At first glance, frosé, with its bright pink, curvy exterior, might seem "girly". But, much like women, it's not down to be categorized as weak or gentle. Its icy interior isn't just for reclining poolside. Frosé is ready for an adventure. And don't try to keep up if you're not at its level. You'll end up flat on your back with a brain freeze.

For this outfit, like frosé, I wanted to reinterpret a stereotypically feminine shape. I started with this purple fit-and-flare dress. On its own, it feels fancy. But, when I added the brown belt, denim vest, and my fun-retired-man-in-Miami blue slides, I felt city-adventure ready. (This outfit is also high-low approved! Check out The Great Lie Told to Actors and Three Days of High-Low Outfits, here.)

THE EXPERIENCE: Truth be told, I initially wanted the base of this outfit to be pink. However, my collection of pink is limited and none of it is hot-weather friendly. This purple dress is cotton, and kept me mostly cool and comfortable. 

We met some friends for dinner and drinks at The Belmont, a wine bar and cocktail lounge in Capitol Hill. We shared cheese plates, they shared some charcuterie, and I chowed down on hummus, pita and pickled vegetables. I washed it all down with, of course, a glass of frosé, complete with a striped straw. 

No one looked at my drink, and then at me, and said, "Well, you just seem to be the essence of your alcoholic beverage!" but that's all right. I knew. :)

THE CONCLUSION: I'd categorize this foray into boozy dressing as a good warm-up. I wasn't blown away by this outfit. It fit the parameters of what I was going for but it didn't feel very current. I wasn't walking around feeling fancy and fabulous.

So, what boozey summer drink should I be Inspired By next? I have a few ideas, but I'd love to hear yours! What are your favorite summer drinks? Summer activities? Do you have sun guilt, too? Leave me a comment below, and let's chat about it!

Until next time!