How to Make Summer Dressing More Interesting: The Art of Layering

Bored with summer dressing? Try this...

It’s hot, you’re bothered, and you’re also bored with what’s hanging in your wardrobe. It’s ok! It happens! Summer is a tricky ol’ beast when it comes to styling. Ultimately, you’re wearing less clothing, and when you’re working with fewer pieces, each one has to pull more weight. There’s a fine line between effortless and uninspired, and that’s where layering comes in (and yes, it’s possible to layer without endless perspiring - let me show you!). Done right, it adds interest, texture and balance to your look. So, I’ve collated all my best tricks here for you to keep on hand for the next time you need to add ‘something’, but you’re stumped for ideas…

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A shirt as a ‘third piece’. Let’s start here because there’s a 99.9% chance you have some kind of button-up shirt to hand. Summer dressing can feel dry because we’re often lacking that ‘third piece’. The oversized denim shirt you throw over your outfit, a suede jacket, or the white tee you pop under your chunky knit. It’s those details that add the extra interest and contrast - the whole ‘wearing versus styling’ thing. Another tool we use to add ourselves into outfits. In the summer, you’re often chopping the style sentence short by a third. So add it back in with a shirt.

I like to wear it open, almost as a pseudo jacket. Experiment with what you like to pair it with underneath. Personally, I prefer a bit of chest to be visible, so over a tee, it doesn’t work as well for me. But with a vest, it gets a thumbs up.

We think of co-ords as a classic top and trouser style, but I like wearing a black linen dress with a black linen shirt - again worn open. A good one to keep in mind when layering with dresses.

Then there’s a classic ‘wear it as a beach cover-up’ tit-bit. But seriously, it makes sense! Tie a pareo into a mini skirt with this, and that’s a top-tier holiday outfit right there.

Just like you’d tie a jumper around your waist, a shirt makes a good summer substitute. Being thinner, it’s a more comfortable option - just be sure to double knot it so it doesn’t slip off. It’s a simple way to punch up the colour palette of your outfit.

Tie your shirts around your maxi dresses, too. I struggle with maxis. They just feel so *long*. A shirt tied around the middle is a way to break it up and add shape.

Some good shirt options for you:

• To add colour… With Nothing Underneath The Weekend Shirt in Green*

• To add pattern… Toteme Striped Cotton Shirt* (now 45% off, ignore the sizing info on the website and go 1-2 sizes down, I wear a FR36)

• To add texture… With Nothing Underneath The Weekend Shirt in Seersucker*

• …I forgot to add this one to my little collage, but if you just want a solid, no-frills, black linen shirt, I always come back to this one from ARKET*.

Wear your swimsuits for more than the beach. The majority of my swimwear is black, but maybe yours isn’t, and it might be a good way for you to add colour and texture to your outfits? A swimsuit is for life, not just for the beach (or in my case, the local pool's ‘toddler swim’ hour). Of course, you can go down the route of substituting it for your daily tank top and wear it with wide-leg linen trousers and a shirt over the top for something breezy. But how about making it a little slinky? Dressing it up a bit? Big love to Rachel for doing the Lord’s work on this one and seeing how far you can feasibly push this concept with everyday dressing, there’s a ton of ideas here…

I wore a swim suit all week like an influencer to reality-check it

Ardas styles her swimsuits in such an everyday-friendly way too…

All the layers going on here - a swimsuit as a bodysuit + a shirt + a chunky gold necklace. I added some extra interest with a rope-textured bag.

I lost all concept of ‘layering’ here and just got really into the idea of creating a swanky evening outfit. I was feeling it!

Bikini tops, especially ones with an interesting strap set-up, make for a good option to throw on under sheer shirts, too. I’ve just gone for a lace bra here, but a string triangle bikini would have worked just as well and given a more undone vibe.

