One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about style writing is the why of it all—why are we wearing what we do? What does it mean? What are we trying to signify? For me, summer clothing asks the deepest “why” questions. As I wrote in yesterday’s post, at this point in the summer, I choose only the simplest and best things: what is worth the effort in the slogging heat of a northeast summer. Every piece I wear has a reason, and it’s not just because it’s the most practical or comfortable option.
I previously wrote a column called “What Do I Really Wear?” which delved into the deepest reasons why I wore what I wore. Admittedly, this became a little too unwieldy and time-consuming to complete every week. This column is a little more manageable and more fun to write: there’s less pressure to document every day and just write about the outfits I really liked.
This week was the hottest one so far, so I really leaned into cool and comfortable options: it was far too hot to do anything else but pick the absolute simplest, no-frills things that feel good to put on. Here are three of the outfits I was actually excited to wear, as simple as they are.
Post-swimming at the beach
Sleeveless polo (similar) / Shorts (1 / 2 / 3) / Tote bag / Sunglasses
Why am I wearing this outfit?
Admittedly this picture was taken a few weeks ago at a friend’s beach club, but I wore the exact same outfit to the beach for a playdate post-camp. I love the look of a sleeveless collared shirt, and now that my upper arms are finally semi-tanned (aka beige instead of paper-white) to the same color as the rest of my arms, I feel more comfortable wearing it! The detail at the collar adds a shade of interest to an otherwise basic choice. I paired with my go-to shorts and a fun tote bag I picked up at CK Bradley in Newport about a decade ago.
Antiquing post-church
White dress (my selections here and here) / Watch c/o March Hare (use FEWERBETTER20 for 20% off!) / Bermuda Bag (vintage, similar 1 / 2 / 3 / 4) / Sandals (1 / 2 / 3) / Hat (similar)
Why am I wearing this outfit?
I’ve worn this dress an embarrassing number of times this summer, but the thing is it’s so good. Simple, with interest provided by the hand-carved wooden buttons, it can go from church to lunch to antiquing to camp pickup to… the possibilities are endless. It’s a great blank canvas. I particularly love this dress because of its easy cut and its pockets.
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