I’ve always struggled with dressing myself, mostly due to a lack of style, but also partly because of my height. The length of the legs on my 6-foot body makes it somewhat difficult to find pants that are long enough and shorts that don’t show the world all of my prizes. Usually, I settle for pants that make people ask if I’m expecting a flood or shorts that are long enough but are way too big around my waist.
With summer fast approaching, the idea of finding perfectly fit clothing makes me want to scream. I desire to be a trendy Pinterest girl, but find that every time I try, I fail. Miserably. Of course, I have some cute outfits that will slay the day when I wear them, but more often than not, they become redundant. This summer, however, I plan on being different, or at least trying to — and here’s how.
The Spot To Shop
How will I upgrade my style, you might ask? Well, I’m wondering the same thing. As a college student, I can’t afford to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe for myself. That leaves me with two options: fast fashion or thrifting.
We’ve all undeniably fallen victim to the former, especially when the swimsuits on SHEIN are super cute and cheap. There are a few problems with fast fashion. Beyond the ethical issues, the quality of their clothing is simply not good. Yes, you could have a great summer wardrobe bought from SHEIN or Temu, but you may risk people being able to see your undergarments when you wear it.
It looks like my other option is to hit the thrift stores. I don’t consider myself an avid thrifter, but I’ve dabbled in my past. Typically, when I do thrift, it’s when I’m on vacation at the beach. In my mind, there’s no better place to vamp up your summer wardrobe than in a beach town. I’ve had success, but usually, all I ever find are oversized items to use as cover-ups for my bikinis. This is fine, but I unfortunately can’t always wear a bikini.
Instead of looking for single-use items, I should be plundering the thrift stores for multifunctional items. I doubt I’ll find all I’m looking for at Goodwill, so I may have to venture to resale stores such as Marshalls, TJMaxx, or even Target to find what thrift stores don’t have to offer me. But, what exactly am I trying to find?
The Hunt
Although I know where to start looking, I don’t exactly know what it is I’m trying to find. Pinterest should have all the answers on how to make the ultimate summer outfits. When I did a deep dive into the wonderful app, I found several things that I liked and think others may like too. Picture Mamma Mia! meets Tommy Bahama for a European travel look this summer. Linen pants and baby doll tank tops seem to be the most popular combination.
To my surprise, I hardly saw any tight jean shorts and tank top combos that used to be all the rage. It does, however, seem like your grandma’s style is coming into use. Several looks with crochet aspects popped up along with long skirts and old-lady-style patterns. I’m here for this vintage look.
When I do go on the hunt for these pieces of clothing, I’m going to be looking for several things. I’m obsessed with colorful, crochet half tops that almost look like a bikini but are acceptable to wear to your favorite restaurant. Linen and flowy pants, specifically white ones, pair well with one of those tops. I plan on searching for wide-legged pants — maybe even a little too big to fit the flowy pant vibe. I think that it’s always good to look past the women’s section at thrift shops, especially for us long-legged girls.
Low-rise pants also seem to be coming back into style, so the pants can almost be a little saggy. I’ll also be looking for skirts that flow to the floor and give a boho feel, floral patterns, tanks, and most of all: overalls. I think that this summer we’ll see overalls and jumpsuits layered over tight tanks or tube tops, along with skorts that pair well with sleeveless blouses.
the outfit
Okay, we know what’s in style, but how do we style them? I briefly mentioned pairing linen pants with crochet tops. That’s easy enough, but I want to take it one step further. Keep your jean shorts and tank tops; we’ll eventually need those for layering. Layering is my favorite part of winter styling, but it can be somewhat difficult to do in the heat of the summer. I layer fun white knitted and sheer tops over bikinis, so why not layer those same tops over skin-tight shirts?
The ideal outfit in my mind for this summer is one that takes some of the items I listed and combines them with accessories. I think that jumpsuits can be paired over a plain top while jean overalls can pair well with a vintage top, maybe even with one strap hanging down. Either of these outfits paired with dainty hoops, earrings, and rings will complete the look.
Fun, colorful tote bags can be paired with a plain colored tube top and flowy linen pants, or wear that plain tube top with a long flowy skirt. If you’re looking to stick with the basic tight crop top and jean shorts combo, don’t be afraid to layer! Put a sheer cover-up over a classic jean shorts and tank combination and you have a new outfit entirely.
These are just a few suggestions based on my Pinterest feed! It doesn’t matter how other’s perceive your style, all that matters is that you feel good. When you feel confident, your clothes don’t matter. Go slay this summer!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Pinterest!