i might finally enjoy dressing for the summer
outfits i've worn that aren't just a tee and shorts
My personal ranking of the seasons from best to worst goes fall → spring → winter → summer, and that ranking remains the same when it comes to dressing for each.
Summer has to be the hardest season to dress for due to the overwhelming heat, sweat, and subsequent discomfort. In years past, there would only be a few days throughout the summer where I felt satisfied with the clothes I put on my body, and they were rarely twice in a row. This year, I’ve truly felt happy with and inspired by my outfits and feel like I’ve finally broken free from the graphic tee and shorts combo (though I still reach for it every now and then). Here are a few of them🪄
a perfect plaid moment
Nothing feels better than when an outfit is equal parts simple and striking, a combination that is all the more appreciated during the summer. This look is just that. The top is from Peachy Den and is my big splurge-y purchase of the season. I’d had my eye on both it and the matching shorts for a good year so I jumped on ordering when they were finally restocked. Here I separated the set and perhaps made another one with one of my favorite year-round pieces. This colors of this tartan kilt I thrifted for $8 a couple years back matches so perfectly with the colors in the top that it almost looks like a dress. I am so obsessed with this look that I’ve already worn it twice despite how recognizable it is, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
I’m definitely getting my cost-per-wear out of this top, as it is deceivingly versatile. It obviously pairs well with the matching shorts but also with my go to floral skirt. One of the main keys to pattern mixing are the colors in each print and this multicolor plaid provide a lot to work with. I’m very excited to play around with it some more!
vintage tennis kit
I am admittedly quite obsessed with tennis and a lot of my recent days have been dictated by match times. If Sinner vs Alcaraz is on at 7:00 am then I will be awake and in front of a television at 7:00 am. Fiending for more content outside of current tournaments and youtube clips, I looked to films. Not Challengers, but The French. A peek behind the scenes of 1981 Roland Garros, The French serves as a time-capsule of old tennis greats and amazing style. The looks I pulled directly from are those of Chris Evert and Virginia Ruzici. In the film, they both wore kits by Italian sports brand, Ellesse.
I knew a little bit about Ellesse, mostly picked up from old PAQ videos I watched in highschool. (If you also watched their videos, who was your favorite? I was always between Shaq and Elias.) What I didn’t know was just how cool some of their old tennis uniforms were. These specific ones are made up of a striped jersey knit v-neck muscle tank and color coordinated skirt. After finishing the movie and not being able to get the look out of my head, I hopped on eBay and found this set and another polo top bundled together for $23. I paired it with my red leather mary janes from Camper to try and make it less uniform-y (if possible), and ended up really loving it.
white cotton garments
An obvious choice for warmer weather are lightweight, light-colored clothes made from natural materials. My material of choice is the oh so reliable cotton. This first outfit features a combo I’ve spoken about before on here, an oversized tee with a slip skirt. I wear this at least once a week, switching out the shirt and shoes to keep it fresh.
Here is another variation of a 100% cotton look I wore the other day. The dress is from Sandy Liang, I got it at her sample sale in January. This was my first time wearing it on a warmer day, I wore it a few times during the winter with my red turtleneck. The tee underneath is from Rock Roll Repeat, and has a great graphic of Poly Styrene on the front and her typography on the back. Because of the print on both sides of the tee, I knew I wanted to let it peek out from underneath the dress. Comfy and airy but still visually interesting!
white *polka dotted* cotton garments
One more!!! In the same vein of the two previous outfits, this one is also made of two breezy cotton pieces. The top is a $9 Depop purchase I bought with the intention of wearing on days that are too hot to wear anything. My favorite way I’ve worn it so far is with this polka dot and rose printed maxi skirt I thrifted in London last year. The two just went so well together that I couldn’t resist.
I am eager to see what outfits I can come up with as the temperatures continue to rise. Do expect more posts from me here again, things just got very busy for a while + I invested in a journal :p Like always, thank you for reading!
Can you dress me????
When I saw the image of you in that Peachy Den look you bet I took a screenshot and sent it to my friends. It’s a GREAT look.