Learning From Old Favourites

I can’t believe it’s already June, and at the same time, I feel like 2023 has been 3 years long already. To say that it’s progressed at full-tilt and packed a wallop is an understatement. Summer snuck up on me this year but I’m now ready to embrace it. Before I start to tell you about what things I’m most excited to start wearing again and what I’ve learned from them, let’s just get one thing cleared up first.

I am not – and, let’s face it, have never been – Hot Girl Summer.

My lifestyle icon remains, above all, Jessica Fletcher. My summer is about puttering around the house and garden, thrifting and antiquing, doing needle crafts, reading, writing, and solving cozy mysteries in my quaint Maine village (I wish!).

I think it’s important to be very clear and realistic about your priorities, because there will always be articles and social media dangling tantalizing prospects of different “yous” that you might be, and you need to recognize them for the traps they are or else end up with a bunch of things in your closet that will mock you with their unsuitability forever.

Gen Z TikTok: not today, Satan.

Ok, look, I don’t want to sound like the old fogey that I am. There is a fine but very important balance between being open to new ideas and knowing which ones serve your needs and which don’t. I’m not ALL about saying “no” but I am also enthusiastic about saying “no” when it’s needed.

Before I engage with any consumerist propaganda about the “it pieces” for summer 2023, it’s important to do a little self-reflection first about what things (a) I wore a lot and enjoyed a lot last summer, and (b) am excited to wear again this summer. This exercise serves a couple of purposes. One, it helps me to focus on my actual needs and lifestyle and reinforce in my own mind what the key pillars of my summer wardrobe are. This, in turn, gives me a framework for evaluating any potential new additions to my summer wardrobe.

Let’s break this down by category.

Shoes

My favourite (and most worn) shoes last year were, in no particular order:

… Birkenstocks, Old Navy flat sandals, Fluevog gladiator-style sandals, and Barbara Barbieri grommet sandals.

These shoes cover the gamut of my various aesthetics and, most importantly, meet my comfort requirements. I have no patience for uncomfortable shoes – that means high heels, straps that dig in, etc. Looking at this list, I realize that I don’t really need or want any new shoes, unless we are talking about a pair of big buckle Arizonas in black (one of the early “it” shoes of the year, and still sold out most places) and/or a pair of vintage kitten heel mules, preferably Manolo Blahnik. I don’t need another pair of Birkenstocks but it’s a trendy shoe that happens to be fully in alignment with my (life)style, so if a cheap pair falls onto my path, I am not going to say no. As for the Manolos, it’s something I have been wanting for a while, as they would be perfect for the 90s-influenced outfits I’ve been enjoying lately. I think I would prefer a closed-toe version (more of an all-season item) but I am open to something strappy provided it’s comfortable.

Toppers

Other than vests, my favourite toppers for summer are my Prairie Trail Goods patchwork jackets:

These are lightweight and, because they skim the body and have puffy sleeves, are quite breezy. I can wear them on relatively hot days and not get sweaty. I like wearing some sort of topper to cut down on the amount of sunscreen that I have to wear, and to “dress up” some of my plainer summer dresses. Cropped jackets like this help to give definition to sack-like dresses (which I adore) and work well with high-waisted pants, jeans and skirts.

For summer toppers, I don’t want anything too tight or structured on the body. No delicate or “sweaty” fabrics (cotton and linen are best). And oversized fits are “tread carefully” territory for me – they don’t tend to work well with the romantic/prairie aesthetic I like, so unless I have a clear plan for the item, no impulse buys allowed.

Dresses

I love summer dresses with length, volume, and swish:

I know exactly which dress I want to add to my wardrobe this summer, and it’s a white version of the black dress in the photo above. I’ve also realized that I prefer summer dresses that are sleeveless; I know that puffy sleeved cottagecore dresses are still quite popular and, while they do fall within my aesthetic wheelhouse, I’m personally not a fan. I can’t double up on sleeves if I’m wearing a topper (see above) because I hate the feeling of bunchiness.

Slip dresses are mostly a “no” for me; the fabrics they tend to use are wrong for me – too clingy, too staticky, too “sweaty”.  Short dresses are also out; I only enjoy wearing short hemlines with opaque tights, which is obviously not an option in the summer.

Pants

For the past few years, I have one pair of jeans and one pair of pants that I wear on repeat in the summer:

I’ve talked ad nauseam about my search for a pair of wide-leg palazzo jeans, so I won’t bore you with that again. As much as my IG newsfeed is currently awash in wide-leg, full length pants (in beige or khaki) paired with sneakers, I decline to participate. I don’t like how those pants break at the feet, and I know my short inseam will only exacerbate that problem.

Accessories

My must-have accessory for summer, every summer, is a straw fedora-style hat:

I need a hat to protect my face (and ears!) from the sun, and through trial and error, I’ve found this style best suits my head/face shape and is the most versatile for the outfits I wear. I will not be tempted by any other kind of hat, because I know I am only going to default to this one regardless of anything else I buy.

As far as bags go, I have 2 modes:

… ludicrously capacious (non-luxury) tote or tiny crossbody. Most days, it’s the latter. I just don’t like to feel weighed down, or have my hands occupied. The key to using small bags is having a minimalist wallet and stashing a Baggu foldable tote in case of any purchases. I haven’t been interested in designer bags for years now, but I am very keen on Coach bags again – either the vintage leather ones or some of the recent art collabs (like the Basquiat one). Something classic or something playful, but small and not too heavy.

After going through this exercise, I found myself backing off a bunch of items that I had been tentatively eyeing online. Although cute, they don’t align with my needs and preferences. I’ve also refined my list of pieces to look for going forward; I’m focusing on the must-have elements and the absolutely-not ones, rather than specific items, because this allows me latitude to remain open to “surprise” options while keeping me on track to avoid bad buys. So I’m calling this a success!