Summer Basics, On Repeat
Ribbed tanks, striped tops, scarves and other returning summer favs.
A few months ago, I shared my favorite spring basics. Looking back, it was essentially a list of the things I wear whenever I don’t know what to wear.
This piece is much the same.
The thing about Scandinavian summer dressing is that it’s repetitive. It’s not so much boring as it is comforting. Every year, once the weather finally cooperates, the same pieces seem to emerge from wardrobes across Sweden. Ribbed tanks. Black dresses. Oversized shirts. Sandals or slides from last season, or ones you’ve been pining over for months.
Side note: what am I going to write about a year from now? At some point, there are only so many times one person can write about Scandinavian dressing.
Perhaps it’s because our summers are short, and we don’t feel like breaking the bank for a season that barely exists. Perhaps it’s because practicality still runs deeper here than we’d like to admit. Whatever the reason, most people I know spend summer wearing variations of the same outfit over and over again. Scandinavians rarely overhaul their wardrobes from one season to the next. Instead, they return to the same trusted pieces year after year, refining rather than replacing everything. And honestly, so do I.
I’ve never been someone who reinvents herself every season. I like clothes that feel familiar. Clothes that make me feel like myself.
That’s not to say I never try a trend or step outside my comfort zone. Every now and then, something catches my eye and I find myself tempted by a silhouette, color (shocking, I know), or styling trick that feels entirely unlike me. But more often than not, I end up returning to the pieces I know and love.
While I absolutely love fashion and admire people who dress far more creatively than I do, most mornings I’m simply trying to get dressed, get the children out the door, and remember where I left my sunglasses.
These are the pieces that are the backbone of my summer wardrobe.
(A small note before we begin: this post contains affiliate links. More on that at the bottom.)
The tank
Every summer I convince myself I need more interesting tops. And every summer I end up wearing a simple tank four days out of five.
For me, the tank is the white tee of summer. You know the tee that goes under every knit fall through spring? Well, the tank does just that.
It goes with almost everything, requires very little thought, and somehow manages to feel pulled together even when the rest of the outfit isn’t.
I keep a few in rotation every year. White, black and navy. They’re the pieces I reach for on warm mornings when I don’t particularly want to think about getting dressed.
A tank works under an oversized shirt, under a cardigan, under a blazer, or completely on its own when it’s too hot to contemplate layering.
It’s one of those rare pieces that feels just as at home in the city as it does at a summer house.
It’s also one of the few pieces I tend to buy new every season. I’m not saying you need to throw out all the tanks you already own, but there is something about a crisp white one, or a black one that hasn’t quite faded yet, that helps elevate the rest of the outfit. Especially when the bottoms have already lived through a couple of summers.
It’s that mix of old and new I mentioned here: a fresh tank with a favourite pair of worn-in shorts, a skirt you’ve had for years, or trousers that only come out once the temperature finally allows it.
Styling notes
A tank, wide-leg linen trousers and leather sandals is one of those combinations that somehow looks polished despite requiring almost no effort.
Perfect under an oversized shirt worn open
Try a white one with white denim and a silk scarf tied around your hair
I particularly love tanks tucked into fuller skirts, where the fitted silhouette balances out the volume below.
The striped long-sleeve
I’ve never known a Scandinavian summer without stripes. And judging by the number of striped shirts, sweaters, and tees Scandi brands release year after year, neither has anyone else.
They’re practically a seasonal rite of passage to summer at this point. It may not be everyone’s thing, but it’s certainly mine. In fact, stripes have become something of a family uniform in our house. My husband wears them, my children wear them, and I probably own more striped tops than I care to admit.
Part of the hype is undoubtedly Scandinavia’s connection to maritime dressing. Part of it is simply that stripes don’t quite feel like a trend.
Every summer I find myself pulling out some version of a striped top, whether it’s a classic Breton tee, an oversized striped shirt, or a lightweight knit thrown over my shoulders.
The beauty is that they instantly make an outfit feel complete. You can be wearing very little else. Even just thrown over a bikini.
Styling notes
White denim and stripes can easily veer into nautical territory, but simple sandals keep the look feeling modern rather than costume-y.
Stripes pair surprisingly well with linen. The contrast between structure and softness is part of what makes the combination work.
Under a navy blazer on cooler evenings
A striped knit thrown over the shoulders is very Scandi and perhaps the easiest way to make a very simple outfit feel intentional.
The scarf
This could probably be an entire post on its own. Let’s just say, I have a thing for scarves. Last summer I bought one scarf and somehow ended up with four. Suddenly they were tied around bags, my hair, ponytails and necks.
It’s also one of my favorite things to search for second-hand or vintage. There are so many small brands producing scarves in limited quantities and doing them exceptionally well.
