The Shore Life According to M: Summer Uniform

The summer is the best because I can choose to dress up or down depending on what I feel like doing. I love having options and choice. During the school year I pretty much live in business casual, so having some wardrobe freedom is quite enjoyable. A few years ago, I shared a post on the importance of creating your own personal uniform. You can check it out here. Basically there are a few things you want to know when creating your uniform.

Create guidelines

Use the theme you're looking to achieve to set guidelines for the pieces you'll add to your wardrobe.

Summer Guidelines: I ten to stick to navy and pink, stripes, and lightweight pieces of clothing.

Find your signature accessories and stick to them

Choose a few go to accessories and wear them continuously.

Summer Accessories: I keep my accessories very simple. I rotate a few pairs of stud earrings, I wear my fitbit, and a monogram necklace.

Find items that look good and make you feel good

Don't buy something just because it's trendy. Purchase items that actually look good on you. You are more likely to wear an article of clothing that fits you well. When it fits well, it will make you feel good.

Summer Favorites: During the summer I tend to gravitate towards items that are not form fitting. It gets to be too hot out to have your clothes sticking to you. I like to choose pieces that are comfortable but cute.

Remember this is an investment

It's important to keep in mind that you are working to build a long lasting wardrobe. You are not searching for the cheapest trendiest items. You want to be particular with what you buy. This might be splurging on some items here and there, which is totally okay. Quality of quantity is key here.

Summer Tip: Quality of quantity is definitely key. For me this is especially true when it comes to summer shoes. I am particular about what sandals I purchase.

So what does my summer uniform consist of?

Now that you have gone through my guidelines for creating a personal uniform, I'm sure you are curious as to what my summer uniform actually looks like. Well, like I mentioned it has a lot of flexibility. Lately I have been all about the summer athleisure look- running shorts, a tank, and flip flops. This is partially due to my renewed love with my fitness journey and the fact that I spend several days a week nannying two boys. When I get a little more dressed up (think summer casual), you can find me in one of two types of outfits. The first would be a pair of printed shorts from Lilly Pulitzer or Jcrew and a loose fitting tank top. The second option would be a cute t-shirt dress and a pair of Jack Rogers sandals. Between these three types of outfits, I am pretty set for the summer.