Closed Toe Shoes in the Summer

I am self-conscious about my toes, so in summer I prefer to wear closed-toed shoes as opposed to sandals. For everyday wear at work (a business casual environment), I prefer flats or shoes with low heels. They have to be comfortable or I won’t wear them, but I am also a fashion-conscious person and like them to be stylish. I’ve had ones I like by Born, Franco Sarto, Kenneth Cole Reaction, and Aerosoles. For casual wear, I wear tennis shoes, canvas sneakers, or slip-ons like Clarks. When I go outside briefly to water the lawn, I have a pair of Crocs that I wear.

Big Turquoise Straw Hat

First off, I do not like hats. They make my head hot and when my head gets hot I get nauseated. BUT–I also do not like sunburn, and several of the medicines I have to take make my photosensitive. This means that in some situations, such as working in the garden and walking to the library, post office, or grocery store, I must wear a hat. My favorite hat is one my older daughter gave me, before my younger daughter and I left for a trip to San Antonio, where I was researching the background for a novel I was writing. It is a big straw hat with a brim to protect my face and my neck from the sun, and it is turquoise, with occasional narrow circular stripes of black, blue, and yellow from crown to brim. When I’m planning to wear it I carefully select clothing that matches one of the stripes. Wearing that hat and coordinating clothing, with sunglasses on and closed-toe shoes so my feet don’t get sunburned, I feel very good about myself.