From Meetings to Monaco: Summer Outfit Ideas for Every Occasion
We wait all year long for summer, longing for the sun and dreaming of far away beaches without cell service. And yet, if you’re anything like me, summer comes and you feel like you have nothing to wear! Your friends are planning their summer trip to Hawaii, Cape Cod or Italy. Your colleagues are telling you about the barbecue they’ll be having at their house in June. Your mom is calling you about the weekend of the 4th, and you better make it! And while that all sounds fun, to varying degrees, the real question is: what are we wearing?
When it comes to finding summer outfit ideas, whether you’re looking on Pinterest, Instagram or TikTok, we have a philosophy here at Indyx that is going to make things much easier for you.
How To Find Outfit Inspiration
Scrolling through Pinterest for summer outfit ideas can make you feel like you need to go on a huge shopping haul. I can't scroll through TikTok without the Zara product code covering half my screen or repeated messages to check their bio for product links. It sometimes makes me feel like I need to unexpectedly come across a small fortune to afford all these “must-have items” every influencer is selling.
But you don’t need new clothes and you don’t need more mo-... just kidding, I don’t even think Rihanna would say no to more money.
The point is, it is completely possible to achieve many of the looks you are inspired by just by creatively shopping your own closet - and that way you can save the money for that dream summer vacation, instead.
Not needing new clothes should come as a relief, but you’re probably wondering how you’re going to pull off that new look without the new Prada tank top or the long Burberry denim skirt. The solution is to take a step back, forget the brand, and forget the item. This may seem counterintuitive to recreating a summer outfit, but stay with me. When you zoom out and see all the pieces together, we can more clearly see the essence of the outfit and what makes it appealing.
We want to capture the mood of the outfit, so the best question to ask is: what is your impression of the influencer or model? Does she look edgy? Does she look a mix of classy and sexy? Does she look academic? Or maybe quirky?
What we want to make sure we don’t do is buy each exact item said influencer is advertising, or worse - a dupe - that some other influencer is selling. What’s the point of just copying someone else’s outfit anyways? Let your individual style show through your clothes!
In simple terms: don’t be basic. In detailed terms: employ an outfit formula.
Once you know what the overall mood is, you can assess what characteristic is important about each item that is necessary to recreate the same impression. You don’t need each individual piece to completely emulate your favorite summer outfit ideas. As we go through an example, the balance between specificity and maintaining your individuality will become more clear and easier to follow.
How To Use Outfit Formulas
The secret to creating outfit formulas that work for your style is focusing on the output before inserting all the inputs. You want to end up with an outfit formula that gives you the basic building blocks to create a cute summer outfit and the breathing room to make it your own.
Let’s use the question I laid out above when looking at Laura’s summer outfit: what is the impression she is giving us?
Words that come to mind for me are nonchalance, relaxed and effortless. Almost like she got out of bed and just threw on some sleek, elegant accessories to meet her friends for brunch.
Keeping those words in mind, we then break down the outfit into a formula. You don’t want to be as vague as a shirt, but you also don’t need to be as specific as a loose blue cotton button down shirt. We need to focus on what matters based on the mood we want to achieve.
The colors and the fabric don’t really matter and neither does the matching set, why? None of these things have an impact on how effortless or detached she looks. For example, the fit of the shirt is far more important than the color or the fabric, so we can go with a loose button down shirt.
baggy boxer shorts + loose button down shirt + sleek heels + sunglasses + small purse = nonchalant, effortless
I want to emphasize that there is no “right” answer, so don’t get too stuck with how you define the terms. It’s about what helps you use your wardrobe to create the outfit that inspired you in the first place.
While I don’t have a matching light blue set, I do have a button down shirt and some white shorts. I have black sandals that create the same sleek effect as her heels. I don’t have her oval sunglasses, but I do have my go-to cat eye sunglasses which is for the best anyways because that is the style that I prefer. Lastly, while I don’t have her woven clutch I do have a black clutch that makes this look more duochromatic and ultimately more, well, me.
The great thing about these formulas is that you can recreate different iterations of the same summer outfit ideas. Say I wanted to create a more fun look without losing the effortless aspect:
First, the top and bottom don’t need to match so I can easily substitute my white shorts for some baggy beige shorts. If I want to adventure into a more colorful and bold style I can accessorize with my pink sunglasses, pink ballerina flats and sparkly clutch. The accessories still elevate the slouchier look of the shirt and shorts but create a more vibrant look.
And voilà, two cute summer outfits from the same formula to quench your search for brunch summer outfit ideas.
Before using the Indyx app, getting summer outfit ideas from Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok was more often than not a stressful experience for me. The more I scrolled, the more mental notes I took of all the clothes I needed to buy.
Now I use the Indyx outfit builder to scroll through and pick out clothes that recreate the same essence of my favorite summer outfit inspo by following a simple, stripped down formula that encourages me to still make it my own.
While we’re still stuck in the office or picking up our kids from school, summer is right around the corner which means there are plenty of cute summer outfit ideas to start trying out. I’ve chosen a few of my favorites and played around with how I could recreate it with what is already in my wardrobe.
