My Summer Uniform
Let's all survive the heat together 🥵
Hi shoppers!
My least favorite season is upon us which means it is time, once again, for me to recommend summer clothes from someone who absolutely despises summer. Each summer, I try to build a capsule wardrobe of items that I can pair with relatively minimal thought, as my brain is pure molten goo at this time of year. Last year I was recovering from a helluva surgery and was sticking mostly to dresses that did not touch my body in any way shape or form, but this summer I’m enjoying lots of oversized button downs, forgiving but chic pants, and my new obsession: garden clogs. Here is a breakdown of my day to day!
A big fucking button down: I’m a button down girl year round but in the summer I wear one almost everyday. I wear them on their own, or layered over tanks as sort of summer weight “jackets” eg. if I’m on the beach at night. My favorite affordable option is this one from Aerie, it is a beautiful lightweight and I wear one almost everyday around the house and they wash really well. When I leave the house I almost invariably am wearing this Gardenheir button down which is the most magnificent weight cotton (it says it feels like hotel sheet and that is entirely true.) I also splurged on a Donni Pop Shirt which I wear if I want to be a little more dressed up; the collar shape and size is incredibly flattering. I also love the softness of this men’s button down from J.Press, and I do like to have a denim or chambray option in the rotation: this year’s is from Ralph Lauren.
Relaxed Fit Pants: I don’t really enjoy the feel of jeans even on the hottest of days, so you can imagine how averse I am in the summer. I have been basically living in the Donni Baby Rib Scallop Pant. It is soft without feeling sloppy and it doesn’t loosen up or stretch out over the course of the day. I also really love their Pop Pant and their Rib Kick Flare for dressier occasions.
Comfy (but supportive!) Shoes: We’ve already covered my devotion to Church’s Sandals – they last for years and they feel as good as they look. Beautifully made, easy to dress up or down. I have been deep down the garden clog rabbit hole as well because I like to wear a shoe with some support but it is simply too hot to wear a sneaker. I now own the Gardenheir clog in 3? 4? colors? I used to loooove Birkenstocks but something about how my feet have changed over the years makes the footbed not quite right for my instep. These babies by contrast? Perfect, can walk miles in them. For a more lightweight version, yes the Plasticana shoes that are oh so viral are indeed very comfy. I have the mule, the clog, and the jelly sandal and they’re a great price for the quality.
Tanks & Tees: On the rare day we get a breeze, I like to layer a tank or tee under a button down for a short of Chessy from the Parent Trap type look. Again (I know) I like the Donni tanks, and I’ve recently stolen some of the advice that I give to my male styling clients and invested in a Cotton Citizen plain white tee and it is incredibly soft and lightweight.
Dresses: I still love a good summer dress, though my preferences remain largely unchanged from last year. I still swear by this DOEN dress for scorching days, and I recently picked up this affordable Ciao Lucia Dupe from the Gap!
Accessories: Every summer I get the itch to start wearing ~whimsical~ jewelry despite being very much a gold hoops and diamond station necklace kind of girl. So I allow myself one (ok maybe 3, MAX) purchases to this effect. This year I treated myself to this beautiful hand beaded serpent necklace which I think will look very cool with a simple button down! Very random but I also got some new socks – we are an AC cranked HIGH family, so in the house I do like to wear socks with my clogs and I recently became a Bombas Lightweight devotee. I also, of course, have a LLBean Boat & Tote. I recently bought the small size with the zipper and the long handles which makes a great everyday bag.
Lightweight Outerwear: New England summer nights have the most delicious chill and so it’s nice to have a few items I can throw on over whatever I’m wearing. This year it’s this denim overshirt from Gardenheir and this Barbour.
Lightweight underwear and sleepwear: I’m full chested so just the thought of putting an underwire bra on in the heat makes me break out in a panic sweat. These stretchy bras from Le Mystere have been my go-to for a good year now, I also recently got this triangle style and this sportier style from SKIMS. For underwear, I don’t wear anything but the POPFLEX line – they are completely weightless and you barely feel them on. Finally, every summer I treat myself to a new Eileen West nightgown, because duh.
Material Girl Reads:
Because I despise the heat so much, summer is peak reading season for me because I am always either sitting in the air conditioning and reading or sitting in the shade and reading. The last book I read was Rytual by Chloe Elisabeth Wilson and I LOVED it. It’s published in Australia but Americans can purchase here. My Death by Lisa Tuttle was a fucking weird ride and I truly enjoyed it. The Dinner Party by Viola Viola van de Sandt felt like it was suffocating me the whole time and I mean that as a compliment. And Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis lived up to all the hype and then some. My summer TBR includes The Lamb by Lucy Rose (finally), my ARC of Where Are You Really From by Elaine Hsieh Chou, I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness by Irene Solà, Pan by Michael Clune, The Nude by Michelle Lindley, Stinkbug by Sinead Stubbins, O’ Sinners by Nicole Cuffy, Ravishing by Eshani Surya, and oh my god SO many more!!!!