Heavy on the top, little on the bottom. Less of a layering concept and more of an outfit idea to think about for the summer, that’s a formula you can return to time and time again. Go big with your tops - think loose, linen blend, oversized T-shirts or chunky cable knits for cooler evenings. Then pair them with something little on the bottom, like a silky pair of shorts or poplin boxers. I can’t get enough of the now-discontinued LESET Barb Shorts (but these are basically the same*). The way to veer off the boring track here is to add in texture (yeah, yeah Anna, WE KNOW!). A loose-gauge knit with a silk pair of shorts will always feel like a luxe combination to me.

One of my recent outfits that I LOVED. The biggest tee I own, with the littlest pair of shorts I own.

This DONNI jumper is a good example of a ‘summer knit’. A higher gauge means fewer stitches and less yarn used, making the whole thing breezier and more summer-friendly.

I have to say, I do love a little pair of shorts with a jumper around the waist. A little sporty and a good opportunity to add some colour.

Oh no, she’s back on the ‘tying tops around the waist’ thing again! But an all-white outfit broken up with a grey jumper always feels chic to me (minus the Apple Watch - please ignore!). Simple, but effective.

See? Ok, ok - I’ll give it a rest.

A silk scarf is this summer’s hottest accessory. Whereas a shirt is the obvious way to add a ‘third piece’, a scarf is a smaller and perhaps more practical option when you don’t want to add actual layers. If you’re a Substack regular, then you would have spotted Leandra’s post already, but it’s brimming with ideas that you can incorporate without it feeling too much. A fashion thing that actually feels doable. It’s a fun way to personalise an outfit, or lean into one of your three words to bring balance back to an outfit. I dug into my scarf stash here if you need more ideas.

Pareos are the answer to summer dressing drama

If you’re buying one online, then triple-check the dimensions. You’re looking for something that comfortably sits around your waist with at least three inches extra, I’d say, so you can tie it. It’s such an effective way to add colour/contrast/shape - the whole shebang.

For larger scarves or pareos, try halfing them and securing around the waist (safety pins work well) for a brand new skirt you didn’t realise you already owned.

…and of course, there’s always jewellery. For outfits that by default read as one note - like a linen mini dress that you just can’t layer because it’s too hot - jewellery is your new BFF. I’ve always felt that if I wear a big necklace, I prefer to keep my earrings on the daintier side, but I think it’s more of a ‘when you know, you know’ kind of thing. I mean, look at this photo of Lucy with jewellery on every single limb! Layer up, take things off, play around. Once you’ve found the right recipe for your outfit, you’ll know. It’s an easy tweak using things you already own to stop a look from feeling flat.

Here’s how I switched up my ‘one note’ linen dress the other night - with earrings, a bangle and anklets, along with a bit of ‘wrong shoe’ theory and a bag for extra texture.

Consider your style words or personal style mission, and how they can be distilled into your jewellery choices. ‘Undone’ is one of my words, and I always feel like a pendant necklace channels that best.

Sometimes, more is more.

If I had a penny for each time I reached for this necklace*!! If you find your outfits are consistently lacking warmth or colour, a carnelian beaded necklace might be worth adding to your wishlist.

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OTHER WAYS TO ADD INTEREST

It’s not necessarily a layering trick, but don’t discount the ability that bags and shoes have to elevate an outfit and take it from something you like to something you love.

Summer sandals!? Not on my watch!

• For shoes, Allison Bornstein’s ‘Wrong Shoe Theory’ is a very helpful tool to keep in mind with summer dressing. The premise is that a non-obvious shoe choice will add some much-needed tension to the outfit. It’s why you see me in loafers ALL THE TIME in the summer. I’ll instead wear something really boxy and oversized if I fancy wearing sandals, to balance it out.

Me 🤝 textured bags.

• I’m a broken record at this point, but you’ll rarely see me in a smooth leather bag. That doesn’t mean I don’t own them! They are very handy for adding structure to an outfit that’s lacking in that department. But as someone who usually reaches for pieces from a pretty small colour palette, it’s the way that I add some ‘oomph’ into my looks. Whether it’s with raffia, woven leather, heck, even rope, it’s a low-lift way to experiment with an extra ‘layer’.

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