Summer wardrobe musings - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Dressing

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Summer wardrobe musings

Helena

Veteran

Hi everyone! Almost back to school time, and starting to think about fall wardrobes, despite the continuing hot weather! Just musing about my summer wardrobe and a few things I've learned (or re-learned, as is so often the case!), and thought I'd document and share!

Despite investing in several cute pairs of shorts and dresses in various prints and colors, and a few bright and colorful tops, my most worn pieces were rolled up jean shorts, white shorts, and simple tees and tanks in gray, white, blush and navy. The color bug always bites me in the spring, but I'm back to my usual neutral palette by mid-July!
My dresses sat virtually unworn - not sure why - think it was just because it was a very active summer for us.
I wore really nothing on my feet but Birkenstocks all summer long; therefore, it truly is worth the money to keep them new and fresh-looking.
On the other hand, my beautiful lilac Converse sat virtually unworn - perhaps in the fall? I think I would have worn a white pair a lot more. Darn those pesky neutrals again!! They are always saying "I told you so" to me
I used my LePliage tote all summer - so practical, that it might be worth getting a navy one for next summer (mine's black)
My hair was an unstyled disaster all summer - can't deal with blowdryers when it's hot. I need to invest some time in learning one or two decent polished ponytail techniques for sticky summer weather.
Despite swearing off more gray purchases in the spring, I really enjoyed wearing gray with white this summer, even more than navy and white, truth be told - there is something easy about it and it's great for toning down the look of my ruddy cheeks in hot weather. So, contrary to what my instincts would tell me, I think gray is a good summer neutral for me, where navy is better for the other seasons.
My biggest take-away is to keep it incredibly simple in summer - this is definitely the time to indulge my minimalist tendencies, since it's all about ease and practicality in July and August.

C'est tout! Looking forward to assessing the fall situation once the kids are back in school and I can find a free day to myself!

What did anyone else learn about their summer style?

Dressing

36 replies

Latest reply was from Windchime

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

"My biggest take-away is to keep it incredibly simple in summer - this is definitely the time to indulge my minimalist tendencies, since it's all about ease and practicality in July and August."

This! I feel like I forget this every spring, and then end up wearing the same things on repeat every July and August. Easy neutrals with zero fussiness and that don't require too much thought.

SylvanElegance

I learned that I never feel fab in shorts. Always opted for rolled up jeans or dresses. Next summer, I plan to invest in a couple more cotton midi/maxi skirts for when it’s too hot for jeans.

Paradoxically, I’ll also expand the number of shorts in my workout capsule, because that’s the only context in which shorts are comfortable for me in the summer. Very useful for morning walks, and on particularly sticky Midwest days, I do feel better in gear. Does anyone else find this to be true? I think it’s because I expect to feel sweaty in gear, so it’s less objectionable.

Helena

Veteran

Jenn, high five!

Sylvan, hadn't thought of it, but I think you are right - also, the fabric are often designed specifically for wicking sweat and keeping ickiness to a minimum.

Helena

Veteran

Jenn, shall we remind each other about April next year when all the pretty spring/summer things come out???? Because I re-learn this one every blessed year ...

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Good insights!

My takeaway this summer was dresses for the win. I hardly wore shorts at all and did not miss them! Dresses and my skirts were excellent in the heat.

JAileen

Veteran

What interesting insights, especially about color. I really don’t see what’s wrong with grey and white. It sounds nice, actually.

We had a long hot summer. It was horrible, really. I wore shorts and sleeveless tops almost every day. I found out I didn’t have too many. I wore dresses when I wanted to look nicer.

rachylou

Veteran

This has been a wretchedly tepid summer. Not cold, but not hot. The vegetable garden is limping. Haven’t fetched the evaporative cooling fan from the shed. No need for any of my summer dresses. A person cannot make any wardrobe decisions this way!

Helena

Veteran

JAileen, quite right - gray is a fab color; on me, it CAN look a little dull relative to other colors, which is why I commented that I was moving away from it ... But the white crisps it up very nicely for my combo of coloring and taste!

Anonymous

I learned i really need mid tone warm neutrals! I intentionally bought a small capsule of light to me colors, tan and dark blush, but i dont like wearing high contrast looks, as my own coloring is medium dark. I have cognac footwear but no mid tone brown in clothes, which would work well with my lights and my darks. Lesson learned!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

What Suz said.

