Summer is now in full swing, which means the days are mostly being spent outdoors. Whether you prefer the beach or the country, summertime fashion needs to be as reliable as the SPF you apply, in order to make the most out of the warm-weather season.
This year, there's no shortage of options. Take it from our team, who spent the last month trying out all the summer fashion essentials in their wardrobes to recommend the absolute best. From roomy handbags and life-changing (yes, you read that right) dresses to shoes made to walk miles, here are the best fashion items our team can't get enough of this season.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
"Ever wanted to wear a jacket that feels like a warm hug? This jacket by Levi's is my first-ever piece of denim outerwear (weird, I know), and I wasn't expecting it to feel as soft as it does. The oversized silhouette makes it super roomy for layering in the fall and winter seasons but is light enough to wear over dresses for spring days and T-shirts for summer nights, too. I've loved styling mine with skirts, as well as layered with a sweater over the shoulder." — Frances Solá-Santiago, fashion writer
"I haven’t thought of the brand Soda in close to two decades, but after a recent search for cute sandals that passed the comfy test, I was drawn in by this cream platform-heeled pair. Believe it or not, these are the most comfortable sandals I own. I’m not sure how, but these babies got me through a full day stomping around at a music festival with nary an issue. It feels like every time I wear them, someone comments, 'Wow, I can’t believe you’re wearing those heels all day,' and every time I shrug it off because in this case, beauty is not pain." — Annie Black, senior social editor
Soda Soda Open Toe Lug Sole Block Heel Sandals, $, available at Walmart
Abercrombie Pleated Dress
"A few years ago, I definitively gave up dresses. For gender expression and aesthetic reasons, I became a jumpsuit-only girly. That is, until I came across this dress in blue while searching for a bridesmaid look and had a full existential crisis. When I put it on my body it felt so right I nearly screamed in the dressing room of Abercrombie. My body looked exactly how I always pictured it in my head. Most importantly, the cut-outs and the pleats made me feel beautiful without feeling too feminine. Basically, this dress changed my life." — Hannah Rimm, senior editor, Money Diaries
Abercrombie Satin Pleated Cutout Maxi Dress, $, available at Abercrombie
Mini Leather Basket
“This black woven bag from Little Liffner is the perfect day-to-night summer accessory for me. It’s big enough to fit all of my essentials during the day (including a book!), but small enough to dress up for a dinner or night out. I particularly love the soft woven leather and unique metal toggle closure. It's super high-quality and durable and at a price point that isn't outrageous for something that should last a lifetime.” — Kate Spencer, senior affiliate strategist
Little Liffner Mini Leather Basket, $, available at Little Liffner
Sleeper Flower Power Jacket in White, $, available at Sleeper
Caribelle Batik sarong
"I was recently invited to visit the Park Hyatt in St. Kitts and Nevis. One of my favorite stops was Romney Manor, where we got to see how Batik was made, a time-consuming yet supremely rewarding process involving wax that results in brightly colored fabrics. During the trip, I was gifted a sarong — in theecolor of the moment. Not only did it come in handy as a cover-up while out on the water, but I used it later on as a shawl to block the afternoon sun. I will absolutely be bringing this along for the rest of my beach trips this summer." — Annie Black, senior social editor
“Would you believe that I receive the most compliments on this pair of shoes? They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re the perfect chunky ‘ugly’ sandal-sneaker combo that allows me to walk miles on end in ultimate comfort.” — Kate Spencer, senior affiliate strategist
"While I've long enjoyed the outdoors, I've also struggled with dressing for a day in nature. Backpacks have never quite felt right for me, while canvas tote bags are too flimsy to withstand the elements. But this Gymshark quilted bag has all the qualities I've long wanted in a nature-ready carry-all. Although it's small, it still has room for all my essentials like a wallet, sunscreen, keys, and phone. Plus, the quilted texture adds a touch of chicness to any outdoorsy look." — Frances Solá-Santiago, fashion writer
Gymshark Quilted Mini Tote Bag, $, available at Gymshark
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Finding a wedding guest dress you feel comfortable and look great in is no small feat. Add in the complexities of dressing for summer — hello, wrinkly fabrics and visible sweat marks— and you’ve got a major project on your hand. The good news? Even if your calendar is already chock-full of save the dates through September, that doesn’t mean you have to waste your weekend braving the fluorescent-lit dressing rooms at your local mall to find the perfect summer wedding guest dress.
