12 Easy To Wear Summer Tops For When It’s Super Hot Outside (Classic Staples FTW)

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July 11, 2026

On July 11, 2026

I’m feeling very solid about my summer wardrobe, finally, because I historically don’t have the best tops for hot weather. But I found some really cute, easy to wear summer tops that are nice and loose and could be layered over or dressed down. So here are my favorite summer staples right now (including the best denim shorts and loose, lightweight trousers that fit so well).

Patterned Blouse | Shorts | Bag | Sandals | Bracelet

The sweetest print from J.Crew in a profile that is so easy to dress down or up. The little block print is so sweet and easy to wear with denim or mix with larger patterns. It’s very thin and loose, but feels high quality. Shorts are my Agolde Parker shorts, which are my favorite.

Patterned Blouse | Shorts | Bag | Bracelet

You should know that this blouse has some sparkle to it that was hard to capture in the photos, so think a little boho-glam (great for a summer party).

Tank Top | Shorts | Sunglasses | Bandana | Huaraches

I really really struggle with tank tops and prefer a boxier shape rather than anything too tight (I keep trying, I swear, but I’m so top-heavy that I’m just really self-conscious).

This top (and the one below) are so great. I wore them both last weekend with different layering tops on top. I love the little details around the neckline and the embroidery pattern. Paired with shorts and sandals and a few low-maintenance accessories, I feel very ready to leave the house in this!

Tank Top | Pants | Bag | Sandals

I love how this tank has the lace around the arm, giving even more coverage and covers that armpit area that isn’t my favorite to highlight. These pants are the best Nili Lotan ‘Shon’ dupes (they invented the barrel pant but their magical stitching is really hard for less-expensive brands to execute).

Tank Top | Pants | Bag | Sandals

These pants are from Pistola and are so good for a much more reasonable price. They have that carpenter vibe with big pockets and the slight barrel, with a fantastic length. They sit so nicely on the hips and are so comfortable, roomy but not unflattering. Also I recently wore this tank with a blazer and it was so cute – the juxtaposition of menswear with the delicate details of this top felt really on-trend, but so easy to wear.

This is the splurgiest top of the bunch (but I find often that I’m so picky with patterns and higher-end brands just do them better!). So of course I found this one from Doen and it’s great – blouse-y, thin and loose cotton but certainly good for work or play. And a lot of Doen clothes are overly prairie for a lot of people, but this shirt feels pretty transitional.

The white denim is Madewell’s barrel jeans that are excellent. I love the black and white beaded necklace (also Madewell) that can make any really simple look feel slightly edgier. I’ve been wearing it non-stop!

But there’s no better accessory than a couple of cute pups! Buttercup’s tongue in that second photo cracks me up.

Blouse | Pants | Hat | Mules | Necklace

If you need a looser white top that isn’t a traditional button-up, nor a prairie shirt, this one works well with anything. It’s an easy 1/2 tuck but also short enough that you don’t need to as it falls really well. The pants are carpenter trousers by Emerson Fry that have the best cut for that casual Sunday farmers market vibe (you know what I mean).

Blouse | Pants | Hat | Mules | Necklace

They are made out of a canvas fabric but not super thick or stiff so super easy to wear and the subtle stripe helps them feel light without being bright white pants. And of course the mules that ended all mules 🙂

Two things here I am SO excited about – another great, easy to wear tank (that I feel good in) and fantastic summer jeans. The tank has a little muscle shoulder cut and is a thicker t-shirt fabric so it’s more forgiving to hide anything underneath you’d want to (without clinging). But the jeans are low-waisted for us shorter torso’d folks and are a lightweight denim in a straight cut that has the perfect length. They even look good in the butt without being super tight!! I love the summer wash as well. If you like sneakers that have a little bit of a lift these Seavees are my favorites (still very comfortable even being a bit elevated).

T-Shirt | Trousers | Bag | Sandals

This t-shirt is awesome and I’ve already worn it many times because it’s boxy with a great dropped shoulder, in a color palette that is so easy to add to (I like a hit of black/white in most of my more basic outfits), and feels like a stripe without being that simple. It has a slight opening in the back that I didn’t even notice but its a fun detail.

T-Shirt | Trousers | Sandals

The trousers are linen from Banana Republic and I bought them for this linen review that will come out soon but they are SO GOOD. I don’t really need very many fancy pants but when I do these are so classic, such a flattering cut (low to mid-rise, FYI) and have great button and stitching detail. Fantastic for summer work pants if you go to an office and need to feel a little dressed up without being constrained by a thick suit. I love that you can dress them up and obviously down like I have.

Linen Top | Jeans | Belt (similar) | Sandals

Another fantastic summer work shirt is this blue linen button up from Madewell that is such a pretty indigo wash and has a lot of texture (thick enough to drape really well but not so thick that you’re boiling). It’s boxy and 1/2 tucks really easily. Huge HUGE fan.

Linen Top (left) | Linen Top (right)

A couple favorites in my summer-staple-wardrobe-capsule-collection are these two white linen short sleeve shirts that are so easy to wear dressed up or down, for work or for weekend. Just all-around fantastic hot weather clothes. Quince nailed both of these tops giving them enough detail to not look totally basic, and getting the cuts just right (and affordable).

Linen Top | Shorts | Sunglasses

I loved the cuffed sleeve on this one that flairs out just enough to be really flattering. The oversized menswear pocket is cool and the length is GREAT.

This one has a great neckline that has some sweet stitching detail, but otherwise it’s just a classic white linen top that is so easy to wear with anything. It’s loose, drape-y, 1/2 tucks perfectly and the linen is so soft. Perfect for a really hot day when you don’t feel like wearing a tiny tank top.

Top | Shorts | Hat (similar) | Sunglasses | Bag

I’m not very into Amazon dupes but I wanted to show multiple price points so I bought a bunch that were highly rated and while most of them were totally garbage, this one (which is very similar to a few Doen shirts) is GREAT. I also really love this outfit, BTW – that pop of red with the cargo shorts really does it for me.

Top | Shorts | Hat (similar) | Sunglasses | Bag

If you want to do this lingerie top trend but not invest $200 this is a great $25 option. I wore it recently layered with a cardigan and trousers and it was a solid outfit that I was proud of. I don’t totally love the satin ribbon on this top but easy to cut those off. Kaitlin, our friend/photographer who is much cooler than I am was obsessed with it so that confirmed its cuteness for me.

Linen Shirt | Shorts | Hat | Sandals

Lastly, another easy to wear top I bought for the linen post but it deserves to be in this one as well. While it’s a long sleeve and inherently not awesome in 95+ degree weather, it’s still such a good linen shirt that is perfectly roomy and drape-y in a really really good cut.

Linen Shirt | Shorts | Hat

I love the contrasting pocket. It has a slightly dropped shoulder that makes it feel casual and relaxed, for a button up. It’s from Marine Layer which I don’t shop very often, but a huge fan here.

Linen up soon – I found all the best linen on the internet 🙂 If you haven’t been over on the shop page in a while we are keeping all the outfits updated over there for easy shopping, and for deeper descriptions you can shop my sandal picks here, summer flats here, dresses here, denim shorts here, pull-on shorts here, pull-on pants here, and my favorite accessories here. xx

*Photos by Kaitlin Green