My Summer Micro Wardrobe

A little goes a long way 🌞.

Hello there steamy friends! We’ve got a juicy one here, so get cozy, grab an iced tea and click thru to your Substack app or wherever your favorite newsletters don’t get chopped off. Before we get into it, did you see that HAY just launched a new collab of PERFORATED pieces with Muller Van Severen?

Of course, we cherish many useful things over here at ATA, and COOL perforated confections are one of them ⬇️! I received so many passionate/thinky messages about last week’s edition, including pics from a subscriber named Erika who shared all the metal cut-outs she’s salvaged over the years from a nearby scrap-yard. See shots of her treasures below, aren’t they WONDERFUL? Thank you, Erika! ❤️

Usually when I start preparing these Micro Wardrobe stories, there’s always an image that emerges in my research that becomes the anchor…or more so the feeling I want to convey about what makes me happy about getting dressed and feeling good at that particular (seasonal) moment. It’s almost never about stuff and more about how these new little bits of us get to show up and say HI!!! when we take the time to step back, experiment, even PLAY.

It’s almost never about STUFF and more about how these new little bits of us get to show up and say HI!!! when we take time to experiment and PLAY.

When I saw this photo of my friend Garance’s sister in a recent slideshow on her IG (she has a newsletter, too), it immediately felt like that centerpiece mood. Not just because I would copy this look in a heartbeat—and that scarf belt makes me kind of giddy—but because even though I can’t see her face or know much about the context, I can feel something energizing through the image…something that transcends the clothes and just makes me excited to get dressed.

And that’s kind of our vibe right now—finding ever more creative ways to wear what we already have and love and buying just one or two fresh additions that help us to see ALL the stuff we have with new eyes. Because when we get reinvigorated about what we really love, it frees up our brains and hearts to focus on other things in our lives and worlds that matter, too. (Btw, I ran out to vote yesterday while I was building this story…If you’re in NYC I hope you did, too).

It’s definitely no secret that summer isn’t my thing. I mean, I absolutely get the appeal…less clothes, less hustling, less expectations to be exactly on time, which appeals to me GREATLY. On the flip side, I have never been a fan of shorts, swimsuits, or, if we’re being really honest here, SAND. I have never in my life owned an outdoor lounge chair, but you know, this summer could be The One.

If you’ve been following along on this series, you know efficiency and simplicity is always the goal. But not minimalist simplicity per se…more like MAXIMALIST simplicity, and the kind of drilling down/mixing up that brings our older loved things some of that first-string MAGIC. And hey, don’t forget to ditch the things we’re tired of so we can make some room for the two or three newbies we’re ushering in. Saying NO to anything that makes us feel shitty—clothes and anything/anyone otherwise—and YES to the stuff that makes us feel grateful to be alive…and not terribly sweaty either.

This season, my summer cheat-sheet looks a little like this. So, shall we get into it?

LET’S. ❤️

I’m going outside. I promise.

Soon.

A cotton slip or nightgown.

There is something so utilitarian about a spaghetti strap slip-dress or nightgown. They tend to be inexpensive, easy to find second-hand (and French!), and offer a multitude of styling potential (you can sleep in it when you travel, too!). I have three favorites I’ve been wearing a few times a week: This sheer black cotton dress by Araks, my year-old Lena slip by Ann Mashburn, and the cotton slip that came with a newish gifted Allegra dress by Merlette (in all honesty, I’ve been wearing the slip more than the dress). If you’re an ATA loyalist here, you know that slip dresses and nightgowns are something I collect, and summer is high season for wearing one over a swimsuit, layered over light pants, under a sweatshirt…or for sleeping + lounging, too. Silk is great for other seasons, but I recommend sticking to cotton when it’s hot AF outside like it is in NYC now 🔥.

(Faves below, including THE life-changing Leset cropped cardi).