Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2023

The summer style in the movies looks a little different than in real life. The main character has flawless beachy waves, a sunkissed tan, and the perfect linen sundress without a wrinkle in sight.

But, most of us, waver from the sweltering heat, slathering on sunscreen and trying to find the balance between drinking enough water and not having to pee 24/7.

I’m not trying to take the wind out of your summer sails, but rather encourage you to create an elevated, minimalist summer capsule.  This will keep your outfits on point, and actually give you the basics for any outfit you may need during these warm-weather months. 

So how many pieces should be in my summer capsule?

This will depend on your personal style, how varied your climate is, and what your lifestyle requires from a wardrobe.  Authentic personal style is not made in a vacuum but in a conscious melding of all of these elements. 

In terms of the number of pieces, it can be helpful to survey what you have in your closet currently and the pieces that you regularly wear in summer.  And then strategically fill out the rest of your wardrobe. 

Athletic pieces, underwear, sleepwear, and socks do not count toward your full capsule.

I like to aim for around 15 staple pieces in my summer wardrobe, with the potential of adding 1-3 seasonal or trendier pieces.  This works for me, but if you are more minimalist or have a more evergreen style, you may be able to cut that down significantly. 

Ideally, 75% of these pieces should be foundational fashion pieces.

Summer Capsule Wardrobe 2023 Checklist

Here are the items I find most helpful in a summer capsule.  This is a larger list, so not all pieces will apply to you.  Rather, this should be used as inspiration to see where you might have some wardrobe gaps you’d like to fill.

Capsule wardrobes do not mean you buy a new wardrobe each season, but it also doesn’t mean you never buy a new item for your closet. 

• Staple Tank Top ( 2 colors optional, I like a light and dark option)
• Short Sleeve Blouse/Shirt
• Interest piece top (basically, it has design elements that make it more memorable or unique, but this doesn’t mean it’s trendy necessarily)
• Light shirt (long sleeves)
• Layering piece (can be a cardigan, light jacket, or even a summer blazer) 
• Summer dress
• Knit dress 
• Shorts (denim, linen, or cotton)
• Light trouser 
• Jeans 
• Skirt

Accessories

• Flat sandals
• Low heels
• Classic sneaker
• Everyday bag
• Go-to jewelry 

Optional

• Sun hat
• Large Tote/Beach Bag
• Swimsuit
• Beach shoes
• Beach cover-up 

Here are some of the items I personally am wearing this summer and why I recommend them.  And if you want to see how to build different outfits sign up to get my 30+ free summer capsule wardrobe outfit guide below.

Shop the Summer Capsule:

I do try to replace anything that goes out of stock, but everything originally listed is the items you see on me.

Summer Style Inspiration 

Sometimes when I’m feeling stuck in my style, I like to search for new seasonal inspiration.  It can be a more trend-centered wave that works around my basics, or it could be a more specific person. 

This doesn’t deviate away from my personal style goals, but gives me some new outfit combinations to try out, and frequently gives me more style data to hone what looks will carry on and what ones might be a one-and-done. 

We’ve probably all seen the new wave of “old money aesthetics” and “quiet luxury” being the buzzwords in fashion.  But really these concepts have a tried and true history in fashion.  Fashion is cyclical, whether you look at decade trends or from year-to-year. 

I didn’t want to lean into those specific trends heavily, but I did like their general energy.  So for my outfit combinations, that work for my body type, I decided to phrase this capsule wardrobe around “elevated, minimalism” and borrow a bit from some of our favorite 90’s street styles.  They often incorporated simpler silhouettes and had an effortless look all around. This gives me some frame of reference for my overall outfit harmony and rhythm. 

All of this is to say if you’re feeling stuck, creating a mood board or Pinterest board can help you get your style juices flowing.  Just make sure it feels authentic to you (and sometimes it takes some testing out to find that out!).

Let’s review how I use some of these summer staples. 

Tank Tops

These tanks went viral on TikTok last year, and I still maintain they are my favorite tank tops each season. These Target tank tops (Which I have in white, green, and navy) are the perfect summer staple. They have a great fit, work for many different body types, and really give an elevated (but easy) summer vibe.

Short Sleeve Blouse 

I fell in love with this blouse.  It’s relaxed and easygoing, yet has a certain elevated vibe because of the muted-shine texture. 

Plus, it works beautifully with almost all my bottoms in this capsule. The key to flexible wardrobes is cohesive mixing and matching.  Before you hit purchase, reflect on the outfits you wear most often. Would this piece seamlessly integrate into your wardrobe and can you build 3-4 different looks using it? 

As you can see this blouse worked effortlessly. I also like that it looks great with a french tuck,  untucked, and even left open as a simple layering piece. 

Long Sleeve Blouse

I find this to be a great layering option, or on more temperate days a great option to pair with shorts for a polished look. 

Plus summer evenings can sometimes get a bit chilly, so a light but casual layering option is an easy call. It also transitions nicely from season to season.  

If you don’t like the relaxed vibe of this option, you could try a light cardigan instead!

Wide-leg Trousers 

These trousers were SUCH a find. I picked them up from Target on a bit of a whim, but boy have they become a style staple.  Sometimes fashion magic is in the gut. 

They are affordable, so comfortable to wear, but light enough for non-sweltering summer days.

Bonus points, I tend to bloat easily and these pants don’t make it obvious. 

I have them in both black and tan. (This is also the “A New Day” Tank Top I have listed above).

Summer Dress 

A great summer dress is a must for me. I need something easy and breezy to throw on when it’s hot, or when I don’t have a lot of bandwidth to think about my outfits. 

I went with a slip-style dress.  I like that it can be easily dressed up or down and that it’s still loose enough that I don’t feel sweaty in it.

