Timeless Summer Pieces

Trends come and go, but there are the classic pieces of ones wardrobe that can be worn every year. 

 One timeless piece to have in your summer arsenal is a nice pair of jean shorts. Nothing skimpy, just some basic jean shorts that you can slip on to go run errands or wear to a last minute get together at the park or beach. Some of the jean shorts that you see now could even put Daisy Duke's shorts to shame! So, when thinking about your wardrobe you need to think classy. Ask yourself, "What will I wear for years to come?" And I would hope jean panties don't answer that question. The shorts that you see at the left are shorts that I found on sale at American Eagle (AE). They are call "high-waisted shorties." Now you are probably saying, "But I thought you said nothing too short..." but hold on a sec. These shorts are a higher waist, so they will flatter many body types. If you need a little something to smooth out your stomach area these do the trick. This beats a muffin top any day! And these shorts look great with a cute top tucked in and a little brown belt and show off those tall ladies long legs. But these really aren't super short contrary to their name "shorties." If you get the right size, these shorts will look and feel great. So, look for jean shorts in a dark and light wash (nothing frayed or acid washed) and in an appropriate length. Years from now you will thank yourself for getting classy shorts when the "jean panty trend" and "ripped-to-shreds-clothing trend" are gone. And wearing cute, classy clothing is always in style!

Another piece to have in your summer wardrobe is an airy sundress or maxi dress. Now for those ladies who say dresses aren't their thing, that's alright. There is something for everyone, but at least consider dresses. And here is why dresses are a must for summer, there are times that I have gotten ready, my makeup is all done, my hair is cutely braided, and I have no idea what I want to wear: sundresses and maxis are your easy and cute life saver outfits. You can  wear the dress as is with a pair of flip flops or pair it with a cute waist belt and some dressy sandals, heels, or wedges. They just work as a great base for a summer outfit! 

Always have flowy tops and thinner tanks for summer too (and you can always wear v-necks, they work in most seasons.) You don't really want to wear uber thick clothes in the summer (if you live somewhere humid or hot or both.) Now some of the airy tops are made of see through fabric so you want to invest in some camisoles and basic tank tops for these, because seeing your bra and what not is not cute nor classy. But on some of the tank tops you can get away with a nude colored bra (a really good one is the Incredible by Victoria's Secret demi bra in nude.) 

Cardigans are a great thing to have in your wardrobe all year long! There are lighter and thicker materialed cardigans that enable you to rock them all year. Cardigans can be worn with v-necks, dresses, tank tops, basically anything that needs some pizazz. but for summer I would definitley integrate this in. Every year they are in style and they look nice and can bring an outfit together. And the idea of belting can be brought to these as well. Belting a cardigan over a cute basic top or with a dress can add a whole new level of chic to an outfit. I know that the picture is of a fall outfit, but if you remove the tights and boots and add some cute flats or sandals this becomes pretty summery and can be worn year after year.

Accessory-wise you just need some basic pieces to mix in with your wardrobe:

1.) Long gold or silver necklace with a simple pendant on it. This one here is mine that I purchased at a local boutique (it's about 12 inches long.) I absolutely love it, and simplicity goes a long way.

2.) A skinny brown belt that you can use to belt dresses, skirts, cardigans, or pair with some cute shorts:) I have one similar to the one in the middle. I just adore braided belts

3.) Cute little statement rings

4.) Airy scarves, either to wear in your hair or around your neck

5.) Sandals and flats that can coordinate with many outfits. Muted metallic colors are great for this. You can glam up an outfit or go casual with muted metallics. And reddy-brown leather sandals, or any shoe in that color really, can go with so many different types of outfits.

When it comes to accessories simplicity is key. You can pair many simple things together to make an outfit as opposed to trying to pair many ornately detailed accessories together. After a while too much detail looks gaudy. 

These are just some basic things to keep in mind if you are building a classy wardrobe that can be worn from year to year. It's great to be trendy, but remember, classy is always in style. So get out there and try something new:)

Shorts are from American Eagle

Soft pink maxi dress pic is from Chriselle's YouTube Channel. Check her out at: http://www.youtube.com/user/chrisellelim
The purple tank is from Forever 21

You can find the Incredible bra by Victoria's Secret here:http://www.victoriassecret.com/ss/Satellite?ProductID=1265530713184&c=Page&cid=1308310592285&pagename=vsdWrapper

The belts seen are from Mossimo Supply Co. and can also be found at Target

Sandal by: DV by Dolce Vita