Let’s go a little Steve Jobs this summer, shall we?
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.
You all know I love to get a ton of wear out of my favorite clothes (and even get most of my basics down to under $1 per wear!), so it should come as no surprise that here, on May 3rd, I’m thinking about how to build a minimal summer wardrobe that I can rotate through with ease during the next few months, getting plenty of use out of each item. Most of the items in the post I did about my “timeless pieces” linked above were more cold-weather focused, so in addition to a few new items I “invested in for this spring/summer, I’ll also share a few things that I’ve lived in and loved many times before.
Let’s dig in!
SUMMER SHOE STAPLES:
Starting off strong with shoes. Aside from beach and poolside flip flops (which I frequently replace each season for a dollar or two from Old Navy because I cannot seem to find a “nicer pair” I really love – if you have a brand you’re devoted to, please shout it out!) I really have two main pairs of shoes for warm weather. The first are for my daily walks. For this, I never stray from my old faithful, holds up for hundreds of miles … New Balance, Made in the USA. Buckle up, these can get a little pricey, but if you’re willing to go with a less popular color, you can get a GREAT deal.
BUY Made in the USA New Balance Shoes, $139.99 from Joe’s New Balance Outlet
When I’m not getting my steps in, and I’m running errands, watering plants, heading to swim team practice and allllllll the other summer things, I’m usually wearing my decade old pair of Birkenstocks. Since I’ve had mine for so long, they are perfectly worn in to my foot width and footbed grooves, and I absolutely love them.
BUY Birkenstocks, $139.95 from Zappos
I have also been eyeing this more water-friendly pair for a few years now, so who knows? Maybe 2026 will be the year I actually hit purchase. It says they fit kind of narrow and I have wide duck feet, so that’s my only hesitation. But Zappos has such an amazing return policy, I might just try them out and send them back if it doesn’t work out!
BUY Birkenstocks, $54.95 from Zappos
Swimsuit Staples
Last year, I posted about a few swimsuits I had my eye on. Spoiler: I bought none of them. Looking back at them now, though, I kind of wish I had! This year, someone told me I HAD to check out Quince. While I was shopping (another spoiler: more things in my summer 2026 wardrobe are from this shop!), I found the most beautifully colored bikiniand ordered it. I have worn it twice, but it is gorgeous and fits perfectly.
BUY Quince High Rise Bikini Bottoms, $24.90
BUY Quince V-Neck Bikini Top, $24.90
I’m also planning to continue my constant wear of this bikini top – it still looks absolutely amazing after wearing it in the pool and ocean all last summer. I mix and match it with my multitude of Old Navy high rise bottoms, which you can get for about $7 when there’s a sale.
BUY Knot Tie Tankini, $29.99
BUY Old Navy High Rise Bikini Bottoms, $14.99
Also, I’m a big fan of neon in a swimsuit (who isn’t, amirite?!). I bought one from Popvil on Amazon three years ago and it’s still going strong (this is important as Amazon brand quality can be VERY hit or miss, but this one has held up REALLY well!).
BUY Popvil Neon Bikini, $35.99
FWIW, I also purchased girl swimsuits from most of these brands for Ella as well, but my kids also LOVE the fit and durability of the bathing suits from Lands’ End, so we restocked a couple of swim staples from there this year as well. I’ve linked our faves in my Swim Shop on ShopMy, if you want to check any out that are tried and true.
Athletic Wear Staples
Let’s be honest, 3/5 of the time, I’m sporting athleisure. Runs to the library, working from home, pulled on over a swimsuit … it’s versatile and easy. And easy to build a mix and match uniform!
For my money, there are NO better summer athletic shorts for the price than these from Old Navy. They come in fun colors (and yes, I have at least one of each color – some of them, I have TWO of each color so I can wear them even when one is in the wash!), the quality has held up well over the past four years and they are the perfect length for this 40+ year old mom. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Again, sometimes, they go on sale for $7 a pair.
BUY Old Navy Tech 3″ Run Shorts, $12
To go with shorts, tanks or tees are acceptable, and I have several oversized tee options, but I kind of love these from COMFRT – so soft and perfectly drapey.
BUY COMFRT Oversized Tee, $29
A cheaper alternative from Old Navy, $11.99
On the tank top front, you’ll not be surprised to learn that Old Navy has a staple that I own in MANY colors. It works with athletic shorts, denim skirts, denim shorts, etc. Seriously, it doesn’t get any better than this tank for a versatile staple.
BUY Scoopneck tank from Old Navy, $6.99, even more colors in Ribbed HERE
Casual Every Day Staples (that are not athleisure)
I’ve been trying to make an effort to “get dressed” a little more. In that vein, I’m including some slightly elevated, but still casual every day staples in my summer wardrobe this year.
This skort from Athleta is one I’ve had for several years and I cannot stop wearing it on repeat. It’s a VERY modest length, it doesn’t ride up, it hadn’t faded or pilled at all after years of use and it has a BUILT IN POCKET. This is honestly my favorite way to look a little more “put together” when I’m sweating my butt off during a summer swim meet.
If you want something a little bit less pricey, Old Navy has some great options in this vein as well. I grabbed the one below this year.
BUY Swing Skort, Old Navy, $23.99
Ok, so those last two were borderline athleisure. We’ll call them crossovers and move on.
This skirt is amazing, but it looks like it’s selling out quickly, so hop on it if you want it. I bought it in navy, and that color already looks to be sold out!
BUY Midi Skirt, Old Navy, $19.99
Luckily, Quince also has some great options that are very similar. I added a couple to my cart, because I am pretty much obsessed with this silhouette for this summer.
BUY Organic Cotton Maxi Skirt, Quince, $59.90
BUY Linen Maxi Skirt, Quince, $49.90
In addition to living the midi/maxi skirt life, I’m also trying my hardest to live out my dreams of being Kelly Kapowski and/or P. Sawyer (One Tree Hill, IYKYK). That meant I needed a new denim skirt and Quince had one that I absolutely love!
BUY Denim Skirt, Quince, $39.90
Easy to pair with ANY of these skirts is a nice white (or black) tee. I have found THE PERFECT WHITE TEE SHIRT (yes, I am very confident and going way out on a limb here!) and it it this one right here.
BUY White Tee Shirt, Aritzia, $35
For a bit of a different shape on top, I also picked up this boxy top from Old Navy – I figured it would go with shorts and skirts.
BUY Gauze Popover Top, Old Navy, $15
Other than my athletic shorts, I have quite a few pairs of shorts that I’ve worn year after year (mostly denim, mostly from Old Navy). I think the length and style are no longer really what I’m after (and luckily for me, I don’t think those are in fashion anymore anyway), so I did invest in one pair of linen shorts.
BUY Linen Shorts, Athleta, $37.50
For an even easier grab and go setup, I will also be sporting maxi dresses whenever possible this summer, and this one from Quince is looking to be one of my new faves.
BUY Maxi Dress, Quince, $59.90
My last staple is one I’ve had for many years but wear over and over again. It’s an athletic dress with shorts built in. It’s comfy, cute and easy to pack for trips! I usually wear it for morning walks on the beach during our summer trips, but it’s also another favorite to wear to swim meets.
BUY athletic dress, Girlfriend Collective, $32.40
So, that’s my summer wardrobe in a nutshell! I can’t wait for my easy peasy days of mixing and matching and giving basically zero thought to what I’m going to wear. Happy almost summer, all!
Any other staples you’d recommend that I don’t have listed? Hit me up in the comments and SHARE! Don’t gatekeep, friend.
Less & More: The WFH Mom Edit 
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