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Temperatures are on the rise, the days are getting longer, and our winter coats have been properly stowed until next season. Only one thing could be true: summer is fast approaching. This also means that the need for chic city attire is at an all-time high–think fashion fit for steamy commutes to-and-from the office, afternoons spent picnicking in the park, and festive post-work soirées. We’re not talking about resort wear here, either. Summer city outfits embrace the easy, breeziness of the season without going full on tropical. Instead of palm tree-printed dresses and statement swimwear, there are tailored linen separates, woven leather totes, and minimalist sandals. Below, it’s a city slickers’ take on warm weather dressing and it’s all supremely chic.
Vogue’s Summer-in-the-City Wish List:
- The Summery Suit Vest: St. Agni linen vest, $380
- The Thong Sandal: Reformation Jessie thong sandals, $128
- The Basket Bag: Hunting Season leather-trimmed straw tote, $425
- The Crochet Top: Diotima Scallop crochet top, $625
- The Pajama-Like Pant: Skall Studio Rue pants, $195
- The Boho Blouse: Merlette Lotus smocked blouson-sleeve voile blouse, $300
- The Drop-Waist Dress: By Malene Birger strapless organic cotton maxi dress, $250
- The Minimalist Sandal: Amanu Studio Mombasa leather sandals, $295
- The Easy, Breezy Poplin Skirt: Loulou Studio Artemis pleated maxiskirt, $435
- The Linen Trousers: Posse Presley trousers, $310
Looking for a new dress but don’t want to look as though you’re beach bound? Enter By Malene Birger’s two-toned, drop-waist maxi. Ensuring you stay casual yet cool, it looks great with Amanu Studio’s barely-there black sandals and a raffia day clutch from Banana Republic. Shell jewelry, like Éliou’s pendant necklace, is welcome, too. Similarly stylish is St. Agni’s linen suit vest, a defining quiet luxury staple this summer. Turn to Suzie Kondi’s blue-and-white striped skirt and a pair of Reformation thong sandals to end on a nautical note. Other summer tailoring essentials include J.Crew’s mellow-yellow, cinched-waist blazer, a pair of lightweight linen trousers from Posse, and Mara Hoffman’s oversized, button-up shirt.
For bohemian spirits on the opposite side of the sartorial spectrum, you’ll find crochet tops from Diotima, Nia Thomas, and JW Anderson, which pair perfectly with Conner Ives’ summer-friendly jeans to Dries Van Noten’s printed poolside pants. Proenza Schouler’s multi-colored, halter-top is also taking up prime real estate in our shopping carts, best worn with a pair of powder blue trousers from St. Agni and Reformation’s strappy heeled sandals. Keep scrolling to find 12 summer-in-the-city outfits that capture that festive summer feeling.
The Summery Suit Vest With a Striped Poplin Skirt
Summer shopping tip? Invest in the suit vest, specifically this bright white, linen version from St. Agni. Off-set the menswear-inspired moment by styling it with Suzie Kondi’s blue-and-white striped midiskirt. Chic finishing touches include a pair of simple thong sandals from Reformation to Loewe’s covetable raffia tote.
The Lightweight, Tailoring Essential With a Pinstripe Pant
Move over boxy, black blazers! There’s a new tailoring essential in town: J.Crew’s buttery yellow, cinched-waist style. Go for a monochromatic look and pair it with Jenni Kayne’s pinstripe pants and Matteau’s scoop-neck tank top. Summertime loafers from Flattered and Hunting Season’s basket bag are elegant accessories guaranteed to last all season–and then some.
The Crochet Cropped Top With a Rope Sandal
Crochet and the summer months go hand-in-hand, which makes Diotima’s cropped top a no-brainer. Styling-wise, maximize its potential with Pucci’s denim skirt and a pair of rope sandals from Miu Miu. Meanwhile, little red accessories from Dragon Diffusion and Gucci fit just right.
The Boho Blouse With a Pajama-Like Pant
A wear-with-everything blouse works just as hard as you do in the summer months. Some of our go-tos in this category include this charming puff-sleeve pick from Merlette. It’s a great mate for Skall Studio’s striped pajama-like pants, which are relaxed yet refined. Ancient Greek Sandals’s suede fisherman sandals and Weekend Max Mara’s macrame bucket hat are crucial to fishing off this city outfit in style.
The Two-Toned, Drop-Waist Dress With a Barely-There Sandal
Nothing makes for easy summer dressing quite like an all-in-one-outfit dress. By Malene Birger’s two-toned maxi features a flattering drop-waist silhouette and strapless neckline. Since we’re all about the elevated essential, style it with B-Low the Belt’s chain link belt to really drive home the drop-waist. Other buzzy accessories include Amanu Studio’s barely-there sandals and a raffia day clutch from Banana Republic.
The Summer Night’s Top With a Powder Blue Pant
Oh, those warm summer nights! What could be better? Dress the part, starting with Proenza Schouler’s crochet-lined halter-top and a pair of powder blue pants from St. Agni. Reformation’s strappy heeled sandals are masterfully minimal; the same goes for dainty jewels from Mejuri and Completedworks.
The Dress-as-a-Top With a Summer-Friendly Jean
Searching for a fresh way to style your dresses this season? Look no further than JW Anderson’s crochet mini, which looks great worn over a pair of summer-friendly jeans from Conner Ives. Add in some everyday sparkle by way of Alaïa’s mesh Mary Janes and Magda Butrym’s sequin mini bag.
The Jersey Tank With a Long-Line Denim Short
It’s sleeveless season! Celebrate in style with Conner Ives’ printed jersey tank top and a pair of long-line denim shorts from Haikure. Dries Van Noten’s metallic sneakers are hot for summer, while SC103’s woven handbag belongs on any cool-girls wish list.
The Tropical-Printed Pant With an Trendy Espadrille
It’s not usual that we make a case for tropical-printed pieces outside of vacation, but these drawstring pants from Dries Van Noten beg to differ. Foundational to any chic city outfit, pair them with Nia Thomas’s crochet polo top, Loewe’s just-launched espadrilles, and a roomy leather tote from DeMellier.
The Day-to-Night Top With a Great White Jean
The styling mileage of a day-to-night top in the summer months is limitless. Complete with flattering ruching and the brand’s signature beaded-detailing, Christopher Esber’s bustier belongs in any summer capsule wardrobe. We especially love how it looks styled with a simple white jean and a strappy sandal from Aeyde. Loewe’s cheerful basket bag never hurts, either.
The Easy, Breezy Midiskirt With a Striped Canvas Tote
Loulou Studio’s black poplin midiskirt is embodies sophistication and ease. This summer, style it with J.Crew’s pocket-detailed suit vest and a pair of raffia-adorned sandals, again from Amanu Studio. Toteme’s striped canvas tote is practical as it is polished, as is a printed silk scarf from Loewe, which can be worn around your neck, as a top, or tied onto the handle of your bag.
The Multi-Use Button-Up With a Lightweight Linen Pant
The stylistic opportunities of a button-up shirt know no bounds during the summer season. Here, we love how Mara Hoffman’s striped shirt looks left open, layered atop Arch 4’s plain white tee. Posse’s lightweight linen pants anchor the city outfit, while St. Agni’s wedge sandals offer up some edge. A chic alternative to your raffia handbag, Stella McCartney’s leather-trimmed mesh bag is a certified It item.