The Best Sustainable Summer Fashion Trends You Might Be Missing Out On
Fashion means the world to me, and nothing gets me more excited to leave the house than the chance to style a new outfit for whatever my plans may be for the day. I love layering, I love accessorizing, I love creating new combinations and I just love my closet. However, eventually, the months speed by and the seasons catch up to me and I realize that summer has arrived, and, wow, do I hate summer clothes.
Despite being born in late June, I am a fall girl in my veins. I live and will die in tights, boots, blazers, plaid, dark colors, jewel tones, sweater vests and all the other classic staples that make you want to grab a hot cider not hit the beach. Summer dressing is super hard for me, especially living in NYC this summer, all my preferred layering and creating seems unthinkable in weather that makes me feel too sticky and uncomfortable to wear anything besides a tank top and jean shorts.
So, yes, my style and tastes need a little bit of adjustment when the days start to extend, but there are ways for people like me to feel like themselves without feeling like they’re melting.
Here are some of my favorite, sustainable and eco-friendly, summer trends to lean on when I don’t know what else to reach for:
Matching Sets
I absolutely love a cute, matching set. It feels summery and comfortable while still adhering to my need for a put-together, structured look from my clothes. A tank top or short sleeve blouse and a matching skirt, pants, shorts of your preferred length in a comfortable, sustainable fabric like linen, silk or knit is the perfect look for this season.
Vest top sets are my favorite because they provide me with the smart, preppy look that I gravitate towards while allowing my arms to be free and comfortable in the heat. Reformation is a fashion brand that began in Los Angeles that prioritizes regenerative, recyclable materials and maintaining a carbon-neutral footprint. These are a couple of my favorite sets from there.
Sustainable Summer Dresses
Silk, satin slip dresses have been extremely trendy ever since we definitively decided the 2020s were the new 1990s. Although fabrics like that are soft, shiny and perfect for reflecting sunlight and feeling glowy, a sweet, simple cotton dress with polka dots, gingham, stripes or any pattern you love works just as well for the summer time.
I live in dresses of all colors and fabrics, and even your favorite little black one can be styled to blend right into summer. Everlane is a very popular California-based fashion company that prioritizes total transparency in the ins and outs of their eco-conscious clothing production. Here are a couple summer dresses from there that absolutely caught my attention.
Mary Jane and Ballerina Flats
As someone with a very small shoe size, I live in Mary Janes and other flats with a little strap. Sandals and flip-flops are the stereotypical summer shoe, but not always the most practical for running around New York City. Ballerina flats as well offer a comfortable choice to feel free and summery but still comfortable as you walk around in these hot temperatures.
My favorites are black, but a softer brown or unpredictable pop of pink or blue works perfectly to brighten any outfit. Ganni is a fun, creative Danish brand whose Fabrics of the Future initiative promotes new sustainable materials like bacteria-grown leather. These are a couple unique, playful flats from their website, perfect for comfort and style
Sheer Layering Tops
My sheer tops are absolutely crucial to my summer wardrobe because they allow me to fuel my need to layer without overheating in too much fabric. Placing one of my favorite camis or baby tees under a sheer top is another trend that makes me feel very much like I’m living in the ‘90s as well.
As I was looking around online for sheer clothing, I came across French-designer Marine Serre and I learned that 50% of all of her collections are made of upcycled materials. The other 50% are made of recycled and other environmentally friendly materials. She makes some very interesting sheer pieces that are linked here.
Sunglasses To Match Your Face Shape
Accidentally collecting more and more random sunglasses over time is a very common, human trait, to me. I have more sunglasses than I know what to do with because it’s so hard to buy them and know which shape, color or size will actually look the best on you. I have learned recently that tailoring your sunglasses to your face shape can help narrow down your search exponentially.
You can simply look online for the shape and size that suits you if you have a heart shape, oval shape, square shape, whichever. There is a style that flatters you best, so definitely try to find it. Sezane is a fashion company that does their part for the planet by prioritizing quality over quantity in their products. By limiting their stock, they discourage and eliminate overconsumption and ensure every item of theirs is sold and lasts a very long time. Here are some sunglasses from their website that are perfect for summer.
Tailored Shorts
I mostly live in skirts in the summer because, as long as I leave my tights behind, I can basically figure out a way to style any of my skirts to be more summery. However, I have some reliable shorts in my wardrobe that make an appearance on occasions during the summer. I like shorts that look like a skirt from the front or have darts in the front to keep them tailored. I found some great examples from Omnes, a fashion brand that prioritizes natural, recycled materials and has teamed up with climate organization Earthly to help reduce their carbon footprint. Here are some shorts from their website that I immediately loved.
There’s still plenty of summer left to introduce these trends to your closet, so have fun shopping and I hope you discovered something you like!
Shoes are an integral part of our daily outfits. They bring us to new heights and help us to explore the beauty that nature brings. One type of shoe that is making waves around the world at the moment is Barefoot shoes. Besides the countless health benefit from improving posture to naturally strengthening muscles, Barefoot shoes offer maximum sensory with their thin soles as if you are walking barefoot. It has been said that producing a pair of shoes can emit as much as 30 pounds of carbon dioxide and damage the environment from the use of eco-unfriendly materials. Perhaps, it is not too late to make a positive impact on the environment from our end by supporting shoes good for your feet and the future. Check out Jejune’s approved guide to stylish and eco-friendly barefoot shoes to explore new heights in your next adventure.