The 9 Untrendy Pieces We Bought To Create Our Dream Summer Capsule Wardrobe
Consider us prepared.
Image: Gotham | Getty Images
by The Candidly Team
On one hand, we’re very ready for summer. Glowy, sunbaked skin, light whispery materials, crisp novels laid upon our chests as we’re plopped into chaises.
On the other hand, we’re not looking forward to a few things. The sweat. The stickiness. The notion that every limb on our body must be exposed at once to stop us from overheating.
Getting dressed in the summer is bittersweet. We of course want to look chic and put together, but we’re also just trying to stay comfortable. This contradiction often leads to our summer wardrobe being a little all over the place. We have a bunch of stuff … but we don’t quite have what we need to make actual outfits come together.
And that is why we’ve made a list. Not a list of fleeting, trendy pieces - not 8 pairs of bright-colored culotte shorts or 3 designs of crochet skullcaps (yes, those are a thing now - look it up). Instead, this is a list of 9 untrendy but very and necessary pieces to get our chicest summer wardrobe up and running.
We won’t keep you scrolling, here they are:
1. The Soft Pants Of The Summer
WHAT: Leset Kyoto Carpenter Pant*
We hereby declare this the summer of soft pants. This is all we really want to wear, no? Light pants that skim our legs and tie or have elasticated waists? We recently stumbled upon this video from Allana Davison, wherein she wore what we think may just be the most perfect summer pant. Take a look:
Is the whole outfit not just sort of effortlessly lustworthy? We’ll go ahead and link the shoes*, jacket*, and sunglasses* right here, because if you’re like us you’ll want those too, but the pants are the real epicenter of why this works. Every tank or fitted tee looks good with a flattering, wide-leg, cotton pant. And while we own pants in linen like THESE and ultra-breathable pants like THESE that we love very much, this cotton pair is the one that feels most worthy of investment because we’ll wear them so much, the cost per wear will shrink down to nothing in no time.
Price: $280
2. The Comfiest Summer Heeled Sandals
WHAT: Naturalizer Jordis Dress Sandal*
We’ve stopped engaging in any form of self-inflicted foot pain. And because of that, we had almost completely stopped wearing heels. This pair turned all of that on its head. They are beautifully high so our legs look gazelle-like, and yet, they are light as air, have tons of support, and cushioning, and are a genuine joy to have on our feet.
* Gifted
We also ordered the flats version, because this kind of sexy(ish), strappy(ish) effect is something we want to be able to easily add to every outfit we wear. And they, too, have blissful cushioning.
* Gifted
Price: $120
3. This Essential Skirt
WHAT: Free People Lowen Striped Midi Skirt*
We wrote a whole article about how much we loved this skirt when it first came out in a sea of solid colors. The front of the waistline is smooth but the back is elastic, so it looks polished and feels like heaven. But then, Free People went and made it in striped, and naturally, we wrote a whole article about that. None of this is sponsored. None of these skirts were gifted to us by FP. It’s just that perfect of a fit, that useful of a summer staple. And we wear it in lieu of shorts 9 times out of 10.
Price: $70
3.
The Gauzy Button Down
WHAT: Z Supply Helena Airy Gauze Button Up*
A gauzy button down is our answer to wanting to look Carolyn Bessette Kennedy chic and not having to show our arms. We tuck it into jeans and tie it at the waist over skirts, but we also are sure to keep one that’s this exact length because we can leave it untucked and still look put together. It’s also a lovely length to leave open over tanks, the way Jennifer Lawrence wore hers in her own perfect summer look you saw kick off this article. This surreally soft, gauze button-down also comes in full-length* and a striped version* we have in our carts as we speak.
Price: $78
4. The Not-Too-Short Denim Shorts
WHAT: Risen Keira High Rise Raw Hem Shorts*
Jean shorts can definitely feel like they’re not made for us anymore after we turn 40. We don’t want to flash half our backsides when we walk to buy coffee but we also don’t want to succumb to some long sad bermuda short that makes our butts look like pancakes. Anyhow, we found an excellent pair of in-between shorts. The A-line gives us an hourglass, the stretch holds us in, the leg holes are generous, the back pockets are well-placed, the waist is high, and the butt is covered completely.
* Gifted
In short, we have found the shorts we’ve been searching for for years, and we obviously wanted to share.
Price: $69
5. The Scoopneck Tank That Covers Your Bra Straps
WHAT: Velvet by Graham & Spencer Estina Tank Top*
This scoop neck shape is always so chic. But more to the point, it’s deeply flattering on chests and arms (yes, we have thick arms, and it looks great). Plus, it’s yet another piece that bring us closer to Jennifer’s sophisticated summer uniform. This tank plus #1 and #3 on this list, and poof, we think we’ve recreated it!
Image: Gotham | Getty Images
Price: $58
6. The Cindy Mancini Denim Jacket For Breezy Summer Eves
WHAT: Agolde Palmer Jacket*
Please say you know the one we’re talking about. This is the only image we could find of it, but if you need to immediately go and watch Can’t Buy Me Love this moment, we won’t fault you.
Image: Touchstone Pictures
And if you already well-know the outfit and have wanted this cool, cropped, spaciously-armed jean jacket for decades, then we have found it, and here it is:
It is made from “weightless regenerative cotton denim” so it is beyond soft and comfy and perfect, and if you only own one denim jacket, let it be this one.
Price: $268
7. The Grown Up Pajamas That We Feel We Finally Deserve
WHAT: Printfresh Eco Satin Sweet Dreams Set in Bagheera*
These are unquestionably the best feeling and fitting pajamas we have put on our bodies. They’re cool and breathable and drapey, and they make the half of our lives we spend lounging then sleeping then sipping coffee in the morning a million times more delightful. They come in so many incredible patterns, it dizzied us to choose just one, thus we have in our carts no fewer than 3 more pairs. They also have a selection of styles, including a full pant set* and robe*, as modeled by our Editor-in-Chief, Audie:
We don’t know why we denied ourselves the bliss of owning “the good pajamas” for so long and instead spent 17 times as much on shitty Target pair after shitty Target pair. We’re worth more than $12 bargain bin pajamas, my friends.
Price: $168
8. The Most Flattering Summer Dress
WHAT: Sézane Pippa Dress*
The wrap and ruching are incredibly flattering on our bellies, and the sleeve is long enough to cover the fleshiest part of our arms, which means the whole dress just makes us feel comfortable and complemented. Plus, the fact that it’s a proper maxi makes us look inches taller. It comes in many colors and a few prints we’re mildly obsessed with.
Price: $160
9. The Unexpectedly Light And Perfect Wide-Leg Jeans
WHAT: Spanx Supersmooth® Authentic 360 Lightweight Super Wide Leg Jeans*
We write about jeans a lot. Budget ones. Splurge ones. Trendy ones. Non-trendy ones. But the reason this pair from Spanx made our cut for best summer jeans is they are so soft and so light and airy to the point they feel like pajamas, and yet, they fit like this:
The dream, is it not?
Price: $148
Bonus: the Extras
The Choker Chain We're Obsessed With*: Elevates every. single. outfit.
The French Basket Tote*: One of the best summer investments we’ve made.
The Most Flattering Swimsuit*: We wrote a whole tribute to this swimsuit complete with original photos HERE.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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