I've been taking full stock of my summer items as I turn over my closet for the season (switching summer dresses for long toppers in one section of my closet and sweaters for tees in another).

As I've said here many times before, hot summer is my least favorite dressing season because I like structured layers. But it comes every year so I might as well embrace it! In fact, it was to get some guidance on summer dressing that I first posted on the forum two years ago.

I've cycled out almost everything I had purchased for summer before YLF because of fit and quality (not true of my fall/winter clothes, where I think I was in better shape when I started here), but there are still a few gaps, and I'm still learning about what I like, what suits me, and what I'll wear. As a reminder, my style moniker is "softly utilitarian" and I play for team neutral.

Successes include:
- Frame Colette-style jeans: This cropped bell style is just airy enough for all but the hottest days, and looks interesting with sandals and half-tucked simple tops
- ME + ME cotton tanks: I adore the shape of these and they have held up beautifully; I always like a center seams on tees for the interest and fit
- White Birkies: I'm on pair two of these, and they can't be beat in my book for style and comfort
- Faherty Willa top: this is a new spring addition and it has been getting a huge amount of wear; dressy enough for WFH calls, nicely covered for really sunny days, easy to wear with long pants or shorts: it's been a real winner for me
- Old Navy chambray pop-over dresses (fit is slightly shorter on me than on the model): I ended up getting two of these since, in the high summer, one was creating a laundry bottleneck - I wear them so often! Not too bare and not too covered and a real one-and-done

I still have a bit of a wish-list with which I'd like to supplement and strengthen the foundation that I have:
- More not-too-sweet easy dresses that offer some shoulder coverage
- Easy tees ala my Me + Em tanks, but with some shoulder coverage
- Denim jacket to replace one that is too small in the shoulder
- Cropped hiking pants for the trails

Reviewing all my clothes in Finds and in the closet make me realize that none of this is urgent, except perhaps the denim jacket, which will likely be the easiest thing to replace. (I have the one below as well as the two tees on order from ON.) I'll need to remember to take my time to wait for cut and quality -- not something I'm naturally inclined to do for summer clothes, but I'm always learning!

Thanks for reading. Would love to hear about your summer strategies, workhorses, and plans in the comments.