What To Wear When It’s Hot Outside (& still feel chic)

So here's my unpopular opinion. Summer is the worst season to dress for. It's boiling hot, some of us may not want to show as much skin, a lot of us still go to work in an office so you have to balance looking professional somehow while still staying cool on your way to work most likely and then staying warm in freezing cold air conditioning. And layering, which is the key to almost all good fashion looks, is next to impossible. I find most of my outfits just end up looking like this in the summer, which leaves a lot to be desired. And if that's you too, I'm here to tell you that all hope is not lost. So in today's video I'm going to share with you all of my best tips to dressing well and looking chic in the summer while still being able to stay cool and look cool, obviously. And this video is sponsored by Fabrique. I was really intrigued and excited when Fabrique reached out because they're a really unique one-stop shop, especially if you're interested in discovering new global designers for really unique pieces that you won't find anywhere else. If you're a fashion lover like me and have a lot of your wardrobe basics covered, sometimes it's fun to go out and discover new brands, new shapes, new silhouettes that can really help your outfit stand out and add a lot more to your wardrobe. Like when I go shopping for something, I don't get to see who actually created and designed the outfit, but here Fabrique shows you their photo, which I think is kind of rare. When's the last time you looked up what your designer actually looks like? You get to learn about where they're from, what they're about, what inspires them, and just a little bit more of the story behind the garment. So I think Fabrique is really creating connection between creativity, design, and craftsmanship within your shopping experience, and I've never really seen anything like that before. I'll be showing you a few more pieces from their unique roster of designers throughout the rest of the video, so if there's anything that you liked or that you're interested in, I will make sure to leave everything linked. And if you are interested in checking out the work of some amazing small independent designers, you can get 12% off your next order by using the link down below. Thanks Fabrique! Tip number one is to focus on fabrics. For many years, the last thing I looked at when it came to my clothing was what it was made out of. But in the summer especially is when you need to pay close attention to it. You really want to make sure that you're focusing on pieces that are made of fabrics that are breathable, lightweight, and that will keep you cool. And why do I think it's important to focus on fabrics if you want to look chic in the summer? You want to feel good when you're getting dressed just as much as you want to look good. And I would say feeling good is even more important than looking good because it's really all about how you carry yourself. But if you're overheating, sweating, fidgeting, then all of those play a factor in how you're going to carry yourself in your outfit. And I think fabric has a huge role to play, especially in the summer. So some of the best fabrics to look for in the summer are things like cotton, linen, silk, tensile or lyocelle, bamboo, hemp, chambray, very lightweight denim. All of these fabrics have their pros and cons. So for example, linen is extremely breathable and lightweight but sometimes 100% linen can feel very scratchy on the body and it can also wrinkle really easily. Versus something like cotton which is very breathable and doesn't wrinkle as much as linen would. But things like cotton and silk can also absorb quite a bit of moisture so that's when you can run into things like pit stains. So you really have to choose your fabric based on the things that you want. If you're going to focus on wardrobe categories, I really like to get linen pieces in things like vests, blazers, trousers and dresses. Whereas cotton and lyocelle you can get in things like t-shirts, shorts, button-down shirts and things like that. And if you're a denim person, sometimes you may want to focus on investing in a more lightweight summer denim. So it's just kind of a thinned out version of your traditional denim. So you can still get that classic look all year round but it's not going to be as thick and heavyweight and structured as a traditional denim jean would be. One that you would wear more in the fall, winter or even springtime. So the main thing in general you want to think about is lightweight and natural fibers. Number two is to make sure you don't shy away from I think it's really common to just think we need to wear tight on the top, tight on the bottom and then you're good to go. But that's when I feel like outfits can start to feel pretty flat and one-dimensional. So in the summer I think it's important to embrace more loose and flowy silhouettes and that doesn't necessarily mean that you'll end up looking really bohemian or cottagecore which can be associated with a lot of summer outfits and summer dressing. At that point it becomes more about playing with proportions and using things like your shoes and your accessories to create more balance in the outfit if you need it. So if you throw on this dress and that's all you feel like you can wear because it's way too hot for anything else, it hits that looser fitting more flowy criteria that we want in the summer. But this feels a little bit too much like a potato sack so that's where I'm going to create some more balance in the outfit by pairing it with a more low profile shoe. And if I want to create a bit more of a different shape and definition I may add something like a belt but if I don't want to that's where I can also play with contrast by adding things like more structured accessories like this bag or these sunglasses. So don't be afraid of a looser more oversized flowy silhouette when you're getting dressed. All you need to do is really play around with proportion and contrast which will help bring balance back to the look so you can still feel chic but cool in the summer. Tip number three is to invest in a set. I love this kind of coordinated dressing because it's sort of one and done. To me it always ends up looking really put together and polished really intentional without having to put much effort into it. If you don't