It’s funny that I’m here writing advice about summer dressing because I consider myself basically a vampire who lives in Los Angeles. Although I’m not queen of this sunny season, I have learned some great ways to stay cool and stylish during the heat! Summer dressing tips can be broken down into three categories: wearing the right styles, wearing the right fabrics, and wearing the right colors.
Style
Each year there are dozens upon dozens of fashion shows featuring spring and summer clothing, so you’d think there’d be lots of creative styles to choose from right? Well, when it’s well past 90 degrees, it’s hard to get creative with your outfits. My best advice is finding two or three styles that work for you. Maybe it’s a shift dress, comfy romper, and loose pants with a t-shirt. Once you have your three narrowed down you can rotate those throughout the summer. Sundresses seem to be staple summer-wear, along with mini skirts and denim cutoffs. While I experiment with all three, I am personally at my most comfortable in pants– jeans to be exact. My summer go-tos are baggy denim overalls, loose jeans with a t-shirt, and denim culottes. I’ll wear a belt with many of my beloved items so that there’s a defined figure underneath all the incredibly comfy baggy-ness. If I do decide to wear a dress or skirt I almost always have spandex shorts on as well. This way, if I sit down in public in a short skirt my bare behind is not hitting the seat. And, let’s be real, summer is a sweaty time and I would rather have a layer of protection from unsightly sweat marks. Just keeping it real folks!
Fabric
While we so often focus on what kind of item we’re wearing, it is also extremely important to take into account the materials your garments are made out of! During the summer it is especially beneficial to hone in on lighter fabrics. These include linen, hemp, cotton (especially organic!), and fabric blends. By shopping your closet—or someone else’s—with these fabrics in mind, you can be guaranteed a breezier outfit for all activities. The downside to most of these fabrics is that they show wrinkles easily. I know that deters many from purchasing or wearing them but I encourage you to embrace the natural qualities of these breathable fibers. Part of summer style is leaning into a more laid back look, and that includes all the beautiful imperfections your clothing items have to offer!
Color
As a self-proclaimed rule breaker I am not going to tell you not to wear black during the summer months. In fact, I’m going to encourage you to wear more of it. Almost half of my shirts are black, many are white, and other colors are a bit scarce. Why? Because, as we’ve learned, perspiration is something I tend to factor into my style. It is so fun to experiment with color when the sun is shining, however not so fun to feel trapped by heat and anything resembling exercise. On the other hand, if you’re not as obsessive about sweat as I am, then rocking some good color is the way to go. Try out a new pastel and save your jewel tones for fall. When feeling overwhelmed by summer heat, it’s extremely helpful to have a specific color palette along with your three styles, and go-to fabrics. With all these in mind, warm-weather dressing should go swimmingly (pardon the pun!)
At the end of the day, the trick to warm weather dressing is making it simple for yourself. If you have specific selection of garments to choose from then you can just add accessories for a chic look! There’s no need to suffer under layers of “trendy” clothing to look cute this summer.
Audrey Stanton was born and raised in the Bay Area and is currently based in Los Angeles. She has attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, London College of Fashion, and received a BFA in costume design from the California Institute of the Arts. Audrey is deeply passionate about conscious fashion and hopes to continue to spread awareness and love for ethical consumption. Visit her blog audstant.com and follow her on Instagram for lots of #slowfashion inspiration!