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Things I’ll wear 1000x this summer

I’ve long been intrigued by the idea of a daily uniform. For the past several years, I’ve consciously repeated similar outfits day after day.

This conscious limitation makes getting dressed so much easier, so I can conserve my mental energy for more pressing decisions—while still looking good.

My uniform changes from season to season; these are the pieces I’ll have on repeat all summer long.

My 8 warm weather essentials:

1. Classy tees.

I’ve had Tapered Collection tees on repeat since the weather warmed up. They’re made from a soft, substantial knit, cut to drape beautifully on your body, which means they wear (and wash, hallelujah) like a t-shirt but look more like a blouse. I’m wearing the tapered v-neck in midnight above.

For a dressier look, I’m loving their mid-sleeve crew, which I wore (in black) to church with a statement necklace and nice pants over the weekend. The mid-sleeve scoop neck is also really pretty; I just wore mine (in white) to a ballgame with chambray shorts.

(UPDATE: Tapered Collection is no longer in business. Have a favorite tshirt brand or style? Please share in comments!)

2. Statement necklace.

An eye-catching necklace is an easy way to fulfill the rule of three, which says that when you add a third piece to a top and bottom—like a scarf, cardigan, jacket, or necklace—you’ve made an outfit. That third piece completes the look.

3. White jeans.

These look a little bit crisper than dark denim, and my favorite relaxed fit feels a lot cooler on regular days. Pair these with a classy tee and a necklace and you can go to a meeting or a ballgame and be perfectly dressed either way.

4. Brown sandals.

A brown or nude shoe goes with almost everything, and it doesn’t hurt that it makes my legs look a little longer, too. My current favorite style is cool for hot days, but doesn’t look out of place indoors. It doesn’t hurt that they’re also comfortable enough I can walk for miles in them.

5. Straw tote.

This crocheted straw tote is large enough to hold everything for a trip to the beach, but polished enough to carry to the office. (Bonus: it’s big enough to hold a few beach towels OR my laptop.) With this bag, any outfit takes on a fresh and summery vibe.

6. Chambray shorts.

This 5″ style is typical enough to feel classic, but unexpected enough to be interesting. They’re easy to wear, easy to wash, and look especially great with black, navy, or white. (Or stripes!)

7. Aviators.

These classic sunglasses are never going out of style, and they look good with everything. You can pick up a pair at someplace like Target, or honestly probably even a gas station rack, but last year I finally invested in sunglasses that cost more than $12 and I love them. (I’m wearing these.)

8. Straw hat.

My skin is sensitive enough that the sunscreen situation is dicey, so this year I resolved to wear more hats. The point is to hide from the sun, but they look pretty good, too. (I’m wearing this style above.)

No matter how cute the hat, it still does terrible things to my bangs. You can’t win them all, I suppose?

What are YOUR summer staples? Tell us all about them in comments. 

43 comments

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  1. My favorite summer items are skorts! I have several in neutral colors and a few that have a pattern. They look a bit dressier than shorts but can allow me to bike, hike and get around without worrying about flashy my bunders! Dress them up or down! I get mine at Kohl’s or at our local thrift shop.

  2. Donna says:

    I was just saying to my friend yesterday that I feel like I’m on ‘decision overload’ so this post speaks to me. Love the sandals, so simple and perfect for summer.

  3. Paige says:

    I found some great chambray shorts at target last year and some super cute aviators at Kohl’s. I love your classic look, that’s what I go for.

    • Pats says:

      Agree! And $188.00 for a pair of white shorts takes the fun out of summer. I love your style; it speaks to me as well but I have to search out more moderately priced items.

  4. Lana Rush says:

    Hi Anne –
    I’m curious about the white t-shirts from Tapered. Are they see-thru?? I’m so over the super tissue thin tees that show the outline of my bra and the top of my pants.
    🙁

  5. Sarah says:

    My summer uniform is jeans and a cardigan. Which is also my fall uniform. Not to mention my winter one. And spring. What can I say? The thermostat is set low in my house! I like your sunglasses. When my kids are old enough that I’m not afeared of them pulling it apart, I might just plunk down some serious cash for a pair, too. 🙂

  6. Arlene Kettering says:

    My summer uniform: dress, jacket/sweater, nude sandals, necklace/earrings. Takes about 2 min to dress and I look -and feel – like a million bucks.

  7. I have been wearing a personal “uniform” for years as a real estate agent. It started when I noticed that everyone at Bloomingdales and Nordstrom’s require employees to wear all black clothing. I liked the idea. So I have black tee (long) over jeans or typically black leggings. The top is dress length so the leggings don’t show too much. Like you, I have one favorite statement necklace and my watch & rings with black/brown sandals. About six pieces but I can get dressed in 5 minutes flat. I wear minimal makeup and lipstick (wearing glasses helps). I find it makes my life infinitely easier than trying to select an outfit. I recommend it to anyone. Go to http://www.LindaHutchinson.com and choose “ABOUT ME” and you will see the standard Linda uniform.

