No-Fail Summer Outfit Formula to Look Polished

It’s mid July and you’re probably in the heat of it. You’re just trying to stay cool, but you’d also like to look classy and polished. I’ve got you covered. Today I’m sharing a no-fail summer outfit formula that always works.

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I’m going to work this no-fail summer outfit formula two ways today with just slight variations. But you can pull pieces from your own closet to duplicate the effect in your own personal style, guaranteed.

cool, soft tones like beige and white

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matching tank and outer layer

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breathable, lightweight fabrics

no-fail summer outfit formula

My no-fail summer outfit formula is easy enough. Just select items from your closet in cool, soft tones like beige and white. You could also consider soft grey, ivory or light camel. If you just really want to wear some color, keep it light and subtle, like pale peach or soft pink, icy blue or frosty green.

The next step is to start with a simple tank. I prefer something close to the body like my Michael Stars tank (or here), but you could work the formula with a looser fitting tank or tee, too.

Next, wear pants, skirt or shorts in a lightweight, breathable fabric, keeping the colors soft, subdued and neutral if possible. I love my Eileen Fisher cotton & hemp blend cargo lantern pants (also here and here) for this. While I usually size down in EF to a small, this time I stuck with the medium since they’re a little more fitted in the hips. Just consider where you carry your weight when deciding on the size. I have lots of room in the waist to size down, but my hips are wider so I went with the medium.

I’m loving the wider silhouette pants because they allow for air circulation underneath, ideal for hotter weather. Plus, the 66% organic cotton/32% hemp blend provides breathability and a cooling effect. So choose something similar from your closet, including linen, bamboo, Tencel or silk. By the way, you can see another way I styled these beige cargo lantern pants in this recent blog post.

The next essential in working this no-fail summer outfit formula is to top the tank with a lightweight outer piece, once again in a breathable, natural fiber fabric. For both outfits I’ve chosen to wear linen, a personal favorite. But you could go with any of the aforementioned natural fiber fabrics. I just personally love linen for summer. Here I’m wearing my washed linen button-up jacket.

Oh, and did I mention that the outer piece needs to be the same color as your tank? So if you opt for a beige tank and white pants, wear a beige jacket or shirt over the tank. Or if you wear a soft blue tank you’d want to top it with a soft blue outer piece. Make sense? Keep the outer piece the same color as the tank. It needs to be loose-fitting, open and easy-breezy.

Your shoes will help set the tone for the outfit, so choose them accordingly. For this first outfit I wanted something a little sporty and very wearable. I’m loving the look of sporty trainers with casual outfits, so I opted for my On Cloud 5 running shoes in pearl and white. Aren’t they so gentle on the eyes? They’re VERY comfortable, TTS. And notice the laces. You just slip them on and go!

Let me show you another slight variation on this no-fail summer outfit formula with just a couple of other options from my closet. Not much different here really. But I did swap the jacket out for a short sleeve handkerchief linen button-up shirt (similar and similar and another brand).

Of course you could choose to wear a long sleeved linen or cotton shirt here, too. And remember, we’re keeping the outer shirt the same color as the tank. So if you choose a beige tank you’d want to wear a beige shirt, etc.

This time I worked the no-fail summer outfit formula with my gold Naot Dorith sandals. I do think you want to wear something in a light color on your feet, whether it’s beige or white or a soft metallic like these super comfortable leather sandals. I wear a 9.5M, so I sized up to a 10M since they only run in whole sizes. That works perfectly for a great fit.

Finally, for both looks I kept my jewelry minimal with just a white leather band watch and large, thin hoop earrings. Too much jewelry will just look hot and feel bothersome. And, not to detract from the overall look, I carried my soft taupe Kate Spade Hudson convertible crossbody.

So that’s the no-fail summer outfit formula that works every time when your goal is simply to keep cool, but also look classy and pulled together. Can you think of ways you can work this simple formula with pieces in your closet?

Thank you so much for stopping in. I hope you got a little style inspiration to help you get dressed for your day.

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