adventures of a typical high school student

Welcome back everyone!

Today I’m going to be talking about some of my must-have pieces for summer. I’m not a trendsetter or fashion expert, but I do enjoy trying to piece together looks and look put-together (most of the time!). Here are a couple things I think everyone should have in their wardrobe for summer.

1. A good pair of denim shorts – I recommend Levi’s. Everyone needs a pair of jean shorts that fit well and can pair with anything. My pick would be Levi’s since they are the most flattering shorts I’ve worn, but they are pricey. My favorite style of jean shorts for summer is a little bit on the lighter wash side, high-waisted, and ripped. I know the more “cheeky” styles of shorts are in and I have no problem with that, but make sure you have at least one pair that covers your butt completely. My picks: https://www.levi.com/US/en_US/apparel/clothing/bottoms/501-shorts/p/323170105 https://www.macys.com/shop/product/levis-501-cotton-high-rise-denim-shorts? (they have lots of Levi’s on sale at Macy’s!)
2. A floral romper– I wore my floral romper multiple times on my Europe trip, and I’ve been wearing it even more at home. I got it from Hollister a year ago so I can’t provide a link, but they may have something similar this year. Rompers are great because they’re an all-in-one outfit; I like them better than dresses because you don’t have to worry about them flying up. My pick: https://www.hollisterco.com/shop/us/p/strapless-romper-27667319?categoryId=12600&seq=04&faceout=model
3. Birkenstocks– Some people love them, some people hate them; personally, I think they are the most comfortable sandals around and they’re great for walking around pretty much anywhere. I got my first pair almost two years ago and they finally got thrashed to the point where I could no longer wear them after my trip, so I just ordered new ones. They can last much longer if you take better care of them though- I’m extremely hard on shoes and I wore my Birks EVERYWHERE all the time. They’re just so versatile and adorable, plus they have been very trendy for the past year or so. My pick: https://www.birkenstock.com/us/arizona-birko-flor-nubuck/arizona-core-birkoflornubuck-0-eva-u.html?dwvar_arizona-core-birkoflornubuck-0-eva-u_color=90
4. Flowy skirts– Any sort of flowy skirt (patterns are cute!) is great because you can dress it up or down. They make great beach cover-ups, but can also be worn out to dinner or just on errand days. Ones with ruffles or that tie up are popular, and Princess Polly has tons of cute options. All lengths are on trend- mini, midi, or maxi. My picks: https://us.princesspolly.com/collections/mini-skirts/products/charmed-life-ruffle-mini-skirt https://us.princesspolly.com/collections/maxi-midi-skirts/products/romeo-midi-skirt-tan
5. Scrunched/smocked material tops– I’ll link at least one example so you can see what I mean by this, but these tighter-fitting tops are flattering on pretty much everyone. They can be paired with looser bottoms to accentuate your figure, and they’re usually in plain colors so they’re even more versatile. My picks: https://www.forever21.com/us/shop/catalog/product/f21/top_blouses/2000378081 https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/uo-cami-smocked-cropped-tube-top?category=SEARCHRESULTS&color=001&quantity=1&type=REGULAR
6. Tops with puffy sleeves– Again, I’ll link an example; I’m not the best at describing things since I don’t know a lot of fashion terminology. Princess Polly is a great website to go for these as well; they may be a bit on the pricier side depending where you go, but this is a fairly trendy style right now so you can probably find some anywhere. These are tops that can be dressed up with nicer pants and jewelry for a night-out look, or just paired with denim shorts for a casual day. My picks: https://us.princesspolly.com/collections/tops/products/elouise-crop-top https://us.princesspolly.com/collections/tops/products/sofia-crop-top
7. Plain colored t-shirts/tank tops– This is pretty self-explanatory, but since lots of patterned bottoms (especially skirts) are in, it’s important to be stocked up on versatile, plain tops. Have a couple different styles in black and white, and then whatever other colors you wear often/will match with a lot of your bottoms. You can find super cheap basics at Forever 21, but you may want to spend a bit more on these since you’ll be wearing them a ton. My pick: https://www.forever21.com/us/shop/catalog/product/f21/top_blouses/2000357375 – Anything from the “Basics Shop” section of F21’s website works great!
8. A pair of lightweight fabric shorts– These are great for the beach and when you want something a bit more mobile/comfortable than denim shorts. I would recommend getting some that are patterned, and you can just throw them on with a t-shirt or tank top whenever. Most of mine are from Brandy Melville but they’re pretty old; they don’t sell the same styles there anymore, I’ve seen lots at Tilly’s or various online stores. Another suggestion is paper-bag style shorts- those have been very in. My picks: https://www.tillys.com/product/billabong-waves-for-days-black-womens-shorts/345162100.html?dwvar_345162100_color=100&cgid=womens-clothing-shorts#start=37 https://www.tillys.com/product/west-of-melrose-high-noon-womens-paperbag-waist-shorts/351284110.html?dwvar_351284110_color=110&cgid=womens-clothing-shorts#start=16

I hope these helped you out and gave you some style inspiration for the rest of summer! Since I live in California these pieces can be used throughout the majority of the year, but I feel like they’re pretty versatile (at least for summertime) everywhere. Shopping for clothes has definitely changed since there’s tons of cute online stores popping up and not as many comparable brick and mortar stores, so make sure to look online to see the latest trends. Let me know if you think something should be added to this list or would like more content like this!

-Brooke