  8. AngD says:

    I have Land’s end basic tees in several colors. Love them because I can add matching scarves and dress them up or keep it really casual without. Also I love my tieks for everyday. They are the most comfortable shoes ever. They do take time to break in but once I did they have been amazing. And their customer service has been wonderful. I tend to wear jeans or khaki crops if I want a little dressier than jeans. I have a few summer blouses if I need to dress it up, although I prefer casual in the summer when going out.

    • Susan Cook says:

      Plain Lands’ End tees are my staple, too, paired with fancy thrift store skirts. Plus, this year, a pair of tan and pink Vans sneakers I found in a ditch!

  9. Sarah Christy says:

    Love the “uniform” idea…as I got dressed this morning, I thought I need to get my basic summer wardrobe organized. As I am older I am trying to embrace the soft lumpy body of my 70’s.

  10. I am in the “none of my summer shorts fit and I need something besides sleeveless tops” phase, so this was a perfectly timed post. Yes, I did just spend more for 3 t-shirts than I ever have in my life, but I feel like I compensated for it because all the J Crew shorts were on sale. 🙂 Thanks for the recommendations, and I’m crossing my fingers it all fits!

    • Michelle says:

      On a whim I got a pair of gold sperrys a few years ago. I’ve gotten so much mileage out of them! Who knew gold was neutral (uh, everyone but me?!). Added bonus, they are simply fun and make me happy. ?

  11. Lisa Z says:

    I love the pic of your Saltwater sandals! I have 4 pairs of those–red, brown, black, and navy–and could live in them. They’re so cute plus comfortable. I also love Athleta dresses from eBay (because I like the older styles better than current ones) and J. Crew perfect fit tees, usually with a skirt. When the J. Crew tees go on sale, I stock up (every couple of years or so).

    I love your style, Anne!

  12. Leslie Stewart says:

    Loves these ideas, especially the hat and sunglasses! For what it’s worth, I remember reading a blog post somewhere years ago about how to avoid hat hair: It involves taking the entire front middle section of your hair, bangs included, and securing with bobby pins or whatever you have. Leave the sides and back as is and when you take off the hat, take down that section of your hair as well and it (supposedly) won’t be flattened out to hat-shape. I have done it with winter hats and it usually does the trick, although it’s not perfect. Happy hat-wearing! 🙂

  13. Bets says:

    I’m really happy to see that Tapered is made in the USA! Looks like the company puts time and effort into being sustainable and thoughtful– that makes it worth the price tag, to my way of thinking! Thanks so much for featuring them!

  14. I’m always trying to pare down my clothing. 3 things: 1) I live in a rural area and have small kids so my one pair of crisp white jeans is folded neatly in my closet–unworn. I’m too scared to put them on! 2) I would pay $48 for a t-shirt if I liked it a lot and could wear it again and again without it self-destructing like so many clothes these days–look I only have 2-3 t-shirts at a time! 3) I live in France and it seems much more accepted here to wear the same outfit repeatedly–however, instead of sticking to classics, people will have a few statement pieces. I’m getting used to it!

  15. Love this post Anne! I pinned the straw hat and tote – totally on my radar. 🙂 I’m thinking a lot about easy looks that also look great as I prepare to pack for three weeks in Europe! Thank you for the inspiration!

  16. Jamie says:

    Yes to tees that look fancy (but are not), 5″ shorts, brown sandals and aviators. I would add unique t-shirts, tanks with a flowy cardigan, and a couple pairs of bermudas. Your blog has really helped me hone what I’m actually comfortable wearing so I can find more of a uniform (that isn’t workout clothes). Thanks!

  17. Jennifer N. says:

    I work in a lab, so skinny jeans are pretty much my year-round staple. I pair them with a seasonally appropriate top. At home, though, this year I’m going for cutoff jean shorts and tees. I’ve lost a decent amount of weight this past year and finally feel like my legs aren’t too jiggly for shorts! I love flats (close-toed shoes for work) and I bought a pair of Reef flip flops in tan for non-work wear. So far as accessorizing – I still can’t manage to feel comfortable in statement necklaces. I generally wear the same necklace everyday, but I do try to change up my earrings every day.

  18. Antonia says:

    I’m having trouble finding the right sunscreen. I believe there is a powder one you found that was okay, but I can’t remember the post that mentioned it. Could you remind me?

  19. Nancy says:

    I have the worst foot issues in the entire world I think..for long distance walking I wear black N. Balance athletic shoes that have removable insoles so I can insert my custom orthotic. However…for summer when I want to wear attractive shoes to wear with a dress…very few options that offer arch support, removable insoles and in a wide width. I am familiar with Munro but most of their summer dressier shoes do not have removable insoles. Same with Dansko. Rockport and some similar brands do not offer enough arch support. So 2 questions to the community:
    1. is there some under the radar band that meets the above criteria I am not aware of (hope to stay under $200.00)
    2. Has anyone ever had non removable insoles removed by a shoe repair person to put in their own insoles or would that just ruin the shoes and I still couldn’t wear them?

    Thanks in advance for any recommendations

  20. Janean says:

    Have you found any new t-shirts that you like? The way you described the Tapered ones are what I’m always looking for – substantial, soft and that drape well. Any leads? As everyone else has already said – I love your classic style.

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