Summer in Chicago - No jacket required

So, after the usual six months of cold, cold winter, summer is here. No warning, no "shoulder" season of jackets and no fleeces; just Wham! Summer.

I have a decent collection of nice jackets and blazers that seem to hang in my closet from one year to the next, desperately hoping for a chance to be paired with flats and jeans, or heels and whatever. (I just exhausted my fashion know-how right there, in case you didn't notice.)  I bought myself a lightweight navy blazer last year, which barely saw the light of day. I was going for the "classic" look of jeans, white shirt and blazer but I can't remember actually being able to wear it. We went straight from wearing ski jackets to as few clothes as possible.

And it's happened again this year. Problem is, having been more or less inert for four months due to back injury and surgery, my summer stuff is a little "snug" at the moment. I have only just been allowed to start exercising and I seem to have forgotten how to diet, so the extra poundage is clinging to me. It's not that much in the scheme of things, but as I said, enough to make my shorts and capris look, well, too tight.And as we all know, a tasteful jacket hides a multitude of sins. Or would if it weren't 83F/28C and very, very humid. Unlike in dry heat, where an extra layer (ie. a shirt) can protect you from the sun, in humidity it just sticks to your skin. I remember when I first moved here and I did that in an attempt to avoid sun burn. My American husband was aghast, and sure enough, within ten minutes the shirt was drenched. 

Despite the extreme heat, I'm not and never was, someone who exposed a lot of skin. (OK, perhaps leg, but usually in tights.) Even when (looking back) I was young and gorgeous (as all young people are to old people), I didn't wear teeny clothes. And I certainly don't now, which makes living in the heat a challenge. 

Thank god for air-conditioning.