The best summer wedding guest dresses for every kind of body, budget, and occasion do exist — and they can all be delivered to your doorstep faster than you can say, “Miss me with that bouquet toss.”
Ahead, we’ve rounded up the 25 best summer wedding guest dresses on the market, spanning a wide range of sizes, styles, and price points. All you have left to do is pick out that perfect mani color, strap on your trusty pair of dancing shoes, and raise your glass to the happy couple.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Dress to impress for black-tie weddings. The formal affair calls for cascading gowns in satin, tulle, and silk fabrics. Feel free to dive into your red carpet dreams of rich gem tones, or opt for a lighter pastel-hued shades. No matter your vibe, there's a range of summer wedding guest dresses perfect for your upcoming formal affairs.
Reformation Frankie Silk Dress Es, $, available at Reformation
Cocktail Wedding Guest Dresses
Get ready to dance all night long with a cool drink in hand in a sleek cocktail dress. Pick a midi-length style with eye-catching details like a one-shoulder neckline, puffy sleeves, or a frilly skirt for a bit more summer pizzazz. Cocktail dresses are tried and true and will have you looking perfectly on theme no matter what.
River Island Lime Green Fringe Mini Bodycon Dress, $, available at River Island
Casual Wedding Guest Dresses
The styling opportunities are endless when it comes to a casual wedding. You can opt for a mini, midi, or maxi dress in a simple one-tone shade with subtle touches, or you can choose a cheerful pattern. The perk with these wedding guest dress designs is that you can actually wear them to plenty of other non-wedding summer events too.
HBEYYTO V Neck Swiss Dot Sundress, $, available at Amazon
Beach Wedding Guest Dresses
Embrace your whimsical side for summer beach weddings. Slide into sandals, wedges, or espadrilles and feel airy and cool in a tropical-colored frock. Lightweight maxis or midis with a flowing skirt not only look dramatic in the summer breeze, but they can also protect you from, ahem, wardrobe malfunctions.
This week, six fashion influencers found themselves the subject of internet scrutiny. The group had gone on a trip to Shein’s “innovation center” in Guangzhou, China, and the videos many posted to social media of clean facilities, spacious work areas, and happy employees painted a very different picture than previous reporting on the fast fashion brand’s questionable production practices. In 2022, a Channel 4 investigative report found that workers at Shein factories were paid as little as 2 cents per piece while working as long as 18 hours a day. More recently, the United States Congress questioned whether the brand’s supply chain includes forced labor. In response, the brand has often deflected, saying they will increase auditing and training.
This trip, which has gone viral, with many of the posts since removed, isn’t just about Shein and the ways in which a company shapes a narrative about its brand or does damage control. After all, to some extent, all companies do this; it’s PR. It’s also about the evolving role of the fashion influencer in a time when labor and sustainability issues are finally getting the necessary attention they deserve. Should content creators be held responsible for the actions of the brands they work with? And do they have an obligation to their audiences to act as activists or journalists as well?
While the idea of influencing as a job in fashion has taken many forms over the years, whether it be a blogger or It Girl, the social media personality-turned-fashion ambassador is a newer phenomenon. For creators who are subject to the whims of the algorithm, a knighting from a major brand through a campaign, trip or collaboration is essential to maintaining and elevating themselves within the fashion space.
A big designer dubs you front-row material, and you have the endorsement to wear their brand to appearances and events. Others rely on brand deals to make a living. Going on a trip paid for by a brand in exchange for positive coverage or a paycheck is often a normal part of these relationships. The fact that this was a factory tour that hosted people who aren’t experts is what made it stand out.
Fashion today is in an overproduction crisis, and influencers have played a big role by perpetuating trends and overconsumption.
Promoting a brand by going to a beauty lab or attending a party for a fashion brand’s new store is one thing, but making content on something as technical and nuanced as the inner working of a supply chain requires a discerning eye and expertise in how factories should be run — expertise that the influencers on the Shein trip didn’t have. And weren’t necessarily aware that their followers would expect of them until it was too late.
