For the past three summers, I’ve been lucky enough to have the experience of working and living at a summer camp on Lake Erie. Prior to that, I had been going to the camp for four years as a camper. I’ll admit, I still find magic in the whole camp experience. It is a place where people feel free, do the best work they can, and above all, have fun. Through all the crazy memories, irreplaceable experiences, and life-long friends I have made, the one thing that has stuck with me perhaps the most during the off-season is the unique style that is showcased during a summer at camp.
Recently, several clothing brands have drawn on these ideas for different camp themed clothing lines, collections, and even entire brands centered around “camp” style. One of the more notable of these is Camp Collection, in which Tamar Wilde drew on her own experience from Jewish sleepaway summer camp to create an entire brand centered around clothing that keeps the spirit of summer camp (read on to hear Tamar speak more about this here).
Aside from this, we can see the combinations between summer camp, fashion, art, and business wrapped up in the current world around us. Take, for example, rapper Tyler the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw music festival, where all of these elements were drawn together during November 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Or perhaps look at all the camp-themed parties and weddings popping up around the country. There are even adult summer camps which bring the traditional elements of sleepaway camp and combine it with being adult-only.
No matter which way you look at it, summer camps are here to stay. But even if you’ve never experienced summer camp for yourself, you can still get in on the fun with these summer camp inspired clothing trends for this upcoming season.
- All-Purpose Overalls and Jumpsuits
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Whether you’re dressing up, spending a day at the pool, going shopping, or doing the dirty work, these pieces will be there for you all the way.
- Double-Duty Bathing Suits
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No time to change out of that bathing suit? No problem. Using your swimsuits as pieces in your outfit are essential to activity-filled days.
- Denim, Denim, Denim
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What more can I say? Denim is the material that just keeps on giving. Try layering different washes on top of each other to give your outfit a cool twist.
- Break Out the Bright Colors
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Rain or shine, these bold pieces are sure to give your summer outfits the pops of color that everyone needs.
- Vintage Vibes
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Baggy graphic tees, thrifted scarves, cool tanks, and classic button-ups are where it’s at.
There’s so much more to camp than just the outfits, but we don’t have time for me to put into words how profoundly this experience has changed my life. So, with that being said and with summer just around the corner, these looks are sure to have you covered when you’re looking for both style and comfort.
Lastly, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of my lovely friends and coworkers who provided me with such great outfits from over the summer (Only 46 more days until camp!!)
Image Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16