Summer is HOT… that doesn’t mean we can’t be too!
In this article I hope to inspire people with different summer outfits that go beyond just a tank top and booty shorts. I’ll be including different genres of style, so if you’re an alternative girly or live for the flowy looks — this is for you all!
Coquette Closet
For the girls who enjoy the delicate coquet aesthetics, try out lacy, flowy, or floral tops with long or short “breezy” skirts and lighter materials for dresses. Your hair style can be anything you want, but to match the look even more I would recommend intricate buns and weaving ribbons into braids or ponytails. For accessories and shoes, adding pearlescent or delicate jewelry can be a catch all for most of your looks with shoes like Mary-Jane’s, ballerina flats, or a light color sneaker to compliment your look!
First Picture: This pink babydoll-camisol top with puffy white shorts and a matching pink shoulder bag is a simple, yet elegant look that can be spruced up to make it more coquette. It’s not often you see this kind of style paired with shorts, but this fit is great for inspiration if you don’t want to wear skirts or dresses exclusively through the season!
Second Picture: This fit includes a pink and white high neckline top with a short, layered white skirt and frilled white socks paired with Mary-Jane inspired shoes. The headband is the cherry on top for me in this outfit that really makes this look feel more coquette and if you’re very committed you can instead wear it with a barrette or a bow!
Third Picture: This wide collared blouse with a matching short flowy skirt is a great set to consider for the hot weather. She also has barrettes in her hair that are a great addition to the look and her boots are cute, but if you want a more summer look I would replace them with flats or soft colored Mary-Jane’s!
Fourth Picture: A lovely short dress is always a cute piece to have especially if you enjoy wearing the coquette aesthetic. This one in particular with its squared, almost lacy neck line and a high waist that drapes down into a ruffle is a simple dress that you can easily make your own! For extra detail, I would wear a thin ribbon around my neck with Mary-Jane’s or cute flats.
White and pink seem to be the color themes here, but any color that fits your preference will never go wrong! My only suggestion is to stick to more light or pastel colors to follow the aesthetic thoroughly.
Alternative Divas
For the girls who love an alternative style, I suggest darker colors like grey or black or even a red or dark purple or sage green. Some clothing styles that could be to your taste includes very distressed or ripped large shirts with a tight top underneath, long skirts, loose tops, and mini skirts. Accessorizing in this aesthetic is key to having your look come together, so wearing lots of jewelry, belts, hair pins or clips, chunky shoes, and other accents are important in obtaining your completed look!
First Picture: Sometimes a simple dress can be the best outfit if you know how to style it, and it can be a versatile piece. This fit has accessories that make it look more alternative while also being perfect for the hot weather with its black, strapped flats with dark socks to complement them. But, what really makes this look more alternative is the DIY tie around her neck that really makes the look unique!
Second Picture: I truly believe any kind of ripped shirt screams alternative fashion, but this particular style in making the rips in the shirt look like skeleton ribs really makes this shirt alt by itself! This can be worn in many ways including with a long skirt and ripped jean-shorts. I would also add eccentric and big earrings to pull the look together with stacked rings and bangles.
Third Picture: This simple, yet interesting style is alternative while also being perfect for warm weather. Having a sheer shirt that allows for one to remain cool paired with a flowy long skirt makes for an interesting combination of clothing. To make this style more alt, I would add a metal or leather belt to hang off of the hip and also to replace the boots with chunky Mary-Jane’s!
Fourth Picture: This is by-far my favorite alternative style for the summer! Everything, from the grey top with a mini tube top underneath to the layered jewelry to the micro shorts to the thigh-high fishnet socks, is absolutely stunning. The only change I would make are the boots, as I would instead wear either lower boots that aren’t as winter-coded or black chunky sneakers to walk around in.
It is important to note that black and grey are not required colors to wear in order to have an alternative aesthetic. What makes a style alternative is your daring nature to be different from everyone else that makes you look and feel unique, as well as feeling your truest self!
Urban Couture
Urban street clothing has been on the rise in popularity for years now, so finding looks that compliment this style for the summer heat is essential! The main characteristics of an urban style is oversized everything, sports jerseys, eclectic jewelry, high quality shoes and sneakers, and tight or cropped tops. Like the alternative style, the urban aesthetic is one that requires accessories and some additional pieces to make the look come together. Colors are often bright and bold with an emphasis on expression of one’s personality over all else!
First Picture: This inspo-pic is — what I consider to be — the best of all of the street style outfits on this list. There is truly nothing I would change about this look. If you wanted, you could replace the sneakers with a chunkier shoe or strappy heels that would make for a great going-out fit!
Second Picture: As I suggested before, adding some banging heels to your otherwise more casual look is an amazing way to elevate your outfit! Loose fitting and longer shorts are a staple piece of the summer street style that can compliment really any body type. To make this look more eclectic, I would add more layers of light jewelry to further compliment the shoes and also add some sunglasses for an extra detail!
