This is my third east coast summer living here and I’ve been slowly building out what actually works. Not what looks good in a flat lay. What you actually reach for when you’re going from a cookout in the afternoon to drinks at an outdoor bar to someone’s fire pit at midnight, and you need easy staples to transition through how varied the days are.
East coast summer is varied in a way that catches people off guard. It’s beach towns, city patios, mountain hikes, lobster shacks, garden parties, sometimes several in the same weekend. You need real clothes for all of it and I recommend building a staple wardrobe that can cater to almost any of the varied settings. Here are the five things that I’ve found to really lend themselves well to an East Coast summer and are a great foundation to build around.
What Does it mean to actually dress for east coast summer?
East Coast Summer is definitely a trend people chase and it means you so often see people dress for the aesthetic as opposed to the reality. The humidity arrives before 9am, afternoons that push into the high eighties, and evenings that cool just enough to make you want a layer.
It often is full day occasion, not a single moment. You need pieces that move through all of it without requiring you to go back to wherever you’re staying and get ready all over again.
The other thing nobody mentions: east coast summer runs from garden parties to campfires to outdoor bars to beach days. Versatility here is not a style preference. It’s a practical requirement.
White denim: the one bottom that does everything.
I started leaning into white denim about five years ago and I keep coming back to it. Blue denim is fine but there’s something about white that transitions on the East Coast in a way blue just doesn’t. Spring, summer, early fall. Day to night. Dressed down, dressed up. It just works every time.
My formula for a full east coast summer day: I start in the Saige High Rise 4” Jean Shorts for the afternoon, cookout, drinks, whatever the day holds. Then when the sun goes down and we move to a bar or somewhere that calls for a little more, I switch into the Cary High Rise Slouchy Wide Leg Jeans in Fior Di Latte. Same color family, same vibe, different weight. It’s the easiest transition I’ve found.
linen trousers: they’re everywhere and the reason is simple, they’re perfect for ALMOST EVERYTHING an East coast summer throws your way.
Everyone here is wearing linen trousers and honestly, I think they always have been and always will be core wardrobe essentials for an East Coast Summer. Sometimes you want length but still breathable. They always look effortlessly stylish and I know I feel more put together in linen trousers vs shorts.
I love pulling these on over my swimsuit when I’m walking to the beach too. It’s nice how quickly they dry if you put them on after an ocean dip. The Babaton Agency Pant in Power Linen, light birch is a pair I’m currently loving. Fair warning: everyone has linen trousers here. They’re that good.
The polo top: It just makes so much sense.
I have a lot of love for a polo top. It’s a little more polished than a baby tee, which means when you’re going for drinks it adds just enough without trying. Sitting at a bar, getting wine on a patio, strolling along the harbour, it just works for all of it. I also just think they’re timeless.
The Bentley Cotton Polo Sweater in navy is one i recently purchased and I’m obsessed. It lends itself well to the casual elevation balance that east coast summer actually calls for. I also have so many outfits that I think it is going to be perfect for.
A sundress is an essential.
A nice sundress is non negotiable. You want something that makes you feel pretty without requiring any thought. The Babaton Fluid Poplin Dress in black is mine. I wear it to garden parties, lunch dates, easy summer gatherings. I reach for it constantly. It’s one of those pieces where the occasion almost doesn’t matter, it just always feels right. This is it’s 3rd year still in my wardrobe and I know I will probably overwear it again this summer because it’s just so good and it doesn’t stick to you you in the heat!
The one piece you don’t expect to need: a statement jumper.
This is one of the most complimented piece in my wardrobe, which is saying something because it’s a jumper I wear the most in summer. But east coast evenings call for it. My formula for evening is heavy on top, more skin on the bottom, so if I’m in shorts I’ll wear something like this, and if I’m in jeans I’ll go off-shoulder.
The Pilcro Relaxed Roll Neck Sweater is the piece. When I found it last year Anthropologie didn’t have it in stock, so I started a Nuuly subscription just to get my hands on it. Expensive way to buy a jumper. I needed it. Two friends bought it after seeing me in it, which makes the case better than words ever could for a summer jumper.