One of my favorites is Studio Sofia Mehrotra. Founded by Swedish-Indian Sofia Mehrotra, the brand works with artisans in India to create beautiful scarves and textiles that somehow feel both timeless and modern. I own several and reach for them constantly throughout the summer. The Chennai scarf in the 80 x 80 cm size is particularly perfect for tying around your hair, whether you’re heading to the beach or simply trying to tame a windy-day ponytail.
The clothes themselves can remain incredibly simple. The scarf simply gives the eye somewhere to land.
I usually stick to neutral scarves in shades of grey, white, or navy, as they’re the most versatile and easy to wear with everything. That said, I love the idea of introducing brighter colours and playful patterns during the summer months.
Another tip is to keep a few old-school cotton bandanas on hand. They’re endlessly useful in warm weather and make the perfect beach bag companion, especially on days when you’d rather not risk getting a silk scarf wet after a swim.
Styling notes
Wear it over your unruly hair after the beach
Tied around a ponytail
A scarf and a tank top is often all an outfit needs.
Keep one in your beach bag. It can become a headscarf, a shoulder cover-up or simply something to throw on when the wind picks up.
The slides/clogs
When it comes to summer footwear, Scandinavian summer dressing becomes surprisingly practical. We’ve talked about flip flops and we know rainboots are in the forecast as well. But then there are the clogs, Birkenstocks, and leather slides. (We’ll pretend Crocs aren’t big at the countryside).
Shoes that prioritize comfort over glamour. I know, I know, but Antonia, Birkens are not cool anymore? My friends, the Scandis don’t care.
Historically, clogs belonged in gardens and summer houses. Today they’re just as likely to appear at restaurants or in city centres.
The same goes for simple leather slides or Birkenstocks.
The best Scandinavian outfits rarely look as though someone spent three hours planning them.
The shoes are often part of that equation. Nothing is trying too hard.
Styling notes
With long dresses for summer
Pull out a pair of chunky socks for that casual look with shorts
Great with oversized shirts and denim
They go with almost everything in summer, honestly
The cable knit
I know. A sweater in a summer wardrobe guide. But if you live in Scandinavia, you probably understand immediately.
Every year, around this time, I become overly optimistic and convince myself that I won’t need knitwear for months to come. And every year, by the first warm day and first cool evening, I’m rummaging through my closet looking for exactly the same thing: a cable knit sweater. It just feels like the ultimate summer knit.
I have a trusty cream one. Slightly oversized and big enough to throw over my shoulders during the day and pull on properly once the temperature drops. It comes to the summer house, on evening walks, to outdoor dinners and pretty much anywhere near water.
The funny thing is that it’s one of the least seasonal items in my wardrobe, yet one of the most essential for summer.
Styling notes
Draped over the shoulders with romantic dress
Over a plain black midi dress when the evening cools down
With denim shorts and simple sandals
Thrown over swimwear after a day by the water
Summer beauty
Summer makeup is perhaps the only category where I genuinely become more minimalist. For most of the year I’m trying to look slightly more awake than I feel.
In summer I mostly give up and let the sunshine do some of the work.
SPF.
A concealer when needed.
Cream blush or a highlighter.
Lip balm.
And that’s about where my beauty expertise ends.
The goal isn’t really makeup. It’s looking as though you’ve spent the day outside. Which, in Scandinavia, is our main aim when the weather is kind.
And when it comes to hair – mine is unruly, very wavy and absolutely needs extra love in the summertime. It does best with a leave-in conditioner while at the beach or right after and an oil other days.
And for everyone’s information, I will never claim to be a beauty nerd, so feel free to tell me what beauty products you can’t survive summer without.
And there you have it. Not exactly groundbreaking fashion advice, I know.
Ask me again next summer and there’s a very good chance I’ll still be talking about tanks, stripes, scarves and comfortable shoes.
But perhaps that’s ok.
Fashion changes. Collections come and go. Our wardrobes evolve. Yet most of us return to the same handful of pieces every year. The ones that feel like us.
There is something comforting about that. Fashion will always offer us something new to fall in love with, but not every season requires a complete reinvention.
What is the item that reappears every summer without fail? The piece that has somehow survived every clear-out, trend cycle and identity crisis? Mine is probably the striped top.
I’d love to hear yours.
And as always, I leave you with some words.
XA
A small note on affiliate links: some of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now, and my approach hasn’t changed — I only ever share things I genuinely like and would use or wear myself. The smaller Scandinavian brands or retailers I highlight often don’t work with affiliate platforms at all, and I share them regardless.
If you’d like to see everything in one place, you can find it on my ShopMy.
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If I first come across your posts on my phone, I literally go sit down at my laptop so I can devour them in full-screen and devote my full attention, hahaha. Such a good curation, as always. Inspiring me to try a little silk scarf for summer!
LOVED this post, Antonia! I so relate to thinking I need new, interesting things and then defaulting to my favorite basics. For me, a button-up will always survive a closet clean out.