Linen + Denim = 5 Great Summer Evening Outfit Ideas
also "outfit prompts" and my favorite wedding guest dress to date
Hello!
Happy official summer to you all! I hope everyone had lovely strawberry moon/summer solstice week and are feeling excited for the long warm days ahead.
Summer comes and goes so fast in the mountains, it’s really a practice in staying present to not miss these exceptionally ephemeral but magical months.
This past weekend I was Aspen for a wedding. It was such a lovely celebration. Here’s what I wore and where things are from-
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Absolutely loved this asymmetric open back dress from Spanish label Laagam. Heels with this unique (and sorta functional for grass!) little stiletto are the Firenze pump from Schutz.
Speaking of marriage… massive congratulations to Hadley and her partner Pierre for getting engaged!! I can’t wait to get little peeks into what’s inspiring her in the wedding world and bridal fashion. So happy for those two!! TOGS gets married!
This week I decided to explore some outfit combinations based off of pairing two materials together- denim and linen. Just like prompts help you get past writer’s block, giving yourself an outfit prompt might bring you some new inspiration in your own closet. A good outfit prompt can be anything from a simple concept to narrow your scope, to outlandish and hyper specific niche guides pulled from the far corners of your imagination. It’s always a good idea to exercise that imagination muscle as an adult.
Some notable outfit prompts I’ve used recently include: a color palette inspired by your breakfast, what would your favorite literary character wear, pick two items from some of your different “aesthetics” and mix them together, what would my elementary school art teacher wear, have only your accessories tell the story, and what would the stylist on a 1992 J.Crew catalog shoot dress me in?
Don’t be surprised if you soon see a letter centered around one of these prompts!
Back to this week’s prompt- denim and linen. I love the combination of denim and linen. I think that it’s a perfect pairing for summer evenings in the mountains when it gets chilly but you still want to be in an outfit that feels summer.
Most of these upcoming outfits are put together with the idea of being worn in the afternoon/happy hour/evening for something a little nicer in the mountains or wherever you might be that gets cool enough for denim in the summer.
Denim & Linen Outfit #1
I’d wear this out to dinner, getting drinks with girlfriends, or a date night. Functional enough for walking around and casual enough for the mountains. The unique denim and asymmetrical linen blend top make it feel dressy but still light and airy for summertime.
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These COH jeans (in color Skylights) were one of my splurgier purchases this spring, but I can honestly say they are worth it. These have such a specific baggy shape that still has a hint of a barrel silhouette. They run big, but I didn’t want to loose bagginess in the leg, so I kept the size that’s slightly too large in the waist. I just added one these handy dandy button pins that I talked about in a previous letter. I got my normal size 24 for reference, but 23 would fit more accurately.
This top is nearly sold out, but there’s so many similar ones out there this summer. I like it because it’s just as easy as a tank top but with more pizzaz. Some similar ones from Mango here and here, love this one from Banana Republic, one from Anthropologie, and a loose knit one from Free People.
For a layer, I’d bring this soft cotton twill over shirt from Buck Mason. This piece has become such a staple for me, it goes with everything, it’s light but not thin- I can’t recommend it enough.
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#2
For extra warm summer days/evenings, a loose linen tank is such a staple. I’ve been loving this one from J.Crew for the oyster shell button details down the back and perfect waist-hitting length.
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