I'm a Stylist—5 Summer Shoe Trends I Think Work Perfectly With White Skirts

Like strawberries and cream or Aperol and sunshine, some things are just meant to go together. And as a stylist over over 10 years, my job is to decide what works best when it comes to clothes and accessories. I often get people ask me which boots to wear with certain jeans, but at this time of year, it's usually which shoes to wear with white skirts. Because let's face it, white linen dresses and skirts are all we plan to wear during the warmer months. The neutral base means you can wear quite literally any colour shoe with it, so this is down to personal preference, but for styles that look best, I'm here to help.

While a ballet flat will add a French woman spin to a mini or a chic finishing touch to a slip skirt, you can always rely on chunky loafers to toughen up the linen and cotton styles. And if you're a heels person, the thong kitten heel is here to give any skirt style a '90s spin this year. Considering most of us will likely already own a white skirt of some kind, here are the 5 shoe styles I would always style with them for summer.

1. Ballet Pumps

Francesca wearing ballet pumps

(Image credit: @francescasaffari)

Style Notes: The ballet flat has held its place as the shoe of the year, and Francesca has shown how to style the chic shoe with a satin slip. Completing the polished ensemble, they would look equally as good with a white mini.

2. Thong Sandals

Aimee wearing flip flops

(Image credit: @aimeesong)

Style Notes: The humble flip flop has been elevated in recent years, leaning towards a slight platform or kitten heel. Aimee wears her flats with summer's key skirt style: the floaty A-line. If you have a white mini or midi instead, try switching it up to the heeled version.

3. Chunky Loafers

Karina wearing loafers

(Image credit: @styleidealist)

Style Notes: Helping with unpredictable weather, the chunky loafer will still be your friend this season. Wear a pair with socks (just like Karina, above) and add the timeless duo to your favourite skirt. I love the billowing skirts seen all over Instagram recently.

4. Slingback Heels

Sasha wearing slingback heels

(Image credit: @sasha.mei)

Style Notes: Along with courts, the slingback has had a resurgence. Sasha has given a whole new feel to a classic white mini and shirt by adding a classic black pair. With a white skirt as your base, any colour will work.

5. Trainers

Amaka wearing trainers

(Image credit: @amaka.hamelijnck)

Style Notes: There's no doubt a skirt worn with trainers always achieves that cool girl "I threw this on" look. Go for a pair with a hint of colour, just like Amaka to brighten up your otherwise neutral white skirt.

Freelance Fashion Editor

Harriet Davey is a freelance fashion editor who has been part of Who What Wear's extended team since 2017. She previously worked in print at Look magazine and has since worked across print, digital and social for many other titles, including British Vogue, Stylist, Grazia, Refinery29 and Marie Claire. Also a stylist, Harriet has had the pleasure of producing cover shoots and editorials along with commercial shoots for brands including Boux Avenue, Watches of Switzerland, Benefit Cosmetics and Revolution. To add to this, Harriet also works in live TV styling for ITV’s This Morning.Back to Who What Wear. With hundreds of published stories on site, Harriet knows what the WWW reader wants. Keeping up to date with the latest It buys and runway trends, she can guarantee to keep you one step ahead of the most stylish people.When not writing or styling, Harriet loves to go shopping (yes, more fashion). If she’s not in a local Hackney bar or restaurant, you can find her forever searching for her next holiday destination.