Summer is in full swing and if you are like me, you have packed up all your sweaters, turtlenecks, coats, and boots in your closet and replaced them with tank tops, swimsuits, flowy dresses, shorts, and sandals. When we think of summer, our minds often think of bold patterns, bold colors and neon. These are so fun to wear and purchase to add to our wardrobes, but there is a color palette that we often overlook in these hot months: neutrals.
Neutrals can sometimes be thought of as more of a fall staple, but there are so many possibilities to shop for neutral colors to add to our summer looks and often we can find so many light and airy fabrics in neutral tones.
Neutral colors can include colors such as; tan, brown, black, white, cream, navy blue, and army green tones. When shopping for summer we want to be comfortable and cool so when I am shopping for items to add to my closet, I like to start by looking for fabrics such as; linen, gauze, chambray, and cotton. While browsing the racks at the store, you can easily identify these fabrics as they stand out amongst all of the other fabrics and you will not have to spend a ton of time looking through racks of clothes to find these. This is a great place to start with neutrals as well. Many times, finding neutral linens, gauze, and chambray is very easy and a good start to adding to or building a neutral summer wardrobe.
I have a lot of neutrals in all seasons in my wardrobe. I have recently branched out to include more colors and patterns but find myself reaching for neutrals. If you are someone who has more of a bold and colorful style, shopping for neutrals can be a fun way to add to your colorful closet but they are also great for layering and for adding a base for more patterns and colors. If you want to start with some staple neutral pieces, you can look for a little black dress, a white button-down shirt, a button-down chambray shirt, a good pair of jeans, and a good pair of trousers. This is a great place to start when looking to shop for neutrals for summer but also to take you through every season that you can grab for any occasion.
What to look for as you shop for neutrals this summer
If you want to shop for neutral tones to add to your summer wardrobe, where can you start? I have a few ideas for you as you shop.
Shoes
There are so many options for neutral-toned shoes. Look for summer sandals, wedges, sneakers, flip-flops, mules, loafers, and heels.
Accessories
Accessories are a fun way to add some neutral tones to your summer looks!
Bags are an easy way to incorporate neutral fabrics, and color. Some ideas are shopping for bags that are tan, brown, cream, or white and fabrics such as woven bags, straw bags, canvas bags, and knitted bags. These will be a great addition to add to your Fall and Spring looks as well.
Belts are making a comeback in the style world and thrifting belts are an inexpensive way to add some texture, color, and dimension to your summer looks with dresses, jeans, or shorts.
Hats are another way to accessorize with neutral tones this summer. I have thrifted so many amazing hats such as baseball caps, visors, straw hats, and bucket hats in neutral and natural tones perfect for keeping the sun out of your eyes and off of the delicate skin on your face.
Clothing
There are so many options when shopping for neutral clothing. Some things to look for as you shop would be tank tops, short-sleeved shirts, shorts, lightweight linen button-down shirts, swimsuit coverups, skirts, dresses, white, black, tan, or gray jeans, linen or gauze pants, and if you need a professional look, a great thing to look for is neutral blazers that are neutral colored and lightweight.
As you take inventory of your summer closet, keep an open mind when it comes to the different fabrics and tones that you normally reach for. I am all for curating a closet that you can easily mix and match and transition into another season to get the maximum wear out of your clothing. I hope you found this helpful and make sure to tag Goodwill Akron for all of your neutral summer wardrobe finds!
Happy Thrifting!
~ Erin