Shop Tina's May Must-Haves: Your Perfect Summer Wardrobe Essentials

Tina, here.

Finally, sun on our faces and sandals on our feet! It's beginning to look a lot like summer! Which means we've got to get through the end of school and get ready for a whirlwind of activity and parties and vacations! I still live by a school calendar. Don't you?? We've scoured the stores and online shops to find you the best of the best, your eight essential wardrobe May Must-Haves to welcome the warm days ahead. Plus two exclusive discounts on a beautiful pearl necklace and my new favorite pair of white jeans!

Insiders enjoyed early access to this post and have already been shopping! They also received our latest video, HATS AND DRESSES AND HORSE RACES, OH MY! You can be an Insider, too! Join for free now!

You know our credo, build a wardrobe of fabulous classics and then pop in a few fun trends each season. So you'll find my favorite classics here (white jeans) and a few fun trends. Remember, don't overspend on the trends! But invest in the classics. Summer is a little different, as the classics need to be updated more often than fall classics. So it may be time to refresh your white jeans if you haven't in a few seasons. Same with your sandals. Take a look and shop for what you need. Don't wait though - items sell out fast!

1. The Perfect White T-Shirt

I've been buying mine here ever since my last favorite white tee was discontinued. The perfect white t-shirt is thick enough you don't have to wear a cami under it, but thin enough you don't sweat in it during the summer months. And it's also inexpensive because you'll wear it all the time and it will get dirty and pitted and even get those little annoying holes where your seatbelt rubs against it, so it needs to be replaced guilt-free. But most important? It needs to be a v-neck, which draws the eye to the center of the body to create a long, vertical line. A crew neck creates width at your shoulders and chest area - not where you want width. A v-neck also provides a great frame for a necklace (including my featured May Must-Have necklace!).

2. The Perfect White Jeans

SPECIAL OFFER 10% OFF!

White jeans need only be one thing: not see-through. And then you focus on the fit and cut. Fit first. The lighter the denim the more they stretch, so buy them tighter than you like. No saggy white bottoms. Cut. Bootcut is the most universally flattering cut, period. That's because you can achieve balance and proportion between the shoulders, hips and ankles, creating a long, lean line that gives you verticality, not width or depth. Next up would be ankle jeans. But where they are hemmed is of utmost importance. I like them to be hemmed right around the ankle bone, and not much higher. That's because when you walk (and wash), they creep up your knees and look shorter. Shorter jeans make legs look shorter (as opposed to shorter shorts which can make your legs look longer). The cropped skinny jean needs to have a bit of an ankle flare, so they don't look like evil capris, and that bit of flare gives you back some balance to your hips that skinny ankle jeans rob you of.

Mine are the (very hard to find online) "Bootcut Trouser" by Principle Denim Innovators. A bit dressier than a 5-pocket style, and much harder to find. Aaaand you get 10% off! From Gus Mayer 615-383-4771 Ask for Beth or Selina

style tip: have the front pocket linings removed and then sew down the pocket openings...you'll see why in the soon-to-be-released video, How To Buy White Jeans!

extra style tip: see where these cropped flare jeans fall? Right above my ankle bone. The ankle strap from my wedges really helps fill in the space. We'll discuss more on this topic later this month.

I also love these boyfriend jeans by Principle. The model is tall (and she has them cuffed), so they shouldn't be quite this short on everyone.

The jeans featured below are illustrative and not the Principle trouser jeans. Call Gus Mayer to order your pair and save 10%! They are one of the very few stores where you can get them!

3. A Lovely Skirt

There's really no better time to wear a skirt than during the summer months. You don't have to worry with hose (not that you ever do), and they are soooo much cooler than jeans. And if you're a different size on top than on bottom, wearing separates is your perfect solution to achieving a good fit.

4. A Lovely Blouse

The rule of thumb is to have 2 - 3 times more tops in your closet than bottoms (good packing rule too). And a pretty blouse can be hard to find. The great thing about these blouses is that they are, yep, versatile, so you can dress them up or down (it's obvious isn't it, that we haven't changed our credo since the early days: buy fewer but better pieces that multi-task and can be worn throughout the year to various types of occasions.) Pick one or two, or more!

5. A Versatile Summer Dress

A good dress is hard to find. Did Flannery O'Connor say that? Ohhhh, right that was about men. Ha. But so is a good dress. In summer months I love a sheath or shift because it doesn't cling to you. These days you can find great dresses that don't need to be lined because man-made fabrics have come a long way. I don't like to spend much on summer dresses - the season is short, and the trends tends to be shorter-lived than in other seasons. So just grab a few easy day dresses that you can, yes, dress up or down, with jewelry and sandals.

6. Pearl Necklace from Halsbrook

SPECIAL OFFER 20% OFF!

Wear with everything pearls. Gorgeous clasp. You can literally wear this strand of pearls with every outfit featured here. Yes, even the white t-shirt! Single strand 20mm glass pearl necklace. Crystal pave twist closure. Full Length: 16"

Purchase here: ~~$215~~ $172 with code VAULT20 (YSV Special Offer 20% off)