What I’m wearing for Summer 2022

Dressing for warm weather is not my forte. I realized this with disappointing clarity last spring when we moved to North Carolina, and I had to dress for ~30-degree weather every single day. For MONTHS!
 
My previous experience with spring/summer wardrobe dressing still included staples like jeans, button ups, and even light sweaters – a laughable notion for the south.
 
I quickly cobbled together a capsule wardrobe last year, but after wearing the same two maxi dresses, and feeling fairly frumpy in my oversized linen shirts, I knew I needed a more thoughtful approach this year.
 
As the temperature has started to creep up the past couple of weeks (not complaining about the sunny 25-degree days, I promise!), I’ve spent time planning what my wardrobe will look like this time around.
 
Here’s my approach:
 

• I started by picking out the few pieces I wore that I actually felt happy and confident in and expanded from there:

  • My Hill House nap dress was something I reached for a lot because it was easy to throw on (no bra needed) and made me feel dressed up. I didn’t want to overwear it and become tired of the pattern, so I added “printed flowy dresses” to my list of things to shop for.

  • Similarly, I reached for my black and tan linen maxi dresses A LOT. Both of them have a similar cut, so I’ve added some different styles to my list to shop for.

• Then I looked at what the gaps were in my wardrobe:

  • I really like shorts + top combos – I have great linen shorts but haven’t found any tops I love. If they were the right cut, they were made of fabric that wouldn’t be breathable, and if they were the right fabric, they were usually too tight or too loose. In cooler weather, it’s easier to offset a slightly ill-fitting top by throwing on a blazer or even a scarf…in warmer weather the right fit matters more!
     

• Lastly, I checked out new trends I might want to incorporate:

  • I’m still dead set against the 90s/Y2K low-rise bottoms and bodycon dresses that seem to be everywhere (they look amazing on some, but I just can’t). But I can get down with bright colours/colour-blocking, regency-core, and twee pieces. Also – platforms. Platforms forever! They aren’t a trend for me, they’re a staple.

 
I’m still in the planning phase, but I think an easy way to share some visuals are through Pinterest, and a new browser plug-in I discovered called Carrot.
 
Carrot works by saving the stuff you’ve put in your shopping cart across any site. It then also categorizes it and allows you to edit and create “collections”. This is my new favourite tool for wardrobe planning!
 
You can check out what I’m adding to my spring/summer wardrobe collection here!
 
Also, big thank you to Cara for nudging back into fashion content :) I’m always curious about what you’d like to read about, so hit reply and let me know! Xox