Summer essentials

The pieces I’ll be wearing all summer.

Summer is just starting here in Canada. The kids finished school this week, the weather has been a mixed bag, and everyone’s getting ready for the Canada Day long weekend. To kick things off, I wanted to share a roundup of my favourite summer pieces… the ones you’ll catch me wearing over and over again.

A denim maxi skirt

I admit it took a while for me to come around to this trend. It seemed intimidating to style a long denim skirt (how do you make it look good if you’re not 5’9”?), and I wasn’t convinced I could pull it off.

Another concern? Mobility. As

Jane Herman

said, jean skirts are not an easy sell for moms who have to chase after young kids. Even my mom warned me they’re difficult to walk in after recalling her memories of wearing them in the ‘90s.

The Mango denim skirt with the best white tank from Zara.

It wasn’t until I found this Mango skirt that I decided to give it a try. After a few alterations, it’s become one of my favourite pieces to wear with a simple white tee or tank. As for the mobility part—the slit helps a little with movement, but it’s definitely not something I’ll be wearing when I’m playing with my kids.

High-low summer bags

When it comes to bags, I lean into quality over quantity. I choose a few classics and hold on to them for years, rotating between styles depending on where I’m going (and how much I need to bring with me.) Most of my bags are black, so I wanted to find something more summer-appropriate that would last me several seasons.

I had my heart set on getting a basket bag—with the iconic Loewe version at the top of my wish list. For a while, I tried to convince myself I didn’t need it and researched other options that weren’t as pricey, but none of them ever did it for me quite like the Loewe one. I waited and waited, and looked for deals while my Instagram ‘saves’ slowly turned into a Pinterest board of well-dressed women strolling through Paris with their Loewe basket bags.  

Source: loewe.com

I ended up getting the small basket bag in the colour tan during Nordstrom’s liquidation “sale”—it was a comical 5% off, but it was the last one in stock, and I figured it was meant to be. I love the timelessness of the Loewe bag and its versatility for spring and summer outfits. Not to mention, it makes a great vacation accessory.

For a more everyday summer bag, I got Uniqlo’s round, mini shoulder bag in the natural colour. It’s sturdy enough, has more room than the Lululemon belt bag, and is definitely worth the price tag ($24!)

Uniqlo’s round mini shoulder in natural.

Linen pants

I have two styles I love to wear, both from Oak + Fort, which I bought last year during their end-of-summer sale. I have a pair of loose-fitting, linen drawstring pants, which I’ll wear to the beach and park with the kids (read: ones I don’t mind getting dirty.) And then, I have a pair of straight-leg linen pants that I can wear casually or with a nice top for date night.

My O+F linen pants are from last year but they have this new style.

Linen pants are my go-to in the summer because they’re so comfortable and effortless. What I like about the Oak + Fort ones: they’re simple and modern while being well-made and reasonably priced.

A linen button-up shirt

If you could channel any TV character’s style, whose would it be? Mine would be Aubrey Plaza’s Harper Spiller on the second season of the White Lotus. I couldn’t get enough of her classy, polished and equally cool vacation looks—and apparently, neither could anyone else because her style, which was partly inspired by Audrey Hepburn, has been dissected over and over again.

Source: HBO

The scenes of her wearing breezy linen button-ups at breakfast and on the beach made me want one just so I could recreate the same looks on our family vacation this past January. I bought a white one from Zara, which I’ve worn repeatedly over bathing suits, tank tops and dresses.

The white linen button-up from Zara over the Wilfred Libertine Dress in black from Aritzia.

Black flip-flops

Until last month, I’ve worn the same pair of black flip-flops from Havaianas, which I’ve had for so long that I can’t even remember when I bought them. When they finally bit the dust, I debated getting different rubber sandals but ultimately decided to get another pair of Havaianas mainly because of their sleeker straps and durability.

Photo: @vanessaroseblair

Surprisingly, they weren’t easy to find on any Canadian sites, especially for smaller feet (I’m a size 5.) They do sell some on Amazon, but I was hesitant to buy them after reading reviews about the sandals not being genuine Havaianas and the straps breaking easily. I opted to buy them from Revolve instead. I had to pay a little extra for shipping, which I don’t love to do, but I felt way more confident from their positive reviews.

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Some recommendations:

• The Loewe Anagram basket bag was another style I was considering for the summer, but I’m happy I decided against it. Helena Glazer Hodne (aka Brooklyn Blonde) recently shared her honest review after having it for a year.

• Some chic and simple outfit inspiration for the summer brought to you by Who What Wear.