Planning a summer wardrobe

I’ve never had a summer wardrobe. In my teenage years I felt very uncomfortable about the keratosis pilaris (chicken skin) on my legs so I never wore skirts, dresses or shorts. Such a shame really because I’m sure no one would have noticed. Instead I stuck to jeans. Yes, just jeans, even in 35 degrees celsius weather.  I don’t even know how I survived but here we are, over a decade later and I still don’t know what to wear during summer. So I figured I should take my own advice and start a summer inspiration board on Pinterest to find out what my perfect summer outfit could be. That probably sounds a lot easier than it was as I collected over 1300 images which included hardly any outfits for 25 degrees celsius and over. I did manage to select two images that I would like to be the starting point for this years (and first ever) summer wardrobe.

Both outfits are relatively fuss free without showing too much skin and ridden of any unnessecary frills. They’re casual with just the right amount of chicness. I could probably get away with both outfits at work if it wasn’t alway so chilly in the office. Also, the colour palette (see below) isn’t that much different from my normal colours of preference so if I were to buy a few summery pieces, I could easily make them work with my existing wardrobe. Material-wise I’m going to stick with light, airy fabrics such as linen, cotton and silk.

summer-colours

So now that I’ve established the style and colour palette I would like to go for, what’s next? Truth be told, I’m not necessarily looking to invest a lot of money in these summer pieces because over here we’re lucky to reach a temperature that allows for bare legs for a few days. I’m willing to make an exception for tops as those can be worn all year round. Although it feels like once this is posted, everything will be set in stone, here is a moderate list of things I would like to purchase in the upcoming months:

  1. A black, preferably silk, camisole (although I still have to figure out what to wear underneath)
  2. A white linen blouse
  3. A pair of loose high-waisted trousers (should try them to see if they work for my body)

And now onto my favourite part; the collages! Let me start by saying that the collages are merely a visual aid for myself.  €380 for a pair of white trousers is pretty outrageous. However, I would like to find something similar with a more reasonable price tag. The straw hat and crocheted bag are nice and functional accessories and both are organic fairtrade products. The camisole would also look lovely on cooler days with a pair of jeans, a cardigan and my black loafers. The trousers are a bit more challenging but I can see them working with a tucked in striped top or simple tee as well.

Please note, some of the links below are affiliate links.

summer-outfit-3

From left to right, top to bottom: Pachacuti straw hat (€92), Uniqlo linen blouse (€25), Margiela Beach Walk (€110), Totême shorts (€265), K. Jacques sandals (€212)

 summer-outfit-4
From left to right, top to bottom: Mar Y Sol Portland tote (€133), Isabel Marant Dallin trousers (€380), Equipment silk camisole (€125), H&M leather belt (€10), K. Jacques sandals (€212)