I am not one to jump on every trend that goes by. It’s too expensive and too wasteful to try to keep your wardrobe up to date in the trend department. This is why I think it is important to build a strong wardrobe foundation and basics and classic timeless pieces that will get you through more than a couple of seasons.
It’s after you have built that solid foundation, that you can start picking what trends you would like to sprinkle in that season.
I generally like to pick 2-3 trends that I think will work for my style and my lifestyle…maybe one more, if it is something that I think will last a lot longer than one season.
Denim for example. I don’t think I have ever seen a denim trend that lasts for a short duration. Once a new denim style becomes trendy, it should last for years, making it such a good investment.
How long did skinny jeans last before the style gurus said it was time to try something new? Long enough that I can’t even remember my first pair.
I went through and selected 13 summer trends that I think are easy to wear, and easy to add to most wardrobes.
I’ve put them together in outfits below so that you can visualize how you might wear them.
I would consider this post almost like a summer wardrobe refresher by taking your current summer wardrobe and sprinkle in a few of these fun summer trends so you can breathe life into your current wardrobe that might be feeling a bit stale.
I’ve even included a few ways to incorporate a couple of summer trends into a single piece because I’m all about more bang for your buck.
Summer Trends: Bright Pink, Monochrome and Wide Leg Pants
Bright pink is having a big moment this season which is nice to see some bold colour. These trousers are lightweight and breezy, and paired with a fun sweatshirt is perfect for a summer night or cooler day.
If you are going to go with such a bold colour, you might pair it with a bright shoe as well. Puffy sandals are also a trend this summer, carried over from the spring.
Monochrome is so easy to wear and looks so chic with minimal effort. All the colours don’t have to be the same, they just need to be within the same colour family.
Sweatshirt | Pink Trousers | Pink Plaid Tote | Flower Earrings | Orange Sandals | Blouse | Blush Trousers | Small Woven Bag | Mules | Bracelets |
Summer Trends: Minimalism, Sports Sandals, Platforms, Oversized Blazer with Shoulder Pads, and Black Masks
Minimalism is always in but there is a focus on it for summer. It’s easy to achieve by sticking with neutrals, clean lines, and well-fitting pieces.
Sports sandals or dad Sandals like Tevas (I had a pair in grade school) have come back again. I don’t think they ever really left, but now most retailers are carrying a version.
This sport style sandal is combined with a platform to check two trends in one piece. Keep the accessories classic like a black cat-eye (I just bought a pair for summer that I love).
A black mask is very on-trend but I still like my floral prints. An oversized boyfriend-style blazer is a wardrobe winner. This one is linen, and pastel yellow which is another summer trend…pastels, in general, are very big this summer too so this blazer is another one that checks two boxes.
Black Top | Wide Leg Trousers | Sunglasses | Black Purse | Mask | Sports Sandals | Blazer | Dress | Necklace | Hair Comb | Brown Purse | White Sandals |
Summer Trends: Shoulder Pad Tops, Co-ord Sets, Wide Leg Light Wash Jeans
This pairing also contains monochrome. Have you bought a pair of wide-leg, light blue jeans yet? I have one pair from Levis that I love, but I also really want these. They are a definite investment but jeans are usually worth it.
Co-ords sets have been around for a few seasons now and this season, you will see a lot of skirts/tops and resort shirts with shorts. I’m not big on shorts so I’ll be skipping that one.
Shoulder pad tanks give a little structure to a normally casual basic. They were out last summer as well so it would have been a good purchase, but I passed on it then.
But if you have a pair of lightweight trousers in a neutral, then you can build your own matching set by adding a linen blouse in the same colour. Black or white are always easy to match.
Brown Tank | Jeans | Earrings | Heels | Checkered Purse | Sunglasses | Knit Top | Skirt | Tote | Flats |
Summer Trends: Black And White, And Cropped Shirts
Okay, so I said that I wasn’t going to do the cropped shirt trend but I bought this one on a whim last week and I actually really like it. You can see it on me here. I won’t be doing a short crop, this is more of a moderate which work well with high waist pants.
You don’t have to turn down trends as you age (I’ll be 42 this summer), just modify them to work for you.
I also bought that black dress in both black and white because it will be a great summer staple…I also really like the yellow.
Pairing Black and white is often a no brainer, but a lot of people find it bland. I find it the epitome of chic. Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek only wore black and white for the entire show and her wardrobe was fantastic.
Black Dress | Blazer | Clog Sandals | Leopard Ring | B&W Purse | Cropped Tee | Trousers | Espadrilles | Bum Bag | Tote | Sunglasses |
I hope this gave you some inspiration to update your summer wardrobe.
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You might also like:
How to Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget 2021
How to Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe
5 Spring Outfits That Transition to Summer
8 Spring Outfits That Transition to Summer Part 2
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I’m late to this post but I bought a similar pair of jeans to those Levis today. I think mine are a little shorter. I’m not sure what to wear with them shoe-wise. I’ve been a fan of skinny jeans for many years now and I feel awkward in the cut still. Love to hear or see some ideas.
I wear them with flats and sockless sneakers in the Warner months. As it gets cooler I wear them with a boot with a little higher shaft than an ankle boot so it goes right under the jeans, and sneakers with fun socks. I’ll probably also wear them with loafers with socks as well this fall. So many options and I feel they look better with footwear than skinnies did. It just takes a little getting use to.