This time of year, the weather can be all over the place. One day it’s 84 degrees and sunny, the next it’s 60 degrees and cloudy, and sometimes it starts out chilly in the morning before warming up a ton by the afternoon. I’m often caught off guard by the weather this time of year, and if you’re not prepared for it, getting dressed can feel like a scramble. Thankfully, I have a few easy summer outfit formulas that I quickly turn to when it’s suddenly HOT outside. 😅
And today I’m sharing several of these easy early summer outfit formulas you can copy when the temps kind of surprise you and you don’t know what to do! Whether you’re working from home, going into work, driving kids around town, or running errands, pick an outfit formula from this post and get dressed with confidence and ease.
These outfits arebuilt with some of my absolute favorite versatile summer pieces that mix and match so easily. AND a lot of them areON SALE right now, including a bunch of pieces that are50% OFF from Old Navy! This is usually thebestdeal for Old Navy Memorial Day sales, but itonly lasts through 5/20, so definitely grab pieces while the discount is this good!
Let’s jump into my early summer outfit formulas!
SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes and 8.5 to 9 in shoes.
1. Lightweight Pants + Tank Top
This is my equivalent of jeans + a tee, summer edition. These pants areOld Navy’s Playa Pants, which have been a warm weather FAVORITE of mine for going on THREE years! They’re verylightweightandSO BREATHABLE. AndNOT SCRATCHYAT ALL (these are NOT linen!). They’reso, so comfortable, and they’re perfect when you don’t want to wear shorts but don’t want to sweat your brains out when the temps get high. Plus, they’re50% OFF RIGHT NOW!!! You MUST try them and stock up while they’re this price! Available in6 colorwaysand instraight,petite,plus, andtall,HERE. I wear size S.
Note #1: Yes, they wrinkle throughout the day, but nowhere NEARLY as bad as linen.They also weirdly sort ofunwrinkleas the day goes on. It’s very weird. These pics were taken after wearing them for about 6 hours mostly sitting at a desk. Not too bad, right? Still, I wouldn’t wear these in a professional setting because of wrinkles — just casual.Darker colors show fewer wrinkles.
Note #2: The length?I own 5 pairs now, collected over 3 years.All the lengths are differentin the “regular” length because… Old Navy. 🙄 Anyway, order a couple and see what works — return shipping is free anyway, so you can easily return if if the lengths are weird.
Note #3: Do they shrink in the wash?Yes, but you can unshrink them by usinga steamer. Always, do this, friends! The steam relaxes the fibers back and restores length.
TLDR:
- Wrinkles: yes, but nowhere near as bad as linen
- Length: annoyingly inconsistent across colorways
- Shrink: yes, but they unshrink with a steamer
SO breathable and SUCH a good substitute for shorts that they are totally worth having in your wardrobe!!
Pair them witha basic ribbed tankfor an easy outfit. I love this one, and it’ssuper affordable— often under $9. Tons of colorsHERE. I wear size S.
You can keep it simple with versatile jewelry, likethe gold necklacethat I’ve saidgoes with literally EVERYTHING,HERE. (Get 20% off with code TAKE20!) Or, add a little pizzaz witha multicolored bead necklace, like I’m doing here! This one is super affordable atjust $16!I’m wearing the colorway “colorful-06.”
Last, if it’s chilly in the mornings, throw on a denim jacket. We’ve been linking to this one lately, and I finally ordered it to try. It’sso cute! Short length and slightly drop shoulders for a modern look. Find itHERE. I sized down to XS because it’s slightly oversized and even more exaggerated with the drop shoulders. You can stick to your regular size if you want a slouchier fit.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Kohl’s (wearing size S)
Pants: Old Navy (wearing size S)
Jacket: Target (wearing size XS)
Necklace: Amazon (wearing “colorful-06”)
Sandals: Amazon
2. Lightweight Pants + Gauze Top
If you want tolook slightly elevated but stay 100% cool, take those same lightweight pants and opt for a gauzy topinstead of a ribbed tank.
In the first outfit here, I’m wearing the sameOld Navy Playa Pantsas I’m wearing in the previous outfit formula, just in brown. Remember, they’re 50% off! BTW, the Playa Pants are in my blog postMy BEST Pants Recommendations for Spring and Summer. Definitely grab them while they’re 50% off!
In the second outfit here, I’m wearing myothergo-to super duper breathable, lightweight pants from Kohl’s. I LOVE these as well, and they’re also inMy BEST Pants Recommendations for Spring and Summer. SO chic.SOOOOOO breathable. Andthey don’t wrinkle. They also have asubtle, satiny sheenthat elevates them. The downsides are related to fit. The waistband is quite tall, and the large pockets don’t look great on some people. Otherwise, I love these pants SO much! Find them in4 colorways,HERE. I’m wearing size S.
As for gauze tops, they are a summer staple because theylook great and keep you cool— even cooler than a t-shirt. And they look more stylish without even trying! Some great gauzy top options are: thisgauze popover top(currently40% off!), thiscotton gauze split neck topand thisbutton up gauze top, which are allON SALE this week!
