Classic summer style inspiration

The more observant amongst you will note that we’re well into summer and I’m only just writing this post now! To be honest, I didn’t have much summer style inspiration this year – not because it’s not out there, but because I love summer so much that I don’t really feel the need to plan my wardrobe and outfits in the same way I do for other seasons. Instead, I tend to wear similar things summer after summer, replacing them when they get worn out. Summer is definitely the time when my style (such as it is) is least defined by other context. For me, the ideal summer outfit is one that is totally un-precious. I need to be able to throw it on over a swimsuit without qualms, and I need to always be ready to head outdoors and do things (preferably by the water!). A few times in summer I’ll need a nicer dress or jumpsuit to wear to an event, but most of the time, I’m beach ready.

Maybe that means summer is the season when I’ve most nailed a classic style? Classic with a definite side of American East Coast style prep, I’d suggest. You can see my inspiration here, and check out my unintentional doppelgänger outfits below…

This photo is from late 2020, but the shorts are at least five years old. I have the same pair in navy. When they are no longer wearable I’ll look to buy pretty much exactly the same thing again, just as I did with their predecessors. These ones are from Gap, but the ones I owned before these were from J.Crew. The shirt is linen, from Country Road. I love wearing shirts with shorts, not least because they make great cover-ups for the beach to keep the sun off my shoulders.

Summer days in northern New Zealand are usually hot, but the evenings are often cooler. I carry a summer sweater with me most of the time just in case. This one is a loose weave linen, also from J.Crew (at this stage of this blog post I’m starting to think I should create a keyboard shortcut for the words J.Crew…bear with me, okay?! I’m a creature of habit, particularly when it comes to clothes!

This photo was taken in 2012 but I would absolutely still wear this outfit. In fact I still own and wear the skirt (which unfortunately you can’t see…it’s light blue and comes to just above my knee. It’s almost khaki in its style…but blue. This is similar and I love it).

Again, an old photo, and again, an outfit I’d still wear. The shorts I’m wearing are high-waisted blue ones with white polka dots from Karen Walker. They ripped (because I wore them all. the. time) so I replaced them with another pair of high-waisted blue shorts with white polka dots from Zara. Also, look at that adorable baby! I wish I still had as much control over her outfits now as I did then…those overalls! *Heart eyes*.

Ah look, an event! I still own and wear this blue and white striped cotton dress. It was joined in my wardrobe this summer by another blue and white striped cotton dress from Witchery (which is both looser and a maxi dress and therefore is completely different. It’s sold out now, unfortunately – it’s the same as this but blue and white stripes).

I love white in summer. And hats…you literally cannot be too sun smart in New Zealand. I buy my t-shirts mostly from AS Colour and (of course) J.Crew. These white jeans I wear a lot as well – they’re J.Crew also. The bag was a gift from Hayden nearly 13 years ago! We bought it in Italy. It’s a goodie.

Again with the hat, and also being always ready to do anything (in all honesty this was a planned hike, hence the activewear!) This hat is Polo Ralph Lauren. I like how it fits and I really like that it can go through the washing machine whenever it gets grubby. Recognise the sunnies? Seems I wear them a lot in summer. These particular ones are from Witchery but I bought another pair of round frame pink sunglasses from Ray Ban when I was in Hawai’i a couple of years ago.

Is your summer style pretty consistent as well? Or am I the only boring one out there (hmmm, classic, let’s call it classic). I was thinking I’d write a post about the things I have to have in my wardrobe for summer – e.g. the items that get replaced as soon as they wear out, and my favourite, tried-and-true places to get good quality versions that will last a long time (style-wise and durability-wise as well). Would you be into that?