I've Done My Research: New Yorkers and Parisians Live in This One Summer Staple

Summer in the city is unmatched because the warm weather opens up endless possibilities. You can plan picnics with friends, head to the beach for the day, or pack a bag and hop on a plane. Basically, you can be out in the world living your best life. But with the prospect of hotter days comes with its own set of wardrobe challenges. Having a Hot Girl Summer, in theory, is great until you’re actually overheating because you don’t own the right clothes. Having an arsenal of summer clothing that can keep you looking cool (in every definition of the word) on a summer day is a must—which is something that veteran New Yorkers and Parisians know well. 

You see, it’s not just about having great platform sandals or date-night dresses on hand, but the secret I’ve found (after doing some deep scrolling) is owning great linen separates. Linen is the one fabric that’s so polished, versatile, and functional that it promotes itself into staple status among the fashion set. So in that vein, I’ve done some deep scrolling to identify the six linen staples the New York and Paris fashion sets wear in the summer. These are not only the best linen clothes for summer you can buy, but they’ll also guarantee you survive the scorching heat in style no matter where you live.

Key Staple: Linen Tops

Is it even possible to waft about New York or Paris without wearing at least one cute linen top? Jokes aside, this staple has staying power in any wardrobe as it’s not only light-weight, but with iterations coming in the form of polished button-downs or puff-sleeve tops, it’s one of the best linen pieces to buy for the summer, hands down.

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Key Staple: Linen Skirts

The next linen staple that the Parisian and New York fashion set wear all summer long is skirts. It doesn’t matter what form it comes in (a maxi or mini, starch-white hues or vibrant pink); it’s clear that this piece has become a must-have basic that’s far from boring.

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Key Staple: Linen Dresses

As a New Yorker, I can fully attest to the power of owning a linen dress. In fact, I live in them all summer, and I know I’m not the only one. Women around the world swear by linen dresses because they’re the easiest way to look chic all summer without breaking a sweat.

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Key Staple: Linen Pants

Linen dresses aren’t the only staple beloved by the fashion set, so are trousers. But what makes linen pants a hero piece among the fashion set? Versatility, of course. Not only can you find them in various hems, fits, and hues, but they can be dressed up (think: a full linen suit) or down (styled with a cute crop top) they can come in a set or fit seamlessly into what you already have. In conclusion, linen pants are the breath of fresh air that every summer wardrobe needs.

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Key Staple: Linen Blazers 

Blazers have always been a beloved wardrobe staple among the fashion set, so it’s only rationale that they’d hold a significance well into the summer too. But with warmer temps, it only makes sense to swap wool and other heavy-weight blazers for linen. Trust me when I say, you’ll love your linen blazer just as much as any other outerwear piece in your closet.

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Key Staple: Linen Shorts

If you’ve made it here, you’ve hopefully concluded that linen is the staple of the summer among New Yorkers and Parisians. It’s not only incredibly functional but fashionable too. And if that weren’t enough to sell you, then just think of one of the last (and one of the best) linen pieces to purchase: shorts. This staple, like other linen clothing, makes dressing stylishly in the summer a breeze.

Shop linen shorts for summer:

Next: I'm Shopping for Summer—60 Under-$100 Pieces From H&M, Zara, and Shopbop