Dressing for California

Summer style inspiration straight from my Pinterest board

Almost every summer of my life has been spent on the North Shore of Long Island, where things hardly ever change and the clothes are always the same. It’s comforting and lovely, but it means that 95% of my summer wardrobe is tied to the aesthetics of one particular place.

This summer, we’re going a bit further afield and spending time on the West Coast. I’m excited for the change of pace and feeling a lot of trepidation about fitting in, sartorially speaking. To prepare myself mentally, I’ve turned once again to Pinterest. I’ve always found their particular algorithm to be fascinating and spot-on—I don’t know what they do, but I always find things I’m particularly drawn to. Here are five of the looks I’m most interested in, and how I’ll recreate them.

Author’s Note: My goals for my summer wardrobe are to 1) use the pieces I already own, 2) fill in my already-identified wardrobe gaps, and 3) only acquire pieces I’ll wear again and again. I don’t particularly like shopping for a specific location, especially when I’m not living there, but sometimes it’s worth it, particularly when I know we’ll be returning for the rest of the summer.

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Honestly both outfits here are an inspiration! I love a big shirt over a bathing suit, whether it’s a tee or a button-down. I have a number of old men’s button downs to wear over my favorite bathing suit. For my bikini (I really like this highwaisted one from Left on Friday, which is comfortable though it has minimal compression), I’d definitely wear an oversized tee like this one. Though, preferably, I’d snag this Parker Knoll one in advance of my trip (Parent Trap summer, anyone?) Can’t forget the chic scarf!

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This is one of my very first saved Pinterest photos from the early 2010s, and no wonder: it captures everything “summer” that I love. I’m pairing my By Merryn popover with white denim shorts c/o Frame to match this look; the shorts will also look great with my With Nothing Underneath seersucker shirt.

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Image via Lanx Shoes

There’s something very Californian about a frayed hem, at least to me. I’m pairing my Frame chinos with a fabulous raw hem with either boat shoes or plimsolls. (I need a replacement pair of boat shoes after mine bit the dust, so pre-California may be the time!)