Summer Outfits for Women: Ideas for Hot Days, Work and Evening

For a summer outfit you only need a few pieces: a dress, a light top with wide trousers or a two-piece set. Add a blouse or a light jacket and it works for the office. Add jewellery and sandals and it works for the evening.

On hot days you want to get dressed quickly. You want something that falls loosely and still looks put together. This guide shows how to style summer dresses, tops, trousers and two-piece sets, and how to make your summer outfits elegant for work and evening.

What do I wear in summer when it is hot?

In summer the rule is: fewer pieces, well combined. Loose cuts, light or warm colours and one piece with texture are often enough for a balanced look.

Three basic shapes work almost every time:

• The dress is the easiest summer outfit. Put on one piece, add shoes, done.
• Top and wide trousers make a relaxed look. The top is rather slim, the trousers can fall wide.
• The two-piece set looks like a dress, but you can also wear the pieces separately.

You will find more ideas for light tops in our guide Summer tops for women.

Colour can play a part in summer too. One coloured piece is enough, the rest stays calm. That way the outfit looks balanced and you do not have to think for long.

Summer dresses for women: how to style a dress as an outfit

A summer dress is an outfit in one piece. The shoes and accessories decide how it looks.

• Everyday: Flat sandals or trainers and a small bag. It is easy and works for a café, shopping and a walk.
• Office: A dress with a calm pattern or in a plain colour, with a thin cardigan or a blazer over your shoulders. That keeps the look polished.
• Evening: Heeled sandals, some jewellery and a belt at the waist. You rarely need more.

A long dress needs hardly any accessories, a short one can look more casual with ankle boots or boots.

A belt highlights the waist when the dress falls wide. With a patterned dress, keep shoes and bag simple.

Summer outfit with trousers: top and wide trousers

Wide trousers are often seen in summer. They fall loosely and go with many tops.

The rule is simple: if the trousers are wide, the top can be slimmer. A top or a short T-shirt, lightly tucked in at the front, keeps the proportions balanced. With patterned trousers, the top works best in one colour, for example white or cream.

For the office, a blouse goes with wide trousers. For the evening, swap the top for a piece with shine or lace. You will find a selection in the wide trousers.

Two-piece sets and maxi skirts in summer

A two-piece set is the relaxed alternative to a dress. You wear it together when you want an outfit without thinking. Or you combine the top and the trousers or skirt separately with basics from your wardrobe.

That is practical: one set becomes several outfits, and you wear the pieces all summer. You will find the pieces in the two-piece sets. How to mix sets and single pieces is explained in the guide Complete outfits for women.

A maxi skirt also belongs to summer. It falls long and wide and goes with a simple top or a short T-shirt. Flat sandals go well with it, and heeled sandals for the evening. You will find a selection in the maxi skirts.

Elegant summer outfits for women: for work and for the evening

An elegant summer outfit relies on clean lines and calm colours. You do not need elaborate pieces. What matters is that the look appears polished. You can find more ideas in our guide Elegant Outfits for Women.

• Blouse and wide trousers: The blouse sits loosely, the trousers fall straight. Add flat shoes or sandals with a small heel.
• Dress with blazer: The dress in a plain colour, a blazer over it when it is cooler in the office.
• Two-piece set in one colour: Top and trousers or skirt in the same tone look calm and thought through.

For the evening, swap your shoes for heeled sandals and add jewellery or a small bag. You will find tops for this look in the blouses.

Which colours go with a summer outfit?

In summer, light and warm colours look fresh. Cream, beige, white and khaki mix well. Coral, yellow and pink add an accent.

A simple rule helps: one piece in colour, the rest calm. With a coral or pink dress, light shoes and a simple bag work well. With patterned trousers, a plain top works well.

Black works in summer too. It looks light with pale jewellery and pale sandals and suits the evening especially well.

Three summer outfits

Everyday. A plain top, wide trousers and flat sandals. Add a small bag and sunglasses. The look is quickly put together and suits many days.

Office. A blouse in white or cream, wide trousers in beige and a thin jacket for the air-conditioned room. The shoes stay flat or have a small heel.

Evening. A summer dress or a two-piece set, heeled sandals and some jewellery. A light jacket or a scarf keeps you warm on cooler evenings.

You will find more combinations for every occasion in our guide Outfits for women: ideas for complete outfits.

Matching items in the shop: Summer dresses for women and Tops for women.

Frequently asked questions

What do women wear in summer?

A dress, a top with wide trousers or a two-piece set. These are the easiest summer outfits because you only need a few pieces.

Which summer outfit suits the office?

A blouse with wide trousers or a dress in a plain colour with a thin jacket. Calm colours and clean lines keep the look polished.

What do I wear with a summer dress?

Sandals or trainers for everyday, heeled sandals for the evening. A thin jacket or cardigan is handy when it gets cooler in the evening.

Which trousers suit summer?

Wide trousers are often seen in summer. A slim top goes with them, for example a top or a short T-shirt.

How do I style a two-piece set in summer?

Either together as an outfit or separately with basics. The top then goes with white trousers, and the trousers with a simple top.

Which colours go with summer?

Cream, beige, white and khaki mix easily. Coral, yellow or pink add an accent when the rest stays calm.