3. Printed Lightweight Pants + Tank Top or T-Shirt
One way to look instantly more stylish? Opt for printed pants — and summer is the perfect time to rock ’em! This is one of those outfit formulas for early summer and beyond that makes you look (and feel) cool with SUCH little effort.
In the first outfit, I’m wearingthe Kohl’s pantsagain, just in leopard print instead of navy. UGHH I SERIOUSLY LOVE THEM. So dangCOMFYandbreathable!
In the second outfit, I’m wearingOld Navy gauze pantsthat are alsoSOOO COMFORTABLEandbreathable! These are also inMy BEST Pants Recommendations for Spring and Summer. When I first tried them, I almost forgot I was wearing pants because that’s how weightless they are. 😂 These pants are50% OFF until 5/20also! They’rea must-tryfor SURE. They come in4 solid colorsand2 prints,HERE. I’m wearing size S.
Shop the Outfits:
Black Tee: Madewell (wearing size S)
Leopard Print Pants: Kohl’s (wearing size S)
White Tank Top: Kohl’s (wearing size S)
Yellow Printed Pants: Old Navy (wearing size S)
Black Sandals: Kohl’s
Tan Sandals: DSW
“Dakota” Necklace: Electric Picks
4. Jeans + Tank + Gauze Top Layer
This is a great early summer outfit formula for the days that are sort of hot but not scorching, or days that are cooler in the morning but heat up later. Wearing a gauze button up over a tank top gives you an extra layer without fully overheating. It’s also way more comfortable than wearing a jacket because the gauze is so soft and comfy!
This gauze top is SO GOOD, by the way. It’sgauze, so it’snot scratchyAT ALL —super duper soft. I also love that it’s not crazy oversized and fits closer to the body for a more tailored, but still relaxed, look. It’s currentlyON SALEfor59% off, and 1,000% worth grabbing right now! Comes in 7 colorways,HERE. I’m wearing size S.
The tank I’m wearing is thesame one from Kohl’sthat I’m wearing in white in the very first outfit formula. This yellow is PERFECT for the season — it’s on trend and adds a happy note to outfits!
Last, while you can wear any cut of jeans with this outfit formula, barrel legs give it a super modern, fresh twist.These barrel leg jeansare still my favorites out of all the ones I’ve tried, and they’reSO affordable, ESPECIALLY WHILE THEY’RE50% OFF!! They hold their shape the best. Available instraight,petite,plus, andtallsizesHERE. I’m wearing size 6.
I addeda white necklaceto tie it together with the white gauze button up and give the outfit a tiny pop! You can get20% off this necklacewith code TAKE20!
Shop the Outfit:
Tank Top: Kohl’s (wearing size S)
Gauze Button Up: J.Crew Factory (wearing size S)
Jeans: Old Navy (wearing size 6)
Tan Sandals: DSW
Necklace: Electric Picks
5. Jeans + Tank + Jacket
Same outfit formula as before, just opting for a jacket instead of a gauze button up.
I’ve been looking for a white jacket for FOREVER, and I FINALLY found it! And it’s50% OFF until 5/20!! Grab itHERE. I sized down to XS, but sizes are selling out fast, so hurry! It also comes in aFUN bright red, which I got as well!
Shop the Outfit:
Tank Top: Kohl’s (wearing size S)
Jeans: Old Navy (wearing size 6)
Jacket: Old Navy (wearing size XS)
Sandals: (similar)
Necklace: Electric Picks
6. Trousers + Gauze or Linen Top
Stay cooler at work with lightweight trousers and gauze tops!
These pants from Old Navy look crisp andpolishedbut are REALLYstretchyandcomfortable. They’re a good weight for summer.
I’m showing this outfit formula done twice, with two different tops. These tops are both super lightweight and breathable but are wearable for work. My black one is old and not available, but there is a super similar oneHERE. The pink and white striped one comes in tons of colorways and is availableHERE.
7. Dress
Of course, the EASIEST outfit formula is a dress! You can fall back on your favorite dresses anytime, whether in early summer or late in summer. This dress is one of my favorites — it’sSOFTandstretchyandfeels like pajamas. I love that it has a waistband to provide shape and definition, but the waistband is loose and doesn’t squeeze you. Plus, this dress isON SALE for just $18right nowHERE!
I hope these help!
I hope these early summer outfit formulas give you some easy ideas to fall back on when the temperatures suddenly spike and you have NO idea what to wear. 😅 The nice thing about all of these outfits is that they’re built around versatile, breathable pieces that can mix and match in tons of different ways, which makes getting dressed so much easier this time of year.
And seriously, if you’ve been wanting to refresh your summer wardrobe a little bit, there are GREAT sales this week!A bunch of these pieces are 50% off through 5/20, which is one of the best discounts we usually see from Old Navy for Memorial Day. And others, like the gauze tops and Kohl’s pants, are also on major sale through the weekend! These pieces will make it WAY MORE enjoyable to get dressed this summer!
Let me know in the comments which outfit formula is your favorite — or if you grab any of the sale pieces!
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