want to do a blazer or a pantsuit set like this then you can also do something like this with a vest and a pair of trousers. I think that looks really chic and the nice thing about a set is that it mixes and matches so easily. If you have a nice foundation of basics in your wardrobe you can mix those in so if you don't want to think too hard but still look really good definitely play around with a set. And although I love a set sometimes it's even just too hot to wear that you don't even want to wear pants in the summer and that's when one item dressing really comes into play. So I'm talking about things like dresses rompers and jumpsuits. I really prefer something more minimal and simple with clean lines but this is where you can really have a lot of fun and really let your style shine. So maybe you prefer something like a sundress or something with more frills and ruffles or something that's a bit more romantic like this. So when it comes to one item dressing the thing I like to pay attention to is really making that piece feel like the outfit maker and that's really going to be personal to what you like to wear and what that means to you. So this sundress could be an outfit maker just as much as this minimalist dress could be. So it really depends on the style that you're going for and that's when you can use things like your bag, your hair, your makeup, jewelry, your shoes, all of that to really dress up and bring out your personality and style in that piece. What I love about one item dressing is that it's just that. It's one and done. You don't need to accessorize it too much if you don't want to but if it does feel a little bit boring over time then that's when you can bring in my next tip which is playing with accessories. Accessories really are the cherry on top of an already good cake and especially in the summer where the items that we wear are often very limiting and a lot of times they can be very simple depending on your style. That can start to feel really flat really quickly so that's when I think you can focus on things like sunglasses, belts, jewelry, and bags. So maybe you're a person who generally likes to wear a lot of colorful t-shirts and blouses throughout the year but in the summer it just turns into one big pit stain then I think that's when you can get accessories that reflect that and represent your love for something more bold and vibrant. So this is where I think you can really have some fun. If your style tends to be a bit more minimal and classic maybe this is where you experiment with a really bold bag, belt, or a really fun pair of sunglasses to really just take that outfit to the next level. But I know you're thinking well when I get to my destination I put my bag down and I can't wear my sunglasses inside unless I'm Bono or Anna Wintour. That's when I think things like playing with your hairstyle, jewelry, and belts can be another thing that can add a bit more spice, a bit more elevation, and oomph to your wardrobe. I find that layering is often the key to a really good outfit. It helps you create depth, texture, and dimension in a look. It just makes it look more layered and I think the biggest struggle in the summer is layering and I think you can still layer but you just have to layer smart. So again this is where fabric and fit comes into play and it's really important. I love to wear a blazer all year round. Wool is a I will often look for a similar version of one of my favorite blazers in a linen or linen blend. And then get creative with your layering. If you cannot fathom the idea of having sleeves on anything try layering a vest over your tank top, your t-shirt, or your dress. So I think layering in the summer is possible you just have to really be smart about your fabric and your fit and that's kind of the theme of this whole video. Next is to find ways to intentionally play around with texture. So again in the summer it's sometimes really difficult to do this because layering is a bit more challenging or you're really rocking that one item dressing and it's like what do I do this is all I'm wearing. But don't forget that you can create texture in other ways. So that's when I might swap a leather bag for a more basket weaved textured bag that feels a bit more playful and lightweight and if I'm wearing a simple cotton dress then it kind of just adds that depth that I'm looking for without necessarily adding an extra layer on top. Linen fabrics are naturally textured to begin with so I think they look really great together. I think it looks really intentional if you don't mind that wrinkling. But you can also play around with texture by playing with different weights of fabric. So there's very very heavyweight almost opaque linens compared to something that's a bit more sheer. Versus your classic summer outfit like this. This to me is classic and minimal but sometimes it does feel pretty flat because we just have a plain cotton t-shirt and denim shorts. So this is where you might want to swap out the pair of denim shorts for linen ones or if you want to keep this base maybe that's where you throw on a vest. Add a cute rattan bag instead of a canvas one. Just find ways to add that little bit of extra pop and texture in your outfits and I think that's really going to help prevent you feeling flat and boring in your summer outfits. So if you don't know what to wear this summer or you always feel like your outfits are really boring, I really hope some of these tips helped you and I think they're all really easily accessible to try within your own wardrobe with everything you already have. The key in summer dressing is really all about fabric and then playing around with things like contrast, texture, and accessories to bring out your personality to create a more dynamic and interesting look that you feel great in. Thank you again to Fabrique for sponsoring today's video. If you did want to check out their amazing roster of designers and such beautiful unique pieces they are really really cool. I will leave everything linked down below and you can save 12% if you use my code. It's all gonna be in the description for you. Let me know some of your favorite tips to looking and feeling chic in the summer. Leave me a comment down below. Thanks so much for watching. Subscribe if you're new. Give the video a thumb. It's the best way to support this channel and I'll see you next week. Bye!