That amazing holiday of picnics, grill-outs, road-trips, and of course fireworks is just a few days away. It is amazing how this holiday seems to fit so perfectly with summer. I have often wondered if our founding fathers made the choice of July 4th as our Independence Day because that was when they signed the Declaration of Independence or because they knew families couldn’t have their holiday cookouts in the dead of winter. My guess would be the former, but we should be ever grateful to them for both liberating us from the British and choosing a summer day as the time to celebrate our freedom. It also allows us to wear some of our more comfortable and fun outfits.

Investment opportunities
in small, mid & large cap stocks Franklin India Flexi Cap Fund
www.franklintempletonindia.com
This weekend is always a whirlwind of trips to the beach, to friends’ parties and family BBQs. As nice as these summer days are, they can also be hot--very hot. It is hard to look nice for a get together when sweat is pouring out of you like a waterfall. Luckily, clothes designers have gotten smarter about the types of outfits that are best for the summer time:

I was watching a show the other day that had on the British duo of “What Not to Wear” and one of their first declarations was that no one should ever wear shorts. I thought it was the most absurd thing I had ever heard. I realize they are from that cold island that we just happened to have had a break-up with about two hundred and twenty-nines ago. I mean it must get warm in Great Britain sometimes, right? There must be a time where a British person would feel the need to wear a pair of shorts sometime. Shorts are an essential part of any summertime wardrobe as are capris which are the next best things to shorts since some people want the summer look, but not wanting to show extra leg.

There are many great tops to choose from for summertime. If you want to get a nice tan on your shoulders, but you don’t want to wear a bikini then try a halter top. It ties around the neck leaving the shoulders and back free for some exposure to the sun. Or if you want to stay cool, but not expose so much skin, try a tank top that goes under a tunic. Most tunics are made of a thin material making it transparent, but it makes for a nice cover-up for your upper body.