6 Pieces My Clients Are Buying for Spring and Summer
One of the most useful parts of doing this work for as long as I have is being able to see the patterns. Across all my clients, with completely different lifestyles, body types, jobs, and personal styles, certain categories keep coming up over and over. They're the pieces that close the gaps. The ones that make everything else in their closets feel more current, more wearable, more them.
These are the six pieces my clients have been buying on repeat this month. Some are tried and true wardrobe building blocks. Others are the little uplevels that make a closet feel fresh without a full overhaul.
1. The Striped Tank Top
Striped tanks are quietly one of the hardest working pieces in a summer wardrobe. They add interest and variety under blazers, cardigans, and toppers when you're layering, and they're just as good on their own with shorts, jeans, or a great pair of wide leg pants.
The version I order really depends on the client. For my fuller busted clients, I've been loving the Aritzia option because it has more of a square neckline that sits in a really flattering spot. For my smaller busted clients, the Madewell version has been a winner because the higher neckline gives them more coverage without feeling like too much fabric.
2. The Nude Pump
Almost every client I start working with needs a nude pump. And honestly, even clients I've been working with for years often need to replace theirs, because a nude pump is one of those workhorses that just wears out.
A few that I'm reaching for again and again:
The Sam Edelman slingbacks. I love a heel with some texture to it, and these have a really walkable height plus a great price point.
The Inez pumps. Incredibly comfortable, especially for clients who are on their feet all day.
Stuart Weitzman. Always a winner winner chicken dinner.
The most important thing with a nude pump is matching it to your skintone, not just defaulting to a generic "nude." The right one should disappear into your leg and elongate the line.
3. The Summer Dress
Whether my client is a working woman, a retiree, a mom running carpool, or somewhere in between, almost everyone needs a great summer dress in their rotation. Something easy to throw on instead of shorts. Something you can wear to the farmers market, brunch, a backyard party, or dinner on a patio without having to think too hard about it.
This is one of those categories that needs to be refreshed or added to season to season. The right summer dress does a lot of heavy lifting on the days when you genuinely have nothing else to wear, and it always makes you feel pulled together.
4. The Colorful Suit
This one is a favorite for my working clients and for clients who go to luncheons, showers, or events throughout the year. A colorful suit is one of the most versatile pieces you can add to your wardrobe, because it works three different ways.
You can wear it as a full suit for an instant dopamine umph and a powerful, modern moment. Or you can break it apart and wear the pants with a more neutral top. Or pair the jacket with jeans or a different pant. One purchase, three completely different outfits.
It just feels current. And it's an instant uplevel from the same old neutral blazer.
5. The Raffia Bag
Adding a raffia bag to an outfit instantly makes it feel warm weather friendly. The beautiful thing about raffia is that it comes at every price point, from designer to very affordable, and the end result is honestly very similar. It lightens up everything you pair it with.
If you've been carrying the same black bag or clutch all year long, swapping in a raffia piece for spring and summer is one of the easiest, lowest commitment upgrades you can make. It changes the whole feel of your outfit.
6. Brown for Summer
This is the one that has surprised every single one of my clients. Every time I suggest adding brown pieces for summer, the response is some version of "are you sure?" And then once they actually try it, they get it.
A rich brown layered with neutrals like ivory, white, light grey, or butter yellow grounds an outfit in a much warmer, more harmonious way than pairing those same neutrals back to black. It also lets you pull pieces from your fall and winter wardrobe into spring and summer, which makes everything in your closet work harder.
This is the "fashion girl" move you're seeing all over your feed right now, and it's just as wearable in real life as it looks on the internet. Trust me on this one.
A Final Thought
The thing I love about pulling these roundups together is seeing how universal certain pieces are. Different ages, different bodies, different lives, same six categories doing the heavy lifting. If even one of these fills a gap in your closet, that's a win.
If you're staring at your closet right now thinking you have nothing to wear for the warmer months ahead, that's exactly what I help my clients work through every day. Ready to feel great in your closet? DM me to get started, or book a styling session at thewardrobeconsultant.com.
xx, Hallie