Outfit Ideas (or, Formulas!) For Summer
Summer Outfit Idea #1: Classic neutral colored dress + beach bag + beach hat + flip flops + sunglasses
If you’re looking for summer vacation outfit ideas à la ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ with that New England beachy vibe, Jasmine’s got your back! The look we are going for is put together and simple, but there are a lot of ways to achieve that. In this case we do want mostly neutral colors and classic silhouettes that keep this look elegant.
While I own many little black dresses, none of them were midi length like Jasmine’s. But I didn’t go out shopping for a midi dress, because it’s just not my style.
Instead, I found a halter dress in my closet that has a full silhouette and emulates Jasmine’s simple elegance. I added my go-to neutral colored beach bag and a more structured woven hat. While Jasmine isn’t wearing any shoes, I’m going to be needing this outfit for more than a picture so I threw in some black flip flops that are elevated by the rest of the outfit.
Finally got the great tan you’ve been looking forward to all year long and want to show it off? Wear a white dress instead, you can still recreate this look! You can grab a bag that is a little bolder in color or shape, like this green woven beach bag and it won’t take away from the classy look of the outfit.
Summer Outfit Idea #2: Colorful vest + bag + neutral loose bottoms + colorful flats
Are you looking for some casual summer outfit ideas that are still cool and edgy? Well, Courtnee is that girl. For a stylish but casual summer outfit, focus on items that stand out - and there is no easier way to do that in the summer than with color.
Any pants or shorts that are white, beige, or gray will work as the “backdrop”. Then choose any colorful vest or tank top that is colorful and a little unexpected for summer. Mine is a knit blue vest that I wouldn’t usually think to wear in the summer. For the first outfit I accessorized color blocking with my pink pointed ballerina flats that really catch the eye.
If the color blocking is too much for you, stick to the same bold color, and it will still stand out against the neutral bottoms. I used all blue, a blue bag and blue pointed ballerina flats (yes I like pointed shoes!).
Summer Outfit Idea #3: Button down shirt + tailored bottoms + big bag + chunky jewelry + closed flat shoes
Summer isn’t all fun and games so here is a summer outfit idea for the office from Olympia Gayot, and who better to give workwear advice than the Head of Women’s Design at J.Crew? Here she is creating a very colorful and vibrant look that she keeps professional with tailored pieces.
This outfit formula gives you a lot of liberty to play around with colors. In the first look I color blocked green tailored pants with some equally vibrant pink flats. For the second look I wanted to wear some shorts for those extra hot office days and decided to keep it a more neutral tone so that it feels more appropriate for the office. And don’t forget the chunky jewelry to really elevate the outfit. Who says office dressing needs to be boring?
Summer Outfit Idea #4: Long silk/satin skirt + camisole top + bag + shoes
In case you haven’t heard, all the teens on TikTok have determined that this year is the return of hot girl summer. So of course I have summer date night outfit ideas! Dannaed’s style here is very sleek and chic.
If you’re going somewhere fancy at night, keep her black and white look. I didn’t have the exact same skirt length but I prefer the long skirt anyways so why buy another one just a few inches shorter?
If instead this is a daytime date, make the outfit more casual with some color and a pair of sneakers. The look is more vibrant and comfortable but still chic and flirty.
Summer Outfit Idea #5: Asymmetrical black top + white bottoms + black bag + black bottom
Looking for some summer vacation outfit ideas when traveling? Aida has the perfect versatile summer outfit inspo that is both elegant and practical so let’s break it down.
The key to recreating her on the go elegant impression is a full black and white look. For the daytime wear a hat, sneakers, and shorts. At night you can switch for some heels, pants, and a sleek belt. Summer doesn’t last nearly long enough, so don’t waste any time having to figure out your outfits and wear something you can easily adapt from day to night.
Summer Outfit Idea #6: Tee shirt + long skirt + sweater + mini bag + sneakers
Spanish people have the fortune of basically living in a year-long summer temperature. I’m exaggerating of course, but they do know a thing or two about dressing for the summer. This look is laidback and cool and it achieves that through mixing casual items with a very “it-girl” skirt: the denim midi skirt.
For those who like Gala’s neutral color palette, a white top, a midi denim skirt, Converse sneakers and woven leather bag are perfect. This is a great look for a summer weekend or while sightseeing in a new city.
For a more whimsical look, we can play with colors, you can wear a green tank top with a matching green bag, paired with a midi denim skirt and top it off with some cowboy boots. Still laidback, but a little funkier.
In Summary, When Finding Summer Outfit Ideas:
Don’t fall for the “must-have” traps
Ask yourself why you love the outfit in the first place. It’s another way of asking what the mood of the outfit is but reframing it to focus on your likes and dislikes.
Focus on what about the summer outfit gives you that impression, and what the general pieces are (e.g., a long silky skirt vs. code 3350/588 from Zara).
Play around with similar pieces you already own, and remember an outfit formula is there as a springboard for ideas rather than something you need to re-create exactly.
Now it’s time to take the training wheels off: all the cute summer outfit ideas you’ve saved or screenshotted to your camera roll are waiting for you to make them your own. Hop on over to the Indyx app for free on iOS or Android and get styling because summer is just around the corner. I’d know, I’m counting down the seconds.
Rebecca is a fashion stylist and writer, recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and currently living in London. She enjoys reading, skiing and having people cook for her.
