A Summer Saturday (or Sunday) Uniform

The strange mishmash that I put on every weekend from May to Sept. is actually 5 great things.

When your kid has already been awake three hours (and it’s only 9am) and they are about to expire if they stay inside for one more second, what do you throw on to get out the door? It has to be comfortable and durable (meaning can I climb, or chase, or throw it in the wash after rolling down a grassy knoll?) but also still look semi cute.

A balanced Saturday outfit - one part cute, one part comfy - is not exclusively a challenge for moms of toddlers (though some might say most dire for them!) but a universal start-to-summer conundrum. Maybe you want to run out for a coffee, or stroll a country art fair or give your floral caftan a break for that weekend at your friend’s beach house.

Creating this idea of a summer weekend uniform is always the most confusing for me at the start of the season, before I’ve really gotten my wardrobe heroes and pairings down. But last summer, I figured out what works for me in such a strong way that I’m not even going to try to reinvent myself this summer. I’m now just building on the foundation. Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Non-t-shirt-top
+
Track-like-shorts
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Ergonomic sandals
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Black framed sunnies
+
A delicate necklace

Below, five ideas from each category. All of which are interchangeable! Try making your own imaginary paper dolls with this week’s edition. It’s a fun exercise, for me at least.

A Non-T-shirt

I say “non-t-shirt” because its about the collar. It could be a polo shirt, or a cabana shirt or a Hawaiian shirt or just a simple linen popover. But the idea is to think beyond the t-shirt which can be hard to do on a lazy Saturday! One rule I have, is that this top must be able to go in the washing machine (even if on delicate). So stick with linen and cotton that you can wash on cold and hang dry. As much as I love a silk button down, we are giving preferential treatment to functional fabrics this week.

Clockwise from top left: Alemais, Toast, High Sport, Bode, Kule

Track Shorts

The thing about techy, windbreaker-y, track shorts is, you really need to pair them with exclusively non-workout elements to give them a sense of style. I try to not pair them with a dri-fit tee on the weekends if I’m not actually going to work out. This is what creates the flavor! We briefly touched on this in Packing at the 11th hour. But a wider selection below.

Clockwise from left: Men’s 2” inseam Nike shorts which are the right proportions for a woman if worn low-slung, Tory Burch, District Vision, Patagonia, Adidas

A Walk All Day Sandal (Fancy and/or Classic, can you really ever have too many?!)

I love a good grecian sandal as much as the next lass but when I’m going to get my 10k steps in, you better believe I’m pampering my little piggies. I wear the Birkenstock Milano (below) in brown most days because that is what I have, but if I was doing it over again, I’d go black. The color seems to ground a sporty look in fashion. I’m feeling the same way about sunglasses, which we get into below.

Clockwise from top left: The Row - I have these in olive green and don’t regret it for a second. Birkenstock Milanos, Mont Bell -these also come in all black but I particularly love the yellow accent on this pair. Emme Parsons - a streamlined, extremely chic version of the Mont Bell. Teva Voya, brought to my attention by former colleague and all around chic person Simone Kitchens. This style is often out of stock so get yourself on a waitlist! I tried it last summer but alas, my foot is too narrow for it. But if you have a medium or wide foot, such a great option!

Black, Stout Sunnies

A pair of black-framed, slightly stout sunglasses. The heaviness of the black balances the flirty top and sporty shorts. The vertical narrowness of the frame feels both right for right now (it’s really the shape of the moment) and also sits nicely under a baseball hat. I hate when my sunglasses knock my hat and I have to keep adjusting! Don’t you?

Clockwise from top left: Celine, Ray-Ban 51mm, Crap Eyewear (hehe), Oliver Peoples x Khaite (the pair I think I need), Loewe (I tried these on recently and was surprised by how great they were!)

A Delicate Necklace

I bet this is not what you were expecting for the fifth “THING.” But this outfit can feel boyish with the collared shirt, sport shorts and comfy shoes. It needs a little coquettishness. And the open neckline is screaming for a little romance to create the balance. I like the idea of a freshwater pearl or a transparent stone or a micro-bead chain. Something that feels especially dainty. The options are endless, and you probably already have a little charm or pearl you could pull out to play with in this formula. So below, a little eye candy to send us on our way.

From left: Sherman Field Emerald Bead Necklace, Dezso by Sara Beltran Coconut Charm, Mary McGill Pearl Necklace, Sophie Buhai “Mermaid” Necklace, Ten Thousand Things Carved Crystal Heart Charm

Happy weekend.

Yours TRULY,

Becky

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