I have never felt more fabulous than I did this Summer in my midi dresses and skirts. I don't wear shorts at all. I also threw in some white wild card sandals that were absolute winners. My Summer has been hot - 30 to 38 degrees. Very humid and very dry. Italy, Seattle heatwave, and a third of the month in our loft in Salt Lake City. I do NOT feel cheated of a Summer at all this year. I LOVE SUMMER

Helena, lovely to see you again. Glad you had the right items for your needs despite the orphaned dresses, colourful tops, and Chucks. Stick to your neutrals. I'm keeping my eye on you! You like the idea of colour - but you don't want to wear it. Excellent insight.

I wonder whether you will have this type of active and casual Summer next year though? Your children are still quite small, if I remember correctly. Things will change, and they grow up fast!

I am very active, and I hate wearing gear. (I use the word hate very sparingly, so there you go. I feel very strongly about it). I feel my absolute worst wearing gear (and I have cute gear). I only wear gear for hot yoga class because you can't wear anything else and get a good practice. For the rest I wear what I wear with practical shoes that go the distance.

Vildy

Veteran

I haven't worn my dresses, either! And I wasn't wearing summer skirts.

Seems I was opting for chino type pants with cuffs rolled a time or two.

I've been liking lighter blue denim, which I never liked before, and wearing it mostly with rust or mustard. I've been consciously trying to wear more color lately. Today I wore a pair of bright navy slacks, citron top and cherry red crinkled very thin cardigan. Usually blase employees at the supermarket were actually smiling and greeting me (they don't know me).

Though I'm fascinated with your idea of white and grey for summer. I own very little white - maybe one crisp shirt - and no summer weight grey.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

If you are still having hot weather why don’t you check out a ponytail lesson on YouTube. Now or once school starts.

I fell in love with maxi skirts this summer.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Alot of what you said echos with me.Hair,when it's too hot to hairdryer I tie it back or use a salt spray and like you I spend most of my days in chuck it on casuals due to activities that I m doing that usually means crops and a tee.l think that your analysis of your own summer wardrobe and what you might learn from it in terms of future purchases will be very useful to you.

Style Fan

Veteran

I kept it simple this summer. I could repeat what you and Jenn said. I wore a few simple outfits over and over. I realized that I do not get bored with outfits if I buy things I love. This is what I wore most of the summer:

1/ Mid-thigh shorts (natural colour) with a chambray button up shirt
2/ Cream T-Shirt and green utility pants (plain green or camo)

My footwear was flip flops, Birks or Finn Comfort Sandals. I have 5 cream T-shirts, 2 green utility cropped pants (both Sanctuary) and 2 natural coloured shorts. Seems to work for me.

The Cat

Veteran

Fun and interesting reading.

A few tings I have learned:
● My tank tops (earlier reserved for wearing as underwear or casualwear) can actually be worn at work--styled with toppers like open button front shirts, summer cardigans, or summer blazers.
● Nice Birkenstocks (earlier reserved for homewear and very casual occasions) can actually be worn at work and at several other places and occasions. I have two pairs, silver plus rose beige patent, and have worn them a lot.
● Icy pink and other icy pastels look and feel wonderful in summer temperatures and with a light tan.

I, too, like to wear grey in summer. Among my summer favorites are a light grey tea-length cotton jersey skirt, a silver grey midi wraparound skirt, grey jeans, a light grey cardigan, a grey & white striped tank top, and a light grey short linen blazer. They all look and feel "cool and calm" and are very easy to mix with items in white and practically any other colour.

I have enjoyed being able to wear my long (tea-length) summer dresses and all my white items plenty of times this summer.

Helena

Veteran

Thanks everyone for chiming in; love your insights! Stylefan, a chambray shirt is on my list; I missed having one to pair with white bottoms this summer, as my last one was worn out and I didn't replace it.

Angie, YES. I love the idea of color. I love the occasional pop of color. But irl, on most days of the year, I love and feel most comfortable and confident in my neutral and nearly-neutral (blush, burgundy, etc.) palette. I am going to pop my colorful pieces into my holding zone, so they are there to be 'shopped' when the color bug bites - rather than purging them out and going through the cycle again.

