This Summer, All Your Closet Needs Is 9 Items—Shop Them at Every Budget

A woman wearing a button-down shirt, a poplin A-line skirt, sandals, and a green Goyard tote bag.

(Image credit: @nlmarilyn)

I love to shop just as much as the next person. (My boyfriend would argue probably more.) But lately, I've been trying my best to keep my spending and consumption habits to a minimum. In the beginning, I'll be the first to admit, it was trickier than I expected. I practically shop for a living, so the temptation levels are high on a daily basis. After some getting used to, though, I began to realize that my closet doesn't actually need to be filled to the brim at all times. Really, I only need a few handfuls of items to make interesting outfits every week, especially in the summer, when the hot weather in New York makes wearing minimal clothing your only viable option.

Specifically, I've narrowed down my warm-weather wish list to just nine items—including dresses, bottoms, tops, shoes, and handbags—that can be easily mixed and matched so that no one has to know that I'm a total outfit repeater (guilty!). Not to brag, but it's pretty much the perfect summer capsule wardrobe. Below, discover which styles in each category made the cut, and shop them all in various price categories, starting with under $100 and going up to $1000+.

Under $100

White Dress

Thong Sandals

Button-Down Shirt

Linen Pants

Raffia Bag

Halter Top

Capri Pants

Mesh Flats

A-Line Skirt

$100 to $200

White Dress

Thong Sandals

Button-Down Shirt

Linen Pants

Raffia Bag

Halter Top

Capri Pants

Mesh Flats

A-Line Skirt

$200 to $500

White Dress

Thong Sandals

Button-Down Shirt

Linen Pants

Raffia Bag

Halter Top

Capri Pants

Mesh Flats

A-Line Skirt

$500 to $1000

White Dress

Thong Sandals

Button-Down Shirt

Linen Pants

Raffia Bag

Halter Top

Capri Pants

Mesh Flats

A-Line Skirt

$1000+

White Dress

Thong Sandals

Button-Down Shirt

Linen Pants

Raffia Bag

Halter Top

Capri Pants

Mesh Flats

A-Line Skirt

Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.