4 Essential Pieces for Timeless Summer Style
Add these pieces to your wardrobe to brighten up your summer style, and help you put together chic timeless looks. Plus they will even work well into autumn
The first rule of building a stylish wardrobe and style is starting with versatile pieces that work well with any number of other pieces and allow you to create an outfit without too much effort. Your wardrobe staples. These pieces will become your go tos. The items you reach for when you want to immediately look chic without too much effort.
And when I say without much effort, I really mean it. These pieces are effortless to wear, effortless to style and effortless on your body and in your life. We’re talking here about items that slot easily into your style and will give you that air of looking good without trying. I like to think of these as canvas pieces. You know the top that works with any jeans, trousers or skirt you have, or the skirt that works with a button down, a tee shirt as well as a corset top, or that dress that works dressed up or down and can pair with heels or flats so you can wear it anytime, anywhere. Pieces that are a blank canvas that you can paint your look or your story off them.
When picking these items there are 3 rules to bear in mind
You must love them. The saying is simple and true, “If you don’t love it in store, you won’t love it at home in your wardrobe and you won’t reach for it” This is the kind of situation where love at first sight, or second or third is a good play. You will reach for this item a lot more if you are truly in love with it. If you’re only buying it because it’s trendy or because someone else is influencing you to buy it, believe me, you won’t wear it
Fit is everything. With this I mean, the item has to fit you how you like it and how it’s designed to fit. The wrong fit can make even the most expensive and well made item look shabby whereas a good fitting item can be cheap and still look very chic. If an item is designed and cut to hug the body, it just looks weird if it doesn’t lay right against your body. In this case, a good tailor is your friend, find one. Or if you’re buying from a small, made to order business like this one, send in your custom measurements where that service is available.
Fabric, Fabric, Fabric. If an item is going to last long in your wardrobe, it starts with the fabric it’s made from and ends with the workmanship. The wrong kind of fabric and shoddy construction of your garment will guarantee that it’ll fall apart after one or two wears. So check your fabric composition and even more importantly, look at the way the garment is finished. Look out for raw edges, loose threads, crooked stitch lines, and lining in the item. These are a good indicator of whether you are getting your money’s worth and if your item will last long.
Now, with our background work done, here are 4 staples items from our store, to add to your wardrobe that will have you looking effortlessly chic, work well with many other pieces allowing you to re-style and re-wear in a variety of ways and that just scream effortless chic. For now, we’ll focus on summer so we can play around a bit with colour. The featured items here are all available to shop here in our store, and each item is linked but you can apply these rules and ideas wherever you’re shopping
A pretty Top
The thing about a simple pretty top is that what you pair it with really determines the final look.
Take, for example our Amerie Top. Beautiful and makes a statement on it’s own but still so versatile. Pair it with a pair of black work trousers and simple heels and you have the perfect office look. Same top with nice jeans and trainers or flats gives you a great off duty look. When the weather was a bit chilly earlier this year, I put a button down shirt underneath this top, paired it with skinny jeans and knee high boots for a fun early spring day look. And for evening, this top will sit perfectly on top off your favourite floor length satin look for an elegant and chic outfit.
The silhouette on the Amerie top is simple, fitting and flaring out gorgeously to create an hourglass illusion that is simply gorgeous.
A pretty top that has some colour or a subtle print without being too colourful and that gives you a great fit is just right because then you can pair it with loads of other pieces in your wardrobe for endless styling options.
2. An alternative to your everyday Jeans
OK, let’s just get it out of the way. Nothing will ever beat your favourite pair of jeans. But real style queens know that it’s great to have a pair that has the feel and fortitude of denim without actually being denim. Because as good as your favourite jeans are, they still scream casual and you want to have an alternative that gives of elegance and chic whilst still feeling like denim. This is basically your dressy jeans that aren’t actually jeans.
Enter our Leo Trousers. The fabric has the feel of chinos (which is basically denim’s dressier older cousin), but it looks a loot more dressy and classier, in a colour that’s like a neutral but with a little more pizzazz to stand out. A pair of pants like this works because of it’s versatility when it comes to styling. Just like favourite pair of jeans, you can style this with so many tops and it’ll still work, dressed up or down. But unlike your jeans, these do not have that casual connotations that jeans just have so you can really step into spaces with this and not look too casual, if you don’t want that.
And since this is your jeans alternative, don’t be afraid to have some fun with the silhouette. The Slouchy barrel vibe of the Leo trousers will add a quirky dimension to any look that you create with it, allowing you to really stand out and be unique when you wear it.
Finally, hardware is a great way to add chicness to your everyday pieces like trousers. A pair of jeans that has buttons or any added hardware that stands out comes across as instantly chic and more expensive. Apply this same rule when you’re shopping for your jeans alternative. And in this case, the big bold wooden buttons on the Leo trousers contrast beautifully against the blue to add a new vibe to the look. Plus, let’s not forget that they are functional, helping you to style the legs of the trousers to your preference
3. The White Dress
With the exception of when you’re a guest at someone else’s wedding, a white dress will work for practically every summer occasion you can think of. And from our range, we nominate the Haylee wrap dress as your ultimate summer white, a summer white that also works quiet well all year round.
When we talk about canvas pieces, your white dress is the ultimate. For starters, A neutral colour like white means you can go anywhere you want in terms of colours and metals when it comes to accessorising. Second of all, white is a great colour when you’re under direct sunlight. Pick breathable fabrics like cotton to repel the heat and keep sweating to a minimum. Plus white is a universally flattering colour, everyone looks good in it.
And speaking of universally flattering, our Haylee dress with it’s wrap top on circle skirt will work for you no matter your body type. We’ve had our Mode by Taylor clients wear the Haylee for everything from winter graduations for their PHD (paired with OTK boots and her graduation gown) to registry weddings (styled with gold jewelry, a fascinator and the most gorgeous bow heels). It’s that kind of dress that you will find a million different ways to style and a million different places to wear it to.
4. The Classy Midi Skirt
For me, summer and early autumn are skirts seasons. When the weather is just that little bit warmer, it’s the perfect time to get your legs out and when it comes to classy style, nothing beats a midi length skirt. And not just any midi length skirt but our Ngozie Skirt.
A cotton midi skirt is such a feminine and chic piece to add to your summer wardrobe. And it can have such an ethereal softness to it when styled with dainty accessories. The Ngozie skirt really leans into all of that femininity and softness with a flowy silhouette that is not only flattering but will make you want to twirl around on a sunny day.
Dressed up or down, you can really bring out the softer sweeter side of you and your summer style with a midi skirt like no other piece. And with a skirt like Ngozie, you get extra details like a thick waist snatching waistband which creates a gorgeous silhouette on you when you wear it and pockets, because who doesn’t love a skirt with pockets.
I will be wearing my Ngozie skirt now with a tank top, some mesh flats and a wide brimmed hat for easy summer chicness and when the weather starts to cool down, I will be pairing it with boots and a blouson top for the office.