However, this is highly dependent on your personal style and climate needs, so you might also need to consider a closet audit to determine what will work for you.

Knit Dress

My style data (ie my daily outfit photos) have shown I have tremendous cost-per-wear with easy knit dresses. 

They work for my lifestyle: mom, work-from-home, and everything in between. 

This can be highly dependent again, but this knit dress will definitely be a frequent look in my rotation. I also love that it can easily be dressed up or down.

Skirt Options

So people either love them or hate them but I am a big fan of skirts for summer. For my body type, I prefer longer skirts.  

Now, you may be thinking a long silk-like skirt for summer sounds insane. But before you jump on the “Gaby is crazy” train, it’s all about climate and how much heat is trapped within the garment.

This skirt is only fitted around the hips and is very “airy” from the hips down.  And I find it a great, chic piece for city style. Plus it looks fabulous with my summer capsule tops and was a great piece to match my summer inspiration mood board.  It’s also very easy to walk in (not all slip skirts are)!

I also like it with my slightly “trendier” top that is included in both my Spring and Summer capsule wardrobe. ( I love it that much!)

Now, if I want something a bit more beach-friendly, or more casual, the wrap skirt is my go-to.

If you’d like to shop my full summer capsule items, they are here:

Accessories

Shoes and accessories should be generally made of staples that are re-used each summer season.  This is the best way to get your cost-per-wear in a good range.  And it allows you to invest in pieces that will last and (hopefully) truly fit your personal style goals.

Here are my summer capsule accessories. 

Large-Buckle Birkenstocks

I’m a lover of Birkenstocks and included these in my spring capsule.  I find them a nice, elevated option for summer that has a bit more glamour than the OG birkenstocks.

Low-Heel Strappy Sandals

I specify low-heel because that is what works best for my lifestyle.  If the shoes are too laborious to walk in or take too much time to take on and off, they don’t get regular wear.

These BP sandals are a good price, and VERY comfortable.  I can actually wear them on an average weekday and not feel hindered. 

Plus they are easy to slip on and off and add a nice polished touch to my outfits.  

Sunglasses 

So, I’m really hard on my sunglasses and I have a bad habit of leaving them behind… For me, buying cheaper sunglasses that don’t cause me physical pain when I lose them works best. 

I love these affordable, 90’s inspired black sunglasses.  I’ve had the same style for a few years, and find them to be versatile and elevate my total outfit aesthetic. 

Hoops

Because I’m cool-toned I prefer silver jewelry overall.  But, I have been known to love gold hoops, so don’t hate my past recommendations. 

I’m equally hard on my jewelry, sorry but mom-life!  So I love affordable jewelry.  

But, examine what jewelry you naturally use on a day-to-day basis. I find earrings my go-to, but you may find a necklace, bracelet, or ring most workable. 

I like the above set (which also comes in gold!) because each pair has a slightly different vibe, which can help mix and match between outfits and not seem too repetitive. 

Bags

Bags are highly dependent on your lifestyle needs. I usually have about 3 options in my style year-round.

I have my go-to crossbody/handbag which was an investment piece I made for my personal style.

I have a go-to cotton tote for days that might be messier or require toting around extra things. 

And I have a beach-friendly option.

Examine what your lifestyle needs and then adjust. Some people find more seasonal bags to be more functional.  And if this is you, a raffia or woven bag can be a great elevated summer option. 

I created a capsule, but it’s just not working.

If your capsule isn’t working for you, you need to examine what is the biggest problem area.

1. Lifestyle:  Does it work for your lifestyle? It’s wonderful to use this capsule as an inspiration, but if you’re a breastfeeding mom or someone who spends a lot of time on a farm, for instance, it might not be feasible.  
2. Do you have the pieces you need?  Sometimes a flaw in your capsule can be not having a basic piece that acts as a “bridge” to all the other pieces.  Audit your closet, look at your daily outfit photos, and see what your bridge pieces are and if you need more of them.  
3. Does it fit your personal style? Sometimes we buy pieces because they look great on other people, not realizing it is inauthentic to our own style or body type.  Examine what pieces frequently get worn in your closet, and see if you can pinpoint the adjectives or aesthetics those imbue.  Now, compare them to what you’re buying currently or the vibe of the outfit you’ve built. If there’s a disconnect, it may need some tweaking. 
4. Blindly following advice.  I know this is an interesting point coming from someone who wrote an entire article on capsule wardrobes, but the only person who can build your wardrobe successfully is you. And this can take experimentation.  So look at this guide as a very base starting point, especially if some of the recommendations are not working for you.  Take those daily outfit photos and reflect on when you feel your best and when you look your best. Your style is a recipe, make it fit YOUR tastes. 

Color and Capsule Wardrobe

Having a more streamlined wardrobe, like a capsule wardrobe means color cohesion plays an important role. 

Now, you may find leaning on your seasonal color palette extremely helpful to merge both your “best colors” and colors that work well with one another. 

Or you could go with a more streamlined palette and opt for neutrals with a dedicated pop color or two.  

Color cohesion is important so that you can mix and match seamlessly. If you love super colorful vibes or color blocking, examine the color theory and make sure you are choosing colors that are within similar families (similar undertones, brightness levels, or value levels). 

The more varied your color palette is, the more honed your color perception needs to be. Otherwise, you will run into very limited outfits. 

Now, go frolic on the beach (with sunscreen on😉),  take that summer holiday to Italy, or ya know, just pick up your kids from camp. 

Combatting summer style can seem like a big hurdle, but hopefully, this has broken the process down into some manageable steps. 

Keep calm and summer on.

Want to see 30+ outfits using these summer capsule items? Sign up below to get your free Summer Capsule Wardrobe Outfit Guide: