Who is ready for some fun summer styling today? It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in any sort of closet challenge, and I miss it! Closet challenges – where you take a limited number of items and see how many combinations you can come up with – are a great way to spark creativity, hone in on your personal style, fall in love with the clothes you already own and even identify holes in your closet.
I recently decided to challenge myself to see if I could build a mini summer capsule with some of my favorite Everlane items. I took a combination of eight pieces (some from this season and some from last season) and I created eight outfits with them! I love doing these exercises because it’s a push to be extra considered when I’m putting together an outfit (think: color palettes, textures, contrasting pairings, etc), and I am almost always happy with what I come up with!
This post is sponsored by Everlane. As always, all opinions, concepts and ideas are my own. Be sure to check out the corresponding IGTV video on Instagram!
Picking my eight items was the hardest part about all of this. I was worried about being redundant with my choices, but in the end I decided to embrace my uniform (white shirts for-eva!). I stuck with all my favorite colors (white, brown, black and denim). You can see all the items below in these shoppable photos.
THE OUTFITS
#1 // This was immediately the first outfit I knew I wanted to build. I like that the tortoise buttons tie into the shorts but, most importantly, this top feels like a good balance to the size and shape of the shorts. It’s interesting and voluminous, but still moderate enough to be in harmony with the shorts instead of overpowering them.
Note: I always say style rules are meant to be broken. If you wanted to have a blouse dominate a pair of shorts (and I’ve done it!) you can do that too, but the key is to be intentional and use an extra-voluminous top so your statement is effective.
Linen Puff-Sleeve Top (6), c/o Everlane
Easy Chino Short (6), c/o Everlane (might be fun to size up in these!)
Woven Sandal (10), Mohinders
#2 // A swap of top and sandals gives these shorts a totally different look. This breezy outfit is perfect for the hottest of days. I intentionally went for a repeating color pattern: black-brown-black.
Picnic Tank (6), Everlane (mine’s from last year, I believe the buttons are black now!)
Easy Chino Short (6), c/o Everlane (might be fun to size up in these!)
Sandals (similar)
Contour Earrings, c/o L.Greenwalt Jewelry (as seen in IGTV video)
#3 // This is another combo I knew I’d want to create right away. I love using contrast as an element in my outfits, and one of my favorite executions is pairing a nice blouse with distressed jeans or shorts.
Silky Cotton Blouse (6), c/o Everlane (this one’s on sale!)
Distressed Denim Shorts c/o Everlane (mine are from last year, and may be slightly different)
Day Crossover Sandal, c/o Everlane (mine are from last year, linking to the newer version with the cute, squared off toe)
#4 // Don’t you just love that in-between weather where you can wear long sleeves on top and shorts on the bottom? It’s usually so mild and pleasant… You guys already know I’m a huge fan of this sweater and I wear it all the time. I like the chill, easy look here paired with the shorts and the tennis shoes (which I also super love, and want to pick up in the gumsole).
Cotton-Linen Crew (M), c/o Everlane
Distressed Denim Shorts c/o Everlane (mine are from last year, and may be slightly different)
The Court Sneaker (10), c/o Everlane
#5 // I love a good faux jumpsuit look! Cute, but extra functional too. This is something I’d definitely wear for a long day outdoors, particularly playing around in the yard, so I added smart footwear and a hat to keep the sun off my face.
Picnic Tank (6), Everlane
Easy Chino Long Shorts, c/o Everlane (these run small, size up)
White Slides
Hat, Brookes Boswell
#6 // This a bit of an unexpected pairing for me. You can see it better in the video, so I recommend popping over to Instagram later today. It’s a bit of a dressy summer combination: slick black shorts, silky blouse with generous sleeves and heeled clogs. This one would be really fun for a dinner out at a nice restaurant. (Hopefully something that is safely on the horizon in the near future!)
Silky Cotton Blouse (6), c/o Everlane (this one’s on sale!)