My dresses are not going anywhere either - I like them and added a super-comfy and pretty soft rose colored one from Aritzia this summer and I love it. Even a warm fall might see them worn more. It was just my observation that they didn't get worn much during this very hot and very active summer! So I don't anticipate adding more at the start of next season necessarily.

As to gear, definitely, I'm not moving towards wearing more gear - really just wanted a few spruced up pieces for those days when gear fits the bill best but I want to look more polished! xx

Like the Season

Thanks for sharing your lessons! Here's what I learned/remembered:

1. I comfortably wear sandals, rolled-up jeans (even when it's hot) and lightweight woven shirts, mostly popover style, all summer. I only need shorts for hiking or walking the dog.

2. A neutral palette works best for me year-round.

3. My tops become rather boring because there are fewer ways to change them up in hot weather. This happens despite having quite a few. For me, scarves make all the difference and I miss them in the summer.

4. I wore my two pairs of sandals (brown leather SAS, from last year, and black leather SAS, new this year) a ton and didn't feel the need for more variety. The brown pair may need to be replaced next summer, though.

Helena

Veteran

The Cat, high five on the Birks ... I was thinking rose gold for next year, if it's still stylish, although I might just use some of Angie's tricks from the blog today to spruce up my white ones for another summer of wear!

Runcarla

Veteran

I've started checking the seat of my 2 pair shorts for wear - but so far so good! They were my most worn items along with 2 pair white cropped jeans. I'm with you on loving grey and white together.

Greyscale

Veteran

It's been a very chilly summer here (normal for San Francisco I suppose) and I've hardly worn my sandals and cropped jeans. September and October are usually warmer so I'm really hoping I get a chance to wear this stuff!

Your point about Birks reminds me that I bought designer-y Birkenstock alternatives (Y's by Yohji Yamamoto, found at the Rack) and they are nowhere near as comfortable. I should have known. The real deal is worth it.

Anonymous

Nice musings!
Birkenstocks to you are like my black flip flops to me (And actually silver worked really well for me this summer.)
An essential and worth keeping nice and new.

I like your ideas about grey and white—I too like this combo. I wonder if it’s because you like columns of colour?

Definitely get yourself a navy lepliage.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I will try to remember come April! No guarantees!

The Cat

Veteran

... Oh, and my big loose white button front shirts got a lot of wear and proved to be really versatile. I used them as toppers over sleeveless tops and dresses. Very comfortable, and casually elegant. Want a couple more for next summer. Will consider other colours too, but white goes with everything and always looks crisp and summery.

MsMaven

Veteran

I can relate--spring shopping brings many temptations. I also got carried away with summer dresses. Apart from vacation I've worn them less than I expected, but even though it's been cooler the last couple of weeks, summer isn't over yet. Last year in early Sept it got to 110° where I live.

LaPed

Veteran

Very interesting musings! I'm generally dissatisfied with shorts when I go out and buy them. I have two types of shorts in my closet now: cut-off jeans (for garden, chores, ultra-casual) and gear shorts (for running, hiking, canoeing). Otherwise, I'm much happier with dresses or skirts, or rolled-up linen pants. Have not worn jeans since school let out, but I do bring my chinos out (slightly looser and lighter weight) when it's a bit chilly.

I think the trick with dresses is to have enough really casual ones so that you don't feel overdressed. Jersey tee and tank dresses are great because they pack really easily and are basically just t-shirts, so very comfy.

Oddly, my workhorse shoes this summer have been pretty colorful: mint green Adidas and blush suede oxfords. The black and navy sandals I bought last year have seen fewer outings, but it could just be that the styles weren't as practical this year -- fewer parties, more camping. I'm pretty sure Chacos are my version of your Birks: if I had to live with one pair of shoes that would it. Comfy, styrdy enough to hike in, last forever, and can handle rain and damp grass (we have dew on our lawn til lunchtime most days).

We'll probably have several more weeks of hot days, but there have been enough cool days that it's pushed me to pull out a little capsule if things I haven't worn much (or at all) this summer and squeeze some wears in. It tends to be the items I'm a bit precious with: silk items that need handwashing, a linen dress that really benefits from ironing or steaming, etc. The last thing I want in the summer is to be stuck inside doing laundry!

