When Megan Thee Stallion coined the phrase Hot Girl Summer, I’m pretty sure this isn’t what she meant. June and July brought blistering heat, perpetual sunburn, and sweaty pits that even the most expensive antiperspirant couldn’t tame… and August isn’t looking much different. Yes, it’s hot out, and there’s really nothing hot about it.
So how do you continue to slay in this stifling heat? Well, save for spending 100 percent of your time indoors—surrounded by the loving embrace of crisp A/C—there’s really not much you can do about the triple-digit temps. You can, however, give off the impression that you’re unaffected by it with a slew of August outfits and a heavy layer of setting spray.
A well-curated summer outfit will keep you as cool as possible, while also serving up your special brand of personal style for everyone to applaud. It’s all about light layers, swimwear as clothing, and intentional accessorizing. Essentially: more jewelry/bags/hair accessories, less shirts/pants/dresses. Details ahead!
A crop top and micro mini
Happy bras-as-tops season to all who celebrate! It’s officially time to break out your tiniest crop tops to combine with your cheekiest mini skirts. In this heat, the more skin, the better (as long as you slather on sunscreen first).
A pretty tank and barrel jeans
If most of your summer has been spent sending silly little emails at the office, you might want to add this look to your M-F rotation. A light-weight sleeveless top and a pair of loose-fit jeans (barrel, wide-leg, bootcut, or otherwise) are the perfect commuter-friendly choices.
Summer reds
You might be tempted to pack away your jewel tones until the first soup ladle of fall, but don’t be fooled. Saturated hues look just as lovely in the summertime as they do in autumn. A red mini dress, for example, looks decidedly slay with a white bag and a pair of matching platform sandals.
Y2K denim
White-washed denim is unfailingly chic (and the same goes for black). If you’re trying to avoid cowboy allegations, skip the hat and style yours with sleek boots and minimalist jewelry instead.
Workwear and lingerie
Disclaimer: This is not for a standard nine-to-five office job. This outfit is for those who have more freedom in their careers for sartorial play—bar tenders, artists, Aritzia store managers who run that place like the Marines, etc. And those people should definitely consider a bra top and slip skirt for a mix of professional and spicy.
A metallic skirt with a white tank
There’s quite literally nothing a good white tank top can’t accomplish—and that includes (but is in no way limited to) dressing down those once-a-year sequin pieces hiding in the back of your closet. Just add a similarly-glitzy bag and the edgiest combat boots in your closet for a casual-cool type of look you could wear to happy hour, a second Hinge date—whatever.
Black, black, and more black
I’m so glad that we, as a society, have moved past the absurd idea that black is a winter-only color. Its chicness transcends temperatures. That said, the usual LBD can absolutely be put on pause in favor of Bermuda shorts and knee-high boots—the fashion girl summer combo!
A scarf as a top
Summer 2025 fashion trends will be defined by two things: plush Labubus and silk scarves. I’m here to talk about the latter. The girlies have been hard at work tying bandanas artistically about their waists, heads, and chests for that “just got back from the South of France” aesthetic. My advice? Try wearing one as a top, styled with monochromatic add-ons for a painfully posh look.
Layered color trends
Pile on all the season’s buzziest hues for a bit of expert color-blocking. Butter yellow, chocolate brown, and powder pink all play harmoniously together.
Monochromatic
If you’ve ever asked yourself “what goes with [insert color here]?,” the answer is: more of that exact same color. Wearing the same hue from head to toe is bold, unapologetic, and unfailingly chic.
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