My summer wardrobe this year draws upon past investment pieces and new splashes of colour. As someone who wears a pretty monochromatic wardrobe, summer provides the perfect time to play around with colour. However, unlike most summer fashion content, I wanted to showcase summer staples. These are pieces that can be worn this summer, and for many summers to come.
Let me take you through what to look for in new summer clothing, and what to retrieve from your wardrobe, too. These are my most-worn pieces, perfect for a sunny day, a balmy evening, and even an afternoon at the beach – Brighton or otherwise!
What To Look For In Summer Staples
This year, I’ve really slowed down on buying clothes – new or pre-loved. I think I’ve reached a place of contentment with my wardrobe, which I love! It’s taken me a few years to suss out my style and identify true investment pieces. Now, it feels like a truly cohesive wardrobe, with clothes I feel comfortable and confident in.
That said, my style isn’t your style. We all have different styles. So before I talk on summer staples, I want to highlight how important – and fun! – it is to define your own style. This will help you to circumvent fashion trends, and also reduce the pressure to shop unnecessarily. One thing we can all do to be more sustainable is to buy less.
Then, when looking for staple pieces for your wardrobe, I recommend the following:
- Shop with sustainable fashion brands: their care for people and planet usually equates to better care when creating the clothes too
- Try it on: if you can, try a piece on before buying; a good fit and feel are essential for staple items
- Check the composition: mono-materials and natural fibres offer the best quality and longevity
- Check the care label: clothes that require hand-washing or dry cleaning will be worn less
What I’m Wearing This Summer
So, let me take you through my wardrobe staples this summer! These are the work-horses of my wardrobe, and while they might not make my top investment pieces, they’re highly regarded. You may remember some of these from my summer holiday capsule wardrobe too.
Eco Swimsuit & Organic Cotton Cover-Up
I love living by the beach, even if it isn’t always beach weather here. But when it is, you’ll find me wearing my swimsuit under my clothes, with my Blue Nude sarong (gifted, worn here as a dress, which I love!) and Wwaves flip flops packed in my bag, so I can head down after work!
You’ll have seen my swimsuit from Revivre Swim on my guide to sustainable swimwear a little while ago. This reversible, belted design has become my favourite for spas and sea swims alike!
Linen Shirt, Linen Trousers
One of my most-worn outfits is this linen-on-linen combination. The black linen shirt is from Riley Studio (sadly no longer in business) and it is so well made. I love it as an oversized shirt, or tying it up when wearing equally oversized trousers.
The pants are from Not Perfect Linen (gifted), my favourite linen clothing brand. Their clothes are fairly made, fairly priced, and such good quality. I love that each piece is made to order, so you can choose from a wide range of colours.
I like to accessorise this breezy outfit with my favourite pearl necklace from Monica Vinader – made with keshi pearls – and my A.Emery sandals, which are onto their third year. These are a little more clunky than Birkenstocks, but they look twice as chic!
White Jeans & A Nice Top
Butter yellow is this year’s trending colour, but it’s not the reason I’m wearing it here. I’ve not done my ‘colours’, but I like how yellow looks on me, and already own a few pieces. This butter yellow linen top is from Not Perfect Linen (gifted) and adds a playfulness that I sometimes lose in my minimal, monochromatic wardrobe.
Here, I’ve paired the flouncy top with my well-worn white jeans from Seventy + Mochi, and my white heeled sandals, picked up in a charity shop last summer.
Silk Dress & A Light-Weight Cardigan
Finally, perhaps my favourite outfit of the summer. This is a new take on my silk summer dress, which I’ve been wearing for the past four years! I found it on Wolf & Badger back in 2022. It’s the perfect length – midi, cut on the bias – and the silk is so soft on my skin.
Here, I’ve paired it with my new Skraistas cardigan from The Knotty Ones*. This is made from silk and mohair, and feels like I’m wearing a cloud. It adds a delightful warmth without being too much on a summer evening. It’s also reversible, with a cute bow tie that can be worn on the front or back. (P.S. You can get 20% off at The Knotty Ones with my code: curiouslyconscious20)
For accessories, I’m wearing my everyday silver earrings, ASK Scandinavia cactus leather bag, and second-hand Whistles flats.
What are your staple pieces this summer? Let me know below!
Disclaimer: This post features gifted items (denoted ‘gifted’) and affiliate links (denoted ‘*’). Photography by Chloë Imbach.