Are you a mom who is looking for your go-to summer outfit? I’m sharing my summer mom uniform with you – take it or leave it!
Over the past few years, I’ve shared my Fall and Spring mom uniforms. I guess now it’s time I share my summer mom uniform!
Honestly, I’ve been dragging my feet on sharing my summer mom uniform with you. Why? I keep my summer outfits very basic. Like embarrassingly basic. But I realized recently that basic isn’t necessarily bad. And some of you might like basic or want permission to be basic, so here goes! Here’s my very basic summer mom uniform.
My Summer Mom Uniform
Shorts
Shorts are the foundation of my summer mom uniform. I always have been and always will be a shorts girl. They are what I feel most comfortable and like myself wearing.
Growing up in Florida, I wore shorts nearly 12 months of the year, so I know what I like and what I don’t like. I don’t compromise when it comes to shorts anymore. I either love a pair of shorts or hate them. What do I look for? I’m so glad you asked.
Length
I only wear mid-length shorts. The sweet spot for me (I’m 5’6”) is a 4-5” inseam. This hits right at that old fingertip length we all remember from school.
Fit
Tight shorts have no place in my wardrobe as an almost 40-year-old mom of two. If I’m wearing shorts, it means it’s warm so I don’t want anything touching my body. Instead, I want flowy, roomy, comfy shorts that I can mom in.
Style
My style when it comes to the shorts I choose have changed over the years. I tend to go through phases with my shorts. My 20s were largely defined by chino shorts, and my 30s have largely been defined by denim shorts. Now that I’m in my last year of my 30s, I can feel my style shifting ever so slightly. I’m still loving denim shorts, but I want drawstring denim shorts rather than cut-off style denim shorts. My absolute favorite pair of shorts this summer has been Walmart’s Time and Tru Drapey Utility shorts. They are literally perfect. No notes.
Shirt
Even though you can pretty much catch me in shorts all summer long, the shirt is where I might mix things up within my summer mom uniform. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still wearing a lot of the same, but I don’t have five of the same shirt in different colors.
Categories
I largely navigate the top of my summer mom uniform by splitting my tops into a few categories.
Workdays
On workdays, I’ll wear a blouse (either short sleeve or sleeveless) with my shorts. I work from home, so it’s only my top half that anyone can see over Teams.
Mom days
I wear a typical t-shirt (usually a solid color or a stripe) for casual mom days that include running errands and playing never-ending games of catch in the front yard. I’ve been obsessed with the Free Assembly boxy tees this summer. I have a white one and a black one. Walmart – please make them in more colors! Your girl needs one in navy blue!
Special occasions
When I want to kick it up a notch on non-workdays in the summer, I simply swap my t-shirt out for a better than basic top. My better than basic tops are still pretty basic, though. I usually choose a cotton gauze top or a short sleeve button front camp shirt. These better than basic tops are usually reserved for meals out, fun activities with the kids, and vacation.
Materials
Regardless of which category of shirt I’m wearing, I like to stick to similar materials. Namely, natural materials that are breathable. Think cotton (including my favorite gauze!), linen, and bamboo. I don’t have time for synthetic shirts that stick to me when it’s in the 90s outside!
Style
I am a millennial, so you know I love a front-tuck. To accomplish this look of my generation, I look for a shirt in a longer crop length. I don’t want a ton of fabric bunching up at my belly, but I also don’t want any skin showing. A drastic weight loss in my 20s and two kids in my 30s has put my belly off limits for eternity.
As far as a neckline goes, my favorite will always be a v-neck. It’s just so much more flattering! I do go for crew necks occasionally too, but they can’t go too high up on my neck because then I feel like my shirt is trying to choke me. That’s a hard pass.
Shoes
If you missed it, I just did a whole dedicated post on summer shoes for moms. I won’t repeat my whole spiel again here, but I’ll give you the highlights. Basically, I wear fashion sneakers, athletic shoes, everyday sandals, water-friendly sandals, nicer sandals, or flats every day of the summer as part of my summer mom uniform.
We just went on vacation and my Nike Field Generals were the absolute workhorse of the trip. If you don’t have an incredibly comfortable casual sneaker that can go with anything, I highly suggest you grab a pair! The honorable mention goes to my Reef Water Vista sandals. You can go everywhere from the beach to the pool to the grocery store to a theme park in these babies!
Layer
Sometimes you need a layer in the summertime. Usually its when you’re inside in an over-air conditioned space rather than outside, but a layer is still occasionally needed. I have three go-to layers in my summer mom uniform.
Thin cotton pullover
My most-worn layer in the summer is a thin cotton pullover in a neutral color. In my case, that’s navy blue. As I told a work colleague recently, I really only wear navy blue. I’ve had the specific pullover that I reach for often for many years, so it’s no longer available. If it died tomorrow, though, I think I would replace it with this 100% cotton number from L.L. Bean.
Gauze shirt
If I want a layer more for sun protection than for warmth, I almost always reach for a white long sleeve cotton gauze shirt. This shirt goes with everything and just screams summer.
Denim jacket
Every woman should have a denim jacket in her wardrobe. They are so versatile! I bought my classic Levi’s denim jacket when I was in law school many many moons ago and it’s still hanging on. If I were to be looking for a denim jacket today, though, there are so many more options than that classic denim jacket silhouette. Quince has an adorable denim chore jacket and I’m having trouble resisting Madewell’s denim bomber jacket.
Hair
Hair is more part of my summer mom uniform than my mom uniform in any other season. It is far too hot to have hair on my neck in the summer, so my summer mom uniform almost always included my hair up – out of my face and off my neck. I typically rotate between a simple ponytail, a mom bun, and a twist in a clip, but get your hair up in whichever way you find to be most flattering if you have long hair.
Other posts
Looking for other summer fashion content? I’m not a fashion blogger by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a few posts you might find helpful:
I truly hope that sharing my summer mom uniform with you has helped you figure out your own summer mom uniform. I’d love to know what you decide! Share down in the comments or over on Instagram – tag me in your summer fits @sarainseason!