These Anti-Trend Summer Outfits May Be Simple, But They're Dripping in Elegance

Sometimes we tend to overcomplicate fashion. (I'm including myself in this statement!) While there's always room for a statement piece or head-to-toe colorful outfit, sometimes the best outfits are the simplest. And when temperatures are high in the summer, the last thing you want to be doing is overcomplicating your wardrobe.

To prepare you for the season ahead, I pulled outfits that require minimal styling yet are still dripping in elegance. Think linen vests with white airy skirts, black tank tops with jeans, and poplin shirts with comfortable dresses—all pieces that act as key buys for your closet but when styled correctly can have you earning compliments this summer. It all comes down to honing in on the correct outfit formulas. Keep scrolling for more, and be prepared to add these looks to your Pinterest board.

@hannamw wearing white button down, black dress, and mesh flats

(Image credit: @hannamw)

What you'll need: white poplin shirt + black fitted maxi dress + mesh flats

@sasha.mei taking a mirror selfie wearing black tank top, blue jeans, and silver necklace

(Image credit: @sasha.mei)

What you'll need: black tank top + wide-leg jeans + black-and-silver belt + silver necklace

@abimarvel wearing yellow satin dress and tan sandals leaning against a bookshelf

(Image credit: @abimarvel)

What you'll need: satin maxi dress + tan flats

@dawn.tan wearing black vest, white poplin skirt, and black ballet flats

What you'll need: black vest + white maxi skirt + black ballet flats

(Image credit: @tktktktktk)

@nlmarilyn wearing white button-down, denim shorts, and black slingbacks

(Image credit: @nlmarilyn)

What you'll need: white poplin shirt + denim shorts + black slingback heels

Associate Fashion Editor
Yusra Siddiqui is an editor who resides in New Jersey but bounces between the suburbs and NYC. (She's a Jersey girl at heart.) After interning at Who What Wear in 2019, she found her way to the team after graduating from LIM College in 2022 with a fashion media degree. She's also spent time writing and working for publications such as Fashionista, Coveteur, and Nylon, but she always knew that Who What Wear was where she was meant to be. When she's on the job, she's perusing runway shows, analyzing the latest thing fellow Gen Zers are up to on the internet, and sharing what she can about the modest-fashion market. You can also catch her dabbling in entertainment, talking about the costume choices of the latest Netflix series or diving deeper into how the plotline affects the viewers in a myriad of ways. Lastly, she likes to create content for Who What Wear's TikTok. Her personal time is spent doing similar but also different things—deep diving into almost every new TV show (Bridgerton, Gilmore Girls, and Stranger Things are favorites), planning her next local getaway (whenever that may be), and reading the latest Emily Henry or Sally Rooney novel in one sitting.