Since I liked doing the spring lookbooks so much, I decided to keep it going for summer. I have plans to do one lookbook per month and they will tie in with the seasons. This time I have my first summer lookbook for you. It’s more of a: it’s summer, but not quite-type of lookbook. These are 5 outfits which you can wear when the weather isn’t scorching hot and a bit drab and dreary. There are usually plenty of those days in The Netherlands, but let’s hope that this year we won’t be needing these kind of outfits.
1.) Cooler than the red dress
Poppy red dress with tiered skirt (H&M)
Brown 70s inspired block heel (H&M)
Leafy necklace (Primark)
Brown sunglasses (H&M)
First up is one of my favorite dresses. It’s bright red and flowy and easy to wear. It comes off looking a bit frumpy on in the pictures, but it looks better in real life. I kept the accessories simple to make sure the red would pop as much as possible. I went with browns and golds to compliment the red and add a bit of warmth. The dress is flattering as it singes me in at the waist and has a skirt that nicely works with my curves. This is from last year’s collection though, so I doubt you can still find this.
2.) Flowy nudes
Beige tie dye t-shirt (BDG by Urban Outfitters)
Japanese kimono print flowy blazer (ZARA)
White denim shorts (H&M)
Nude strappy flatforms (H&M)
Dragon fly necklace (Ebay)
I think flowy is THE theme in this lookbook. Here I’ve paired my flowy kimono print blazer with white shorts and a beige t-shirt with a tie dye print. It’s a casual smart outfit that could work in several situations. If you’d switch out the shoes for a pair of nude heels you’d have a dressier outfit in an instant. This is an easy to wear outfit which I wore to the office several times last year as it’s so breezy, yet still befitting my work environment on those stuffy summer days. I got all these items last year or even before that, so again: I don’t think these are still available.
3.) Stripes & burgundy
Stripy crop top (H&M)
Burgundy midi skirt (ASOS)
Leather tan braided belt (H&M)
Tan wedge sandals (Van Haren)
Cuff bracelets (Forever 21)
Chunky necklace (Primark)
Longer skirts are ideal for summer time. Especially if the days are a little chilly, these can be a great item to pair. Paired with tan accessories this outfit gets a bit more of a boho feel, but the stripy crop top gives it a bit more edge. It does draw all of the attention to your chest area so this might work a bit better if you have a smaller chest, but I’d still wear this as is. I feel comfortable in this as it’s a super easy to wear outfit. Apart from the shoes (which I believe are still available), all items are from this year’s collection.
4.) Retro with an edge
Polka dot cropped blouse with front tie (Forever 21)
Sheer red maxi skirt (American Apparel)
Black cycle shorts (Forever 21)
Black converse sneakers (random sneaker store in Soho, New York)
Spiked necklace with duo tone metals and ivory (Topshop)
I’ve had this skirt for 2 years, but I haven’t found the ideal way of pairing this yet. That’s why I wanted to feature it in this lookbook: to push myself to wear it more and come up with more outfit ideas than a standard black t-shirt. The fact that the skirt is sheer makes it a bit of a risky item to style. Here I’ve put it together with a new cropped blouse by Forever 21. I like the mix of retro and new. The outfit has a more modern feel to it, and a slight edge due to the sheer skirt and the spiky necklace. I decided to go with sneakers to make the outfit less risque, but you could easily wear this with a good pair of heels. As far as I know you can still find all of these items, apart from the necklace I think.
5.) Pop of color
Black v-neck t-shirt (Forever 21)
Black slouchy sweatpants style trousers (VILA)
Multi colored blazer with floral print (VILA)
Black & white strappy heels (Sacha)
Antique gold necklace (Spital Fields Market)
My final outfit is more of a casual dressy outfit. Who says you can’t wear pants in summer? Well sometimes, you have to. Especially in work environments, bare legs can be inappropriate, so a flowy pair of pants is the way to go. This outfit is more casual because the pants have a sweat pant cut, but the material is a silky soft, lightweight material. The pants have gold hardware on them, so I opted for a gold necklace to complement this. The shoes go nicely with the white and black of the overall outfit, whereas the blazer adds a bit of fun with a bright floral print. The blazer is at least one size too big for me, but that makes it nice and slouchy which adds to the casual feel.
What type of outfits do you like to wear in summer?