Easy Chino Long Shorts, c/o Everlane (these run small, size up)
Woven Clogs, 11, c/o Everlane
#7 // I originally thought I’d create this capsule without this jumpsuit, and I ordered it separately outside of any collaborations with Everlane. But when it came in the mail, I loved it so darn much I couldn’t *not* include it! The color is 100% my favorite, and the tortoise shell buttons are a great feature. The back has a little elastic at the top, so it’s pretty easy to get in and out of without using the buttons (or maybe just using one). I wore this on Mother’s Day and felt like a queen.
Linen Picnic Jumpsuit (6), Everlane
Woven Sandal (10), Mohinders
#8 // Okay, admittedly it’s a little hard to make multiple outfits out of a jumpsuit, but I thought this was a cute, sporty take. If you were feeling ambitious you could layer the sweater on top, or maybe even a t-shirt underneath.
Cotton-Linen Crew (M), c/o Everlane
Linen Picnic Jumpsuit (6), Everlane
The Court Sneaker (10), c/o Everlane
And there you have it: eight easy summertime outfits. BBQ’s, bike rides, brews and cornhole are calling my name!!
Hi Andrea, you were one of the first writers who helped guide me when I was getting into the world of sustainable fashion a couple years ago. I bookmarked and shared your Where to Shop page which I found incredibly helpful for exploring different brands and styles. Within the last month, however, you’ve published two Everlane-sponsored posts, yet I’m wondering what you think about the controversy surrounding their recent round of layoffs (extensively covered if you google “everlane union”, if you have not already examined this news). I, and many in the sustainable/ethical fashion community, find these developments — on top of their aggressive expansion and marketing tactics over the last year+ — incredibly problematic and disturbing, especially for a supposedly transparent, ethical, sustainable brand. As a blogger who supports these same ethics, I am very keen to hear you weigh in, especially as you continue to produce sponsored content for them.
Hi Jen, thanks for the comment and feedback. I’m so honored to have played a part in your ethical fashion journey over the years.
On Everlane: I’ve followed all the union talk, as much as I can from both sides. It unfortunately all happened at the worst time possible. I can only base my thoughts on what I know, and I can say that Everlane has always been very positive and honest to work with and I believe them when they say they welcome a union, and I expect we’ll probably see unionizing in the future.
Everlane is a brand I’m proud to work with, and have had one sponsored project with them per month for about the last year. The last year was definitely a growth year for Everlane, but I’m happy to see this spring and summer they are bringing back many of the same items instead of ever expanding. It seems like last year was a year of learning what they’re good at and what their audience likes, in terms of clothing items.
Anyway, I always welcome feedback, thanks for weighing in.
Hi Andrea, thank you for your response, which I’m only getting back to now. I appreciate your perspective and analysis, and I do hope Everlane becomes more ethical, sustainable, and progressive in their treatment of workers and in their overall business model. As a partner to them, what will you be doing to push for these changes?
Hi Jen, in my experience the best change comes through leveraging relationships. I’m thankful to have a long-term partner who I work with at Everlane who values what I have to say, and shares earnestly with me.
This question might be a stretch, but do you think the easy chino shorts would accommodate a baby bump? I am 24 weeks pregnant and looking for comfortable shorts options. I am still able to wear my easy chino pants from Everlane, so I wonder if the shorts could work?
Hi Lexie! First off, congratulations!!!! How exciting!! I would say possibly yes with the shorter easy chino shorts. But. the newer ones with the longer inseam definitely run slim, so it might be tricky. Hope that helps!
Hi. I have been looking at that jumpsuit recently, but I haven’t committed to ordering it yet. What’s the color like in person? More brown? Red? Reddish-brown? It’s super cute, but I don’t want to be surprised by the color. Thank you!!!
Hi Jennifer, I would say it’s predominantly a brown shade, but there is lots of red in it! I know what you mean, sometimes it’s hard to tell by online photos!
I really love that jumpsuit, but the color would be all wrong on me! Ha! It’s perfect for you though.
It’s so cute! I like the black one too (sans buttons) from last year!