From left to right, Farm Rio’s patchwork print on a shorts set, an elegant duo from Alémais and La DoubleJ’s midi skirt with coordinated top.
MY FRIEND Judy the poet wears all white in summer and all black in winter. She tells me that’s her solution for not wasting time figuring out which pieces go with which for a put-together look.
I’ve got another one—because if there’s a season that calls for color and playful attire, it’s summertime. Retailers must agree because a lot of them—from mid-price chains like Anthropologie to high-end designer names like Zimmermann—are offering coordinated sets of shirts, pants, shorts, and skirts in exuberant prints and hues. And, as with monochromatic colors, you can mix and match the individual pieces with other items in your closet.
Here are 12 sets I’d welcome to my summer wardrobe.
How I wish I had had this breezy Hyacinth House knit set on my recent travels. Look, ma, no wrinkles. The red is cheery, the slightly puffed sleeves give it a feminine vibe, and you can easily pair the top with jeans and the skirt with a white tee/tank or an ivory sweater. A win-win!
It’s designed by Sydney, Australia-based Alémais, but this papaya-pink linen ensemble with its retro print would have looked right at home in Miami of the 1940s. The cropped wide leg, elastic waist with ties and side pockets add to the easy-going vibe.
I’m not clear what chakras have to do with this skirt pattern, but vibrant color is one reason to wrap this La DoubleJ cotton voile sarong around your waist. Another is its cropped, high-low hem, swingy shirt mate. If you want more bang for your buck, pair the shirt with high-waisted white pants and the skirt with a short-sleeve cotton-knit top.
This Pucci-esque pair from Parisian label Maje will brighten up the day and maybe your outlook, too, with its floral print in shades of summery pink and orange. As for that scarf wrapped around the hips, think of it as a styling faux pas.
Farm Rio’s postcard-inspired print on this top and shorts will have you dreaming of an exotic adventure, but don’t save this sophisticated set until then. Dress it up with sleek sandals and bold earrings—or down with sneakers and beaded bracelets like the kids wear. This set from Lands’ End is awfully cute, too—and wallet-friendly.
When you’re dreading that trip into the hot city for a meeting, where you need to look and feel chic as well as cool, Massimo Dutti’s all-linen wide-leg pants and roomy top can answer your needs.
Look familiar? It’s the same basic silhouette as the La DoubleJ outfit above but with a different splashy pattern and a skirt with elasticized waist and pockets. I do love the elbow-length sleeves of the top and how it casually drapes over the skirt. Psst: The skirt is marked down from $780 to $546; the top from $490 to $343. Swap out the top for your favorite T-shirt.
This duo is from Zimmermann’s Summer Swim 25 Collection, but it screams more cocktail party to me with that gorgeous print sprinkled with hummingbirds, giant leaves and crochet buttons on a blue silk background. And the wide-leg pants have side pockets! Of course, you could slip it on over your swimsuit.
Channel your inner cowgirl in this printed paisley shirt and pants set from French label Sandro. Treat them as separates with white shorts or Bermudas as the bottom and a white linen camp shirt for the top.
Polos are having their moment in fashion, and I’m a fan of the look. Although the website says the pattern is inspired by Murano glass birds, it looks like cartoonish raindrops to me. The short-sleeve shirt in silk and wool is nicely reduced from $398 to $187, and you can wear it into the fall. Its mate, a pleated skirt in viscose, is happily wrinkle-resistant, and, it’s marked down from $598 to $270.
A Zimmermann knit midi-skirt with contrasting stripes, a wide elasticized waistband and an A-line silhouette meets its match with a cropped polo top that seamlessly blends into the waist of the skirt, which is now $368, reduced from $525; the top is $309, down from $475.
Some of these are really cute! Although I am also a basic white or black devotee, I could see myself in one or two of these combos. But yes, fit is everything. Don’t want to look like I’m wearing pjs outside.
Some of these are really cute! Although I am also a basic white or black devotee, I could see myself in one or two of these combos. But yes, fit is everything. Don’t want to look like I’m wearing pjs outside.
Wow! If anything could change the easy black & white formula it would be these gorgeous outfits!
Judy, the poet!