Wear Your Basics Every Other Season—Just for Summer, Try These Fun Statement Items Instead

Eliza Huber wearing a pink mirrored Tory Burch dress.

(Image credit: @elizagracehuber)

Throughout fall, winter, and even spring, I live in my tried-and-true basics, opting for a great pair of jeans and a crisp white tee more often than not. A statement pair of earrings or a cool jacket might occasionally be subbed in to keep things interesting, but for the most part, I'm a fashion minimalist for three seasons of every year. In the summertime, however, those same understated wardrobe items get packed up, and in their place go all the statement fashion items that belong only in warm, sunny weather. Think stripes, bright colors, bold jewelry, and voluminous silhouettes. Essentially, if someone might have to do a double-take to "get" my outfit between the months of June and September, I've done everything right.

Ahead, you'll find everything you need to follow my lead for the next few months, opting for clothes, shoes, and accessories that make a bigger splash as opposed to a perfect—clean and quiet—diving entry. I'm talking about crochet pieces made of gold metallic threads, mesh stiletto boots, mirrored dresses, and turquoise silk trousers. There are fringe dresses, genie pants, and sequin swimsuits. Wear your basics every other season. Just for summer, try these 39 fun statement items instead.

Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.