This Summer, All Your Closet Needs Is 9 Items—Shop Them at Every Budget
I love to shop just as much as the next person. (My boyfriend would argue probably more.) But lately, I've been trying my best to keep my spending and consumption habits to a minimum. In the beginning, I'll be the first to admit, it was trickier than I expected. I practically shop for a living, so the temptation levels are high on a daily basis. After some getting used to, though, I began to realize that my closet doesn't actually need to be filled to the brim at all times. Really, I only need a few handfuls of items to make interesting outfits every week, especially in the summer, when the hot weather in New York makes wearing minimal clothing your only viable option.
Specifically, I've narrowed down my warm-weather wish list to just nine items—including dresses, bottoms, tops, shoes, and handbags—that can be easily mixed and matched so that no one has to know that I'm a total outfit repeater (guilty!). Not to brag, but it's pretty much the perfect summer capsule wardrobe. Below, discover which styles in each category made the cut, and shop them all in various price categories, starting with under $100 and going up to $1000+.
Under $100
White Dress
Thong Sandals
I know they're controversial, but simple thong sandals will always work in the summer.
Button-Down Shirt
Linen Pants
Nothing's easier than a pair of linen pull-on pants when it's hot out and you're lazy but you want to look chic.
Raffia Bag
Halter Top
I've already convinced two of my fellow WWW editors to buy this top—it's that good.
Capri Pants
Mesh Flats
You don't have to spend major dollars on the mesh-flats trend. This $70 pair from Mango is elite and completely affordable.
A-Line Skirt
$100 to $200
White Dress
Every summer, I buy one white linen Madewell dress, and in 2024, I'm picking this adorable eyelet option.
Thong Sandals
Button-Down Shirt
Linen Pants
Raffia Bag
The strap on this Banana Republic bag makes it look 10 times pricier than it is.
Halter Top
Capri Pants
Mesh Flats
A-Line Skirt
When it comes to timeless poplin pieces that you'll wear again and again, you simply cannot go wrong with COS.
$200 to $500
White Dress
I recently tried on the shirt version of this flowy, button-up Staud dress and was amazed. I need both, like, yesterday.
Thong Sandals
Button-Down Shirt
Linen Pants
These wide-leg trousers will make even the chicest European women jealous of your outfit.
Raffia Bag
My work bag is Demellier, and I get more compliments on it than any other bag I own (including Prada and Bottega Veneta). This raffia tote is next on my buy list.
Halter Top
Sofia Richie Grainge really ate with her Solid & Striped collaboration.
Capri Pants
Mesh Flats
A-Line Skirt
$500 to $1000
White Dress
Do I say screw my budget and buy this absolutely beautiful Tove halter dress that I've been drooling over since it debuted on the runway? If you're going to say no, go away.
Thong Sandals
These burgundy flip-flops take up 99.99% of my brain space at the moment.
Button-Down Shirt
Linen Pants
Linen has finally entered the barrel-leg-pants chat.
Raffia Bag
Altuzarra's straw totes are huge in NYC in the summertime. They're practically everywhere.
Halter Top
Someone help. My jaw's been permanently on the floor ever since I first saw this beauty of a Tae Park halter top.
Capri Pants
Mesh Flats
I keep seeing these at fashion events around NYC, a surefire sign that they'll be a massive, sellout hit in a few weeks.
A-Line Skirt
The floral details on this A-line skirt are even prettier IRL.
$1000+
White Dress
If you're going to spend over $1000 on a dress, you want it to work for you and be able to be worn in multiple ways. This Proenza Schouler dress goes from a long-sleeve number to a tie-front halter with a few easy steps, practically cutting the price of it in half (girl math!).
Thong Sandals
Okay, so these aren't quite $1000, but with tax, they will be.
Button-Down Shirt
This Gucci poplin shirt isn't just any white button-down. It's better.
Linen Pants
If you want great, high-quality trousers, The Row will always be the brand I recommend.
Raffia Bag
Is that a raffia version of Ferragamo's Hug bag? Yes, yes it is.
Halter Top
Wow, this on-trend butter-yellow halter simply must make its way into my summer wardrobe. I'll do whatever it takes.
Capri Pants
Bella Hadid just wore these, so of course, I want a pair too.
Mesh Flats
These might be the prettiest mesh flats I've seen yet—and I've seen a lot of mesh flats.
A-Line Skirt
Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.
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