In the summer, it’s hard to be bothered to wear anything more than a bathing suit and a breezy cover-up. Not only do we want to take advantage of every second of the summer sunshine, but we’d prefer not to torture ourselves by making a scorching hot day worse with added sweat. An ideal day is spent poolside, reading a book, and listening to Long Hot Summer on repeat until the moment we actually to leave the house in a way that requires begrudgingly putting summer clothes on.
Since we prefer to keep things easy breezy in the summer, we end up turning to basics to keep us clothed—lots of them. We all know that basics are the backbone of every capsule wardrobe no matter the season, but in the summer, we’d argue that they’re the forefront. Basic tank tops, shorts, and dresses come out to play, and it’s totally up to you whether you want to add accessories to them or let them shine as is.
Whether it’s time to refresh your current basics for the season or you need a few pieces that are just as good as lounging poolside feels, here are the basics that you will wear over and over this summer—especially when it’s just too damn hot to wear anything else.
Tops
Ribbed Scoop Tank
Bandeau Top
Stretch Cotton Tee
Crew Tank Bodysuit
Relaxed Tee
Squareneck Bodysuit
Cotton T-Shirt
Cotton Tissue Tank
V-Neck Bodysuit
Ribbed Tank
Sleeveless Bodysuit
Cropped Tank
Silk Cropped Tank
Cotton Rib Tank
Strong Shoulder Tee
Bottoms
Jersey Shorts
Sweatshorts
Pull-on Shorts
Cutoff Shorts
Denim Shorts
Drawstring Bermuda Shorts
Chino Shorts
Pull-on Shorts
Button Fly Shorts
Dresses
Cloud Weave Mini Dress
Smocked Linen Dress
Knit Mini Dress
Ribbed Mini Dress
Knit Cutout Dress
Relaxed Linen Jumpsuit
Midi Tank Dress
Tiered Maxi Dress
Ripple Tank Dress
Slip Dress
Tiered Poplin Dress
