I love summer. From sunny beach days to cutesy coffee shop runs, summer is all about going outside, spending time with your friends, and having fun.
For me, one of the best parts is wearing fun outfits and feeling beachy and vibrant. I love the opportunity to wear bright colors that reflect both the season and my mood. While I have a few summer statement pieces, my collection is far from complete.
My favorite hobby is crafting handmade projects, and summer outfits are absolutely perfect for this kind of creativity. The options are limitless, and the results are so rewarding.
Any plain top or bottom can be transformed into the stunning piece of your dreams with just a little bit of paint, thread, or charms. This personalized twist ensures that your clothing is always unique and special to you.
From tops to accessories, there are multiple pieces I’ve been dreaming about buying or creating to make this summer the best and cutest one yet.
Flower baby tees
I have to confess: I’ve been obsessed with those baby tees with a large flower design on them for a while now. I even asked for one for Christmas, but they’ve always been difficult to find.
Recently, I saw a TikTok video showing the summer shirts Ross is currently selling and spotted flower tees. I instantly knew where I needed to be.
My sister and I went and flipped through all the options. We first went to the women’s section, which was a mistake because all the cute options were in the juniors’ section.
It was like striking gold. I found so many shirts to take with me to the dressing room. I ended up choosing a yellow baby tee with an orange and yellow hibiscus flower. I love this shirt and have already worn it multiple times.
If you don’t find your dream flower and color combo, you can always buy a simple white baby tee, tie-dye it your color choice, and transfer or paint on your favorite flower. These shirts are the cutest tops out there, and a DIY twist will make this piece the star of any summer outfit.
Jean skirts
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been dying for a cute jean skirt. There’s something so feminine about them, and they make any simple outfit stylish. A really fun thing about jean skirts is that they come in a variety of styles, from different lengths to shapes.
I’ve personally always loved a simple denim mini skirt, but the ones with ruffles have seriously grown on me.
While I love jean skirts exactly as they are, they’re basically a blank canvas for the perfect summertime activity. If you’re bold enough or just want to have some fun, you can paint flowers or shells or truly anything summery to turn a cute jean skirt into your dream summer fashion piece.
The design can be any size, and the colors will make all the difference in making your jean skirt shine. A little tip: if you don’t want to buy fabric paint, you can mix acrylic paint with fabric softener to make your own! All this talk about jean skirts makes me want to drive to a thrift store and go find one.
Colorful shoes
I’m obsessed with outfits that have a pop of color. They’re truly like a ray of sunshine lighting up any outfit. The fun thing is that it’s not difficult to add color, especially if you have a fun statement piece. That’s why the next item to add to my dream closet is a pair of colorful shoes.
I’m specifically imagining the pink Adidas Gazelle shoes. I’ve never actually owned a pair, but I love it when girls wear them. They’re so cute and make a fun statement.
If you want to spice them up a bit more for the summer, you can add some shoe charms. You can buy them ready to go or even DIY your own from a craft store like Hobby Lobby.
Last summer, my sister and I made multiple trips to the store to use their charms for everything from necklaces to our shoes. They have such a cute selection, and the prices are pretty affordable, especially when they’re running a weekly sale on charms.
If I’m being honest, most of my sneakers are in boring colors like black and white. They’re nice, but they blend in instead of making my outfits pop.
That’s why a pair of pink sneakers is on my dream summer outfit bucket list, because it’s seriously time for me to buy a pair.
Charm necklace
No matter the season, you’ll nearly always find me wearing a charm necklace. I’ve got a few different options from the one with charms, such as a heart, a star, and a ballet shoe, to my completely beachy necklace filled with different types of shells and a dolphin tail.
No matter what you’re wearing over the summer, adding a charm necklace instantly makes any outfit cuter.
The fun thing about charm necklaces is that they can be very personalized. You can do what I’ve done for most of mine and buy them from the store pre-made, or you can DIY your own.
As mentioned in the shoe section, you can purchase charms from a craft store. You can also get your wire tools and chain necklace there as well.
The process is simple: open a jump ring, slide on your charm, put it through an empty spot on your necklace, and close the jump ring back to its original circle form using your wire tools. The hardest part is deciding which charms you want and where you want them to go!
Shell anything
Is it really summer if you don’t have a shell somewhere on your outfit? I couldn’t decide which type of piece shells belong to, so they can be in any part of the outfit. Shells belong on baby tees, necklaces, rings, and even your hair.
The best part is that if you’re a Florida girl like me, you probably have some shells of your very own collected from the beach. You can use these gorgeous finds to DIY your own jewelry statement pieces.
While it’s not clothing, I used a bunch of shells, twine, and pearls to create a beachy backdrop for my bedroom, so I can enjoy the feel of a Florida summer all year long.
If you don’t have any shells handy, you can always buy some from a craft store, or even better, you can paint or embroider your own!
A girl with a vision and a piece of clothing to customize is dangerously cool. You can paint onto any article of clothing, even your shoes! Remember, when it’s summer, shells belong everywhere.
Summer outfits are truly all about statement pieces. Warm, bubbly, and bright colors define the season, making it an opportunity to show off your style and have fun!
Whether you DIY your dream closet or buy it, you’ll be sure to have the greatest and most stylish summer ever!
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