Roberta

Veteran

1. I hadn't worn shorts for several years (unless I was painting, gardening, or otherwise getting hot and dirty), but this year I found a cut of shorts that really worked for me. A much shorter inseam, but a wide, almost flappy leg, and no cuffs. The proportional length is just right, and the open leg makes my thighs feel slimmer. I walk to work these days, so maybe they are.
2. I gave up on any sandals with a heel or platform. I'm just too klutzy, and I don't like carrying shoes just to wear at the office.
3. I also gave up on masculine cut t-shirts. I think I was hiding a bit in those (big chested), and I found a feminine cut tee with cap sleeves and a more fitted waist is a much better look. I'm not buying more, though - I think a few colorful Title Nine tees are plenty.
4. I might be over my knee-length full cotton skirts, too. I caught an unexpected glimpse in a mirror, and the proportion looked quite boxy. And yikes, I have a LOT of those.

Since this seemed like a lot of change in my taste for one season, I'm not going to buy any fall or winter clothes this year. I'm going to shop my closet and make sure I still like everything that I ASSUME I like, if you get my drift.

Maybe I'll just buy sparkly things.

Kate Spade New York kate spade new york double drop asymmetrical stud earrings | Nordstrom

View Info

Top Pick

4

cindysmith

Veteran

My summer style went off in a drastically new direction. Color. Lots of it. Soft pinks, pastel blue, ice cream colors.... I chose a lot of minimalist shapes with no fussy details,which was another change for me. I have long tended to chose things with unusual details and/or asymmetry.

I'm thinking ahead to fall & winter, when I usually gravitate towards shredded sweaters and boots. I'm thinking these new softer colors could make for some interesting hard & soft looks, and this is Texas so it is often mild enough to mix in some of my warmer weather pieces.

SarahD8

Veteran

Great thread. I've been thinking summer wrap-up thoughts too. Though, my conclusions are very different from yours I think torontogirl!

My workhorses this summer were sundresses, 3/4 sleeve cropped cardis, flat Euro sandals, and canvas skimmers/plimsolls.

I didn't wear my wedge or clog sandals much this year. I still like them, but if I add summer footwear next year I'll focus on flat, walkable sandals.

I wore summer scarves a TON last year but hardly at all this year. I think this is partly due to the hot summer and partly due to the fact that I get on jags/into ruts with my clothing: either I wear something (could be an item, could be a type of item/look) a ton, or it never gets into the rotation at all.

I had thought 3/4 sleeve cardis were kind of silly (if I'm chilly why not just put on a long-sleeve cardi?) but again, a warmer than normal summer made them useful. Since the next 5 summers are supposed to be abnormally warm too, I won't hold back from growing this collection modestly.

LOVE wearing lots of color in the summer and am going to let go of worrying about defining a narrow palette.

That said, I could really use a handful of solid, neutral or near-neutral tops wahhhhh whyyyyy are tops so harrrrrrddd?

Color pairing equivalent of slant rhyme: icy lavender cardi with my blue/red paisley sundress, and also with my black/white/cobalt floral print t-shirt.

I like repeating the same outfit from one year to the next (blue/red paisley sundress with tomato red cardi and red clog sandals, have worn this at least 3 years in a row and putting it on felt like an old friend). BUT I prefer more variety within a season -- if I wear the same item too frequently I get bored with it and it starts to feel shabby to me. MORE SUNDRESSES.

I am very much a numbers/analysis person, and I think this often makes me feel like I "should" try to reduce my wardrobe. But the above means that I will be happiest maintaining a somewhat larger wardrobe but keeping items for longer. I really need to accept this and stop feeling like there is some version of a minimalist wardrobe that will be ideal for me.

ChrisM

Veteran

It’s interesting to read the musings of a summer that is winding down. I’m not a fan of the heat and midwestern humidity. I don’t like to bare much skin - forearms, lower legs, neck (but no décolletage) so I struggle in high summer.

This summer I decided that I was so over knit cotton tees. Lightweight woven cotton boxy button fronts, especially with a collar, are more flattering to my thickening middle-aged middle. I gave up shorts for skorts last summer. Easy choice!

I also decided that, to heck with it, I’m wearing open toe sandals to work. My go-to work wardrobe is heavier in navy + neutral pieces - no black this year at all! A couple of dresses have been a God-send in the heat and humidity, and I feel like my road-test of knee length dresses has been successful.

So, a few changes here. Thanks for starting the thread!

12