Following the fallout, one press trip attendee, Dani Carbonari, known as Dani DMC (who has worked with Refinery29 in the past), said in a video that she should “have done more research” and that what the company told her on the trip felt legitimate to her at the time. In a statement to Refinery29 in response to the backlash, a Shein spokesperson said, “Their social media videos and commentary are authentic, and we respect each influencer’s perspective and voice on their experience.”
Whether it’s fair or not to the creators who may not have the necessary knowledge about the issue at hand, there is a burden of responsibility here. Especially because we live in an era where most young people trust people on social media over news outlets. Research by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, part of Britain’s University of Oxford, found that 55% of Tiktok and Snapchat users and 52% of Instagram users get their news from creators on social media compared to 33% who rely on journalists at traditional media outlets. Another study found that “84% of Gen Z has purchased products in direct response to social media content.”
Conflating the work of an influencer and a journalist is dangerous for our information ecosystem.
whitney bauck
According to Whitney Bauck, a journalist for the New York Times and Atmos and a Refinery29 contributor, this is where the issue lies. “Conflating the work of an influencer and a journalist is dangerous for our information ecosystem. When we let influencers be the arbiters of truth, we run into many problems,” Bauck said. “There isn’t any accountability. There aren’t best practices or a code of conduct.”
Ayesha Barenblat, founder of Remake, a nonprofit organization focused on advocacy for garment workers, explains that because of the power influencers hold with their audiences, they need to be discerning about who they are working with. “Fashion today is in an overproduction crisis, and influencers have played a big role by perpetuating trends and overconsumption,” she explained. (Which to be fair, fashion publications like Refinery29 are also guilty of participating in.)
Rather than continue this cycle, Barenblat believes that “influencers can use [their] platform to build a kinder and more accountable fashion industry.” She noted that she’s seeing more influencers use their accounts to support the ethical fashion movement, highlighting the PayUp and Garment Worker Protection Act campaigns, which promote fair working conditions for garment workers through social media. “It is heartening to see influencers wield their power not just to push products but to lift women [who make up the majority of garment workers] and fight for our planet to remain habitable.”
Putting someone in the role of an activist when brand deals are involved needs to be met with caution as well, Bauck added. “We’re in a time where there is a cultural or social capital that goes along with being seen as an activist, but many people start to step away from that if it’s not going to benefit them anymore.”
That’s why, as the power of fashion content creators grows without accountability to back it up, the viewer must also use caution and carry the conversation forward. Bauck points out that it’s good that this trip made the supply chain part of the conversation about fast fashion in a way that it has never been before, but that it doesn’t necessarily mean much more than that.
She is right — it’s unlikely that this will translate to anything more than a publicity issue for Shein. And even more troubling, these influencers will likely feel the backlash far worse than Shein ever will, especially when it is still one of the world’s most profitable fashion brands in the world.
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If you’re in the market for new shoes — be it sneakers, heels, clogs, or sandals — you’ll likely find a pair or two that fit your style and budget during this year’s Amazon Prime Day event, which comes to a close tonight. The throes of Amazon dot-com can be a dizzying place, so we sourced some of our fave shoe trends of 2023 that we’re coveting during e-commerce’s biggest week. And, yes, all of the pairs ahead were alreadyon sale but may be on further discount now, so we suggest you add them to cart ASAP (before they sell out).
A few things to note: As with many Amazon products, only certain sizes and colorways may be on sale, so keep that in mind as you start clicking around for the best deals. Secondly, many products are only on sale for a limited time within this two-day Prime Day event, so if you see something you like, snag it while it’s hot. Finally, don’t overlook the treasure trove of “men’s” sneakers on sale, which are essentially unisex styles. To find your fit for a woman’s foot, just add 1.5 to the men’s size for the women’s size equivalent — for example, a US men’s 5.5 is a US women’s 7 (or reference a shoe conversion chart for the most accuracy).
Now that you’ve been awakened to our best shoe-shopping tips for Amazon Prime Day, do us proud and score some sweet kicks below.
We love a Mary Jane platform look, and this one has a bit of a unique spin on the lady-like silhouette.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff—and, while we do receive commission from Amazon, all of the goods linked to on our site are independently curated by our Most Wanted shopping team editors. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication.
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