Hi Friends - I’m finishing up this post at the San Diego airport waiting for my flight back to Chicago. I was in SD for our ABBY ALLEY pop up event at Natalie Borton Designs yesterday and I’m leaving so full of inspiration. More on that another time, but it was such a good reminder that connecting in person is really energizing and life giving! Ok onwards…
I love summer. I love fall too, but after living in Florida for seven months, I am a warm weather gal. I really love the ease of getting dressed in warm weather. And I’m so excited to be thinking about my core wardrobe for this summer in Chicago. I’m going to walk you through my thought process.
Principles for my summer wardrobe:
Stay true to my adjectives: chill, easy, comfortable, authentic, minimal
Natural fibers
Stick to 70-80% neutrals and 20-30% prints/colors
Summer Trends: what I’m going to try vs. stay away from:
Let this be your sign it’s ok to pass on trends that don’t fit into your personal style. :)
Sheer fabrics - I love this when I see it done well and am open to trying it if I find something I truly love/ fits my adjectives, but not a must have for me. It doesn’t feel overly practical for my lifestyle.
Relaxed tailoring - I’d love to try this in linen or cotton trousers. I have yet to find any that fit well, but I’m not going to give up. While I really love the waistcoats I’m seeing, I don’t see this style as fitting into my core adjectives, so I’ll probably skip this. It’s is also showing up in oversized blazers, which is great if you’re a blazer person, but I’m not. I just saw this one at Natalie’s shop and it’s a stunner!
Drop waists on dresses - just not for me at all. I’ll stick to my easy breezy dresses. But I do like the column dresses I’m seeing like this one.
Drawstring denim/pants/shorts. Love it and I might try this first with linen pants like these or these before venturing to denim.
Sardines/Fish prints - love it - you’ve seen my obsession with this dress already!
Stripes - love it. Since stripes are sort of always classic, I think this is a safe way to try a trend. I have a whole shelf on my ShopMy for stripes. :)
Fisherman sandals are a no for me. I think they’re cute on other people, but the style just doesn’t appeal to me. I prefer strappy sandals or slides. Here’s my summer sandals round up!
Straw/Grass Bags - definitely here for this and feel it’s always a classic. Beware though - soooo many “straw” or “grass” bags are marketed as such, but are really made of plastic or paper. Those won’t hold up. I’m partial to our Basket Tote that we made in collaboration with Natalie Borton Designs!
Bermuda shorts - into it! I have these and love them!
Maxi Skirts - I have mixed feelings about this one. I am very drawn to them, but in reality I don’t I wear them as much as I think I will…so I’m hesitant. There are a really good ones listed here.
Silks - I’ve been seeing them in track shorts/pants like these and as much as I think they are cute, I just don’t see this as practical for the heat. Also beware of those being marketed as silk, but are actually made from synthetic fabrics.
5 Summer Clothing Essentials:
I’m all about a one and done look in the summer - so dresses and jumpsuits are essential. And then really good foundational pieces you can wear on repeat make getting dressed easy.
A really good white tank top. Maybe even two.
A linen button up. This one is my fave.
A go-to easy breezy dress or two.
Lightweight cotton or linen pants (or shorts).
5 Must Have Accessories:
I chose these five items because I know from experience that the cost per wear makes them well worth it. These
Basket Tote - the only tote you’ll need all summer
Sling Bag - the BEST bag for travel and anytime you want to be hands free
Sunnies - I love this style right now, but I always, always love chunky black frames
Sandals you’ll live in - these are my personal favorites
A pair of gold hoops - I love these! So chic!
5 Outfits I pinned that I plan to recreate using what I already own:





That’s all for now! I have to board my flight! If you’re on the hunt for anything (or have any fun finds) - drop it in the comments or add it to our chat!
xo,
Abby
So chic! Love these ideas and your style!
love these tips