Third Picture: Like the previous picture, having some long, baggy shorts can really make your other clothes fit your urban aesthetic. The layered jewelry makes this look all the more stylish when accompanied by a boxy, cropped button up and you can replace the undershirt with essentially anything you’d like! The shoes are a great quirky addition to this fit, but if you want it more casual you can replace them with a simple pair of white tennis shoes as well!
Fourth Picture: Although this is a more basic or standard look, incorporating more accessories into it will allow you to further obtain the urban style you’re looking for! I would add chunky rings and bangles to really make the outfit more detailed, as well as large hoop earrings that can go with everything. The cropped, almost oversized graphic t-shirt is a must for this kind of outfit and wont overheat you in the process!
The urban street style is one inspired by groups of people who had to “make do” with the limited options they were given. So, making simple outfits into works of art and into your own are key characteristics that must be taken into account when building your wardrobe based on this aesthetic!
Clean-girl Vibes
The clean-girl style has been a recent trend amongst many people looking for a simple, elegant, and fashionable aesthetic. It’s one that typically has neutral colors like beige, brown, white, and more that allows for people to dress their fits up or down depending on the occasion. Some articles of fashion that could be worn for this aesthetic includes linen pants, boat-neck tops, simple jewelry, athleisure wear, and — of course — a slick-back hair style! The minimalistic nature of the clean girl aesthetic is perfect for these insane summer temperatures!
First Picture: I am a sucker for some linen pants during the summer! This outfit is very beachy, but can be worn with a classy boat-neck tank top that will make it more of a go-to-dinner look that can be worn with flats or even strappy heels if you’re feeling up to it. The solid colors this look has gives you more room to accessorize and wear any kind of purse to go with it!
Second Picture: This Y2K inspired outfit is chic and fabulous for the summer, while still following the clean girl aesthetic! The capris are a great staple piece to have when you’re tired of just wearing shorts, skirts, or dresses. And having a simple boat-neck top is an amazing addition to your wardrobe when you need an alternative from a simple tank top. The only accessory I would recommend for this outfit is a thin belt that will make the look more complete!
Third Picture: Having a fun and simple set is always a fabulous go-to when you’re in need of a quick, but cute outfit for when you’re in a hurry! Pants and shorts don’t have to be the only bottoms you wear this summer, a skirt with a tight tank or t-shirt can up your look in an efficient and casual way. For shoes I recommend wearing kitten heels for an elegant dinner or simple sneakers for a trip that requires walking around.
Fourth Picture: This athleisure wear outfit is absolutely perfect for the clean girl aesthetic! Everything about it is perfect, from the hair to the purse, to her shoes! The important piece of advice I would give to anyone interested in this style is that color coordination is important for your outfit to look cohesive and put together in its casual nature.
Boho Chic
Now, for the last — and my personal favorite — aesthetic for the summer is the boho or the bohemian style! For this look, the colors typically worn include earth tones, beiges, and off-whites, but just like the other aesthetics any color of your choosing will go well with the look — I particularly pair the style with jewel toned colors. The outfits themselves typically involve camisole or flowy tops, “natural” patterns, long skirts, mixed types of jewelry, and more! This aesthetic is incredibly fluid and changes depending on the person, as its components can be used in other styles as well!
First Picture: Of course, having a long, flowy skirt is an essential piece to have in your BoHo inspired closet! What’s great about it, along with the simple brown shirt she wears, is that you can wear it with many other aesthetics as well. The only aspect of this fit I would alter is her hair, as it compliments the clean girl aesthetic more than that of our desired boho style. Other than that, the way she accessorizes is fabulous and very on point — especially her belt and necklaces!
Second Picture: Unlike the other styles I have mentioned, there’s no need for too many accessories to still maintain that boho look! A simple flowy dress that makes you look like you’re going frolicking in the garden later can stand by itself. Though, instead of the boots she’s wearing, I would wear nude flats or ones with flowery details as its pattern and replace her minimalistic earrings with something more eccentric to make the look feel more complete!
Third Picture: I love this outfit so much, I would wear it myself. What I like most about it is that you can add any kind of undershirt you want like a tube top, a tank top, and many others! If you haven’t noticed, belts are a big theme in the boho aesthetic, so don’t be afraid to spice it up and add an obnoxiously large one to your outfit!
Fourth Picture: This look is particularly very fun because of all of the red accents that really grabs your attention while still being complimentary to the other different colors! This outfit is a great example of unifying different, earthy colors into one amazing look. I also believe a camisole blouse will always be my number one favorite style of shirt because of its flowiness that can look good on anyone!
The boho aesthetic is a great style to have in hot weather because of its loose and more flowy style. The beauty of boho is its inclusivity for all kinds of people, so that you may look and feel your best no matter what!
Be you!
Your summer aesthetic is your own to create and customize, as you can combine these styles I’ve recommended to create something entirely new! I understand the feeling of not wanting to deal with the heat and just throwing on some crappy shorts and a boring tank top. Having inspiration for what you want is the best way to alter your closet for this sickening heat. At the end of the day, you’re hotter than this weather — so show it and be your truest, most stylish self!