History and High Heels: ad astra per aspera

As some of you may remember from your high school social studies classes, today is Kansas Day - the anniversary of the Kansas Territory joining the United States as a free state back in 1861. This was a very controversial move and regarded by many historians as a tipping point for the tensions between Northerners and Southerners prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. However, Kansas's entry into statehood as a free state is one of the several reasons why I love this state. (I also really love our inspiring state motto, "ad astra per aspera" - to the stars through difficulties.)

Kansas is now celebrating its 151 year of statehood and surprisingly the important and controversial issues have not changed. We still fight over the right of the states verses the federal government, the rights of men and women, as well as environmental law. Another problem that has not changed in the midwest is the terrible weather - ignoring this incredibly mild winter.

Our temperatures fluctuate so much that it can be a sunny 70 degrees one day and a snow-packed 9 degrees the next. I remember those mornings when I was in college that I would leave my dorm room with a winter coat and head back in the afternoons wearing a t-shirt while dragging my now obtrusively heavy coat behind me. I really think we might have it the worst here! As a native midwesterner, one of the things that you have got to learn is how to transition your wardrobe to accomodate for these fluctuating temperatures - meaning layering.

Below I have given several ideas on how to wear one item (a chambray shirt) throughout all four seasons. I find that a button-up shirt is the easiest piece in my wardrobe to incorporate all year long. It goes great with skirts, shorts, and pants, can be doubled-up as a jacket, and worn under sweaters. That's pretty dang versatile! Do you have any pieces that you can wear through out the year?