Summer Capsule Wardrobe
Blue Tank Top | Oversized White T-shirt | Grey T-shirt | Pink Bodysuit | Blue Button Up | Black Vest | Striped Sweater | Print Blazer | Green Blazer | Light Trousers | Dark Trousers | Blue Trousers | Wrap Skirt | Black Shirt Dress | White Dress | Earrings | Sunglasses | Scarf | Flower Bag | Handbag | Tote | Orange Heels | Green Sandals | Clogs | Grey Slides | Sneakers |
Summer. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Actually never love, but you know what I mean. I love not having to cover up my outfits with big heavy coats, but in the same breath, I hate that it is so hot that you feel like melting just while you are sitting in your underwear doing absolutely nothing.
That being said, having access to air conditioning anywhere and everywhere really does make it bearable and opens up the outfit options in the summer.
If you watch The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel you will probably remember the episode when Suzie realizes that Midge going to the Catskills means that she is going for the whole summer, not just a week or two.
That the wealthier individuals who lived in the city would escape to the more open air, less hot, summer vacation spots to wait out the heat.
While everyone else had to stick around and melt in the hot and humid city.
I can only imagine how hot it was back then with air conditioning not being a common everyday appliance.
That being said, I am glad that we don’t leave the city in the summer for country life.
It’s just not me.
One of the things that I love about living in a large city is the cool yet relaxed vibe that comes with fashion.
It is the freedom to dress however I want without any judgment.
Today I have a summer capsule wardrobe that plays with some colour like last week’s use of the colour wheel post, and is incorporating the key pieces that will help you stay stylish this summer.
The Key Summer Wardrobe Staples Are:
- A classic tank top
- a mid length wrap skirt
- A shirt dress. I have this one in blue and it is awesome. A great weight so it isn’t sheer, and no high slits up the sides showing off half your thigh.
- Wide leg pants
- Slides
- A woven tote
- Clogs. They are being worn with everything from basic shorts, to fancy dresses.
The item that I built this summer wardrobe around is the print blazer.
And many may ask why you would want to wear a blazer in the summer, and I have a couple of answers for you.
A blazer ups the chic factor to any look. If you ever wear a jean jacket in the summer, then replace it with a blazer and you will notice the change.
Also, with the access to all the air conditioning it gets cooler in places, and at night. It is nice to have an option for when this situation comes up.
The printed blazer I chose helped set the tone, and the colours I used. It gave me an 80s vibe which is something that I totally love and embrace.
This summer capsule wardrobe is quite a mixture, with the neutrals, brights, and pastels.
Pastels are one step above neutrals, so they actually go really well with many other colours.
They change with what you pair it with, for example a pale pink mixed with a neutral looks like a neutral as well, instead of a colour.
It’s like pairing something with a neutral but with a little extra flare. It just gives the outfits a little bit more character.
BUT, when you pair a pale pink with something like a black, then it becomes a colour not a neutral. The contrast in the colours causes the difference.
You also should have a nice mixture of light and dark when making outfits. That includes everything from your shoes, socks, purses, and accessories, but they need to be mixed properly in order to turn them into an outfit vs just wearing clothes.
If you don’t know what I mean, take white shoes for instance.
Do not pair them with a white top, or a white handbag unless you are doing head to toe tonal.
Your best bet for a chic outfit is to pair it with darker or coloured pieces, and have the white shoes stand alone.
So white shoes, brown pants, green blouse, purple bag, gold earrings for example. The shoes are the only light piece. The others are mixtures of darker neutrals and colours.
It would work the same reversing to dark shoes, and lighter pieces with colour.
Layering lights and dark takes some practice, but really does best if you pair it from head to toe in a breakdown kind of like this: light-light-dark, or light-dark-dark, or dark-light-light.
Not: light-dark-light or dark-light-dark.
There are obviously many more combinations when you add more pieces, but that is a good start.
If you ever wonder why an outfit might look a little off it might be because of the light/dark mix. Try changing a piece or two from dark to light, or light to dark and see if that makes the difference.
You might be amazed how many more outfits you can think of just by making these little differences.
Just a subtle change can take you from an okay outfit to looking straight up chic.
It’s like dressing with intention.
Stay safe.
Cute Summer Outfits
Casual Summer Outfits for Women
Blue Tank Top | Oversized White T-shirt | Grey T-shirt | Pink Bodysuit | Blue Button Up | Black Vest | Striped Sweater | Print Blazer | Green Blazer | Light Trousers | Dark Trousers | Blue Trousers | Wrap Skirt | Black Shirt Dress | White Dress | Earrings | Sunglasses | Scarf | Flower Bag | Handbag | Tote | Orange Heels | Green Sandals | Clogs | Grey Slides | Sneakers |
You might also like:
How to use a Colour Wheel to Help You Build a Summer Capsule Wardrobe
The Ultimate Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2022
How to Build a Colourful Summer Capsule Wardrobe
The Ultimate Spring Capsule Wardrobe
How to Build a Neutral Spring Capsule Wardrobe on a Budget
How to Build a Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe for Spring 2022
How to Build a Colourful Spring Capsule Wardrobe 2022
Spring Capsule Wardrobe Essentials 2022
How to Build a Spring Capsule Wardrobe 2022
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okay, so your note about unintentional tonal outfits makes sense. unless you’re going to a white party a la White Chicks (one of my husband’s favorite movies), there’s a good chance it’s not going to give off whatever vibes you’re going for. i remember a lot of bloggers made a big deal about cognac-coloured accessories back in the day, so i’ve got my cognac sandals ready to go when the weather sorts itself out here! i’m definitely going to keep the light/dark breakdown in mind when the temperatures rise, because that combined with the humidity will put my brain power at zero. like you, i’m not a huge fan of the summertime heat, so anything to help make me less miserable, i’ll take it! p.s., love those everlane tanks, the cutaway is so flattering on so many body types.
That’s so hilarious that White Chicks is your husbands favourite movie 😂 I love cognac. It’s such a great brown, and looks incredible with pretty much every colour. I even wear my cognac boots with grey which many would say doesn’t work but I think it’s fine. The light/dark combination is really easy to follow. Just make sure not to piece it together like a alternating layer cake and your good. Just focus on one or the other, and then add a small bit of the opposite.
I have a few of the Everlane tanks and I love them. It’s such a classic cut and they wash and wear so well which is an important thing for me. I hate having to set aside things to hand wash or wash separately.
I hope the heat and humidity doesn’t hit you too soon. It’s still cool here but I can feel it coming and I dread it.