Summer is a tough month to dress for. It’s always a delicate balance of comfort (both for the heat, humidity, and the frigid a/c) and appropriateness. So we asked Bazaar editors to share their ultimate fashion muses as we prepare for hotter days ahead.
Some editors gravitated towards perennial fashion icons from the ’60s and ’70s, like Jane Birkin, Lee Radziwill, and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, whose styles are consistently pinned on mood boards for their classic wardrobes. On the other end, there are the muses of today: SZA, Tracee Ellis Ross, Bella Hadid, and Dua Lipa who joyfully embrace color, texture, and play with silhouette. Here, the muses inspiring our warm weather style, and the outfits to go with them.
Jane Birkin
“Spring, summer, winter, or fall— I am always channeling Jane Birkin. In my mind, she is the inventor of effortless chic with a sense of style and ease that many (myself included) can try to imitate but will never be able to fully replicate. But to give it my best attempt, I’m reaching for my go-to consistently chic and easy brands—Still Here, Flore Flore, and St. Agni are chief among them.” —Faith Brown, Senior Social Media Manager
Lauren Hutton
“Lauren Hutton in New York in the ’70s and early ’80s is such a mood. It’s not just the clothes—relaxed, lived-in, menswear-inspired trousers and blazers, and oversized trenches with subtle feminine touches like a tight white t-shirt or ribbed socks and strappy sandals with suiting, which are perfect. It’s also the attitude. And the cheekbones. But mostly the attitude. She just looks like she’s having a great time. The kind of great time that could only be had in an analog world, where you’d bring your produce shopping to a fashion show, and have that little sack of oranges look like the perfect accessory.” —Leah Chernikoff, executive editor
Bella Hadid
“Bella Hadid always looks amazing on the red carpet, but it’s her street-style looks that end up on my mood board . Bella is versatile when it comes to her model-off-duty style: she can dazzle in an ultra-feminine look with a sheer dress and kitten heels, but she can also pull off a sportier style like a zip-up and cargo skirt. Every outfit keeps you on your toes, but it never loses that signature Bella style.” —Kristina Ang, social video coordinator
Chloë Sevigny
“As far as style muses go, Chloë Sevigny hardly needs an introduction. She manages to infuse a sultry, whimsical flair into her looks which range from full-on Victorian glam to biker chic. I love this picture taken of her back in 2004 just after Louis Vuitton’s spring/summer 2005 show. She has a silky, ruffled blouse tucked into a pair of slim capris with a red bag in her hand and two-toned, ruched satin pumps on her feet. Finished off with a slicked back hairstyle and a dark red lip, this look is somehow sexy and demure and perfect for warm nights ahead.” —Michella Oré, fashion commerce editor
Lee Radziwill
“Lee Radziwill and Jackie Kennedy shopping in Capri in 1970 is my ultimate mood for spring. Specifically Lee. I love the proportions of her look here, it’s easy breezy and impossibly chic. A fitted top with wider bottoms is my go-to uniform, and mixing navy with cream, and a brown bag, feels fresh but also timeless. The collections at The Row, Colleen Allen, Khaite, and Toteme embody this spirit perfectly.” —Jaclyn Alexandra Cohen, senior fashion & accessories editor
Ayo Edebiri
“Lately, I’ve been bookmarking all of Ayo Edebiri’s looks—whether it’s street-style or red-carpet moments. She’s always best on my best-dressed list, and I attribute much of that to her collaboration with her brilliant stylist, Danielle Goldberg. Ayo is a Jonathan Anderson girl at heart (she’s been a Loewe ambassador and has often been seen wearing JW Anderson too). I love how she plays around with both feminine and masculine silhouettes—some days she’ll wear a sheer slip skirt and slingbacks, and other times she’s in full menswear. I’m definitely going to be channeling her expertise in chic layering this season.” —Olivia Alchek, senior designer
Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy
“I know I’m not alone in being a longtime admirer of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s style. The former Calvin Klein exec and wife of J.F.K. Jr. is the blueprint for a wardrobe that prioritizes simple, timeless, quality garments. Take her white button-down shirt with a dash of pink on her lips, or her sleek, deceptively simple yet alluring shift dresses, or classic straight-leg jeans. I’m looking to go back to basics this year, to streamline and purge my wardrobe of unnecessary, too-trendy, one-note garments for those that have lasting appeal.” —Julie Tong, senior commerce content lead
Laura Harrier
“Laura Harrier never looks like she overthought her outfit. She’s wears what works for her and rarely chases trends, but somehow manages to make the simplest silhouettes refreshing and inspiring. As a fellow dog mom, I’m obsessed with this outfit she wore while walking her pup that reminded me of a few basics I need to upgrade this season including an everyday cardigan (I love Sezane’s knits), as well as eye-catching slip-on mules and a luxe oversized boho bag—both which I’m loving from Tory Burch right now. Agolde straight-leg jeans and a crisp white tee from Leset are some of my wardrobe workhorses, while a pair of Chanel sunnies are always great to keep in rotation for the warm days ahead, too.” —Bianca Betancourt, culture editor
Tracee Ellis Ross
“Tracee Ellis Ross is one of my forever fashion muses, but her signature style is speaking to me even more this season. The star’s combination of oversized and form-fitting silhouettes level up each of her individual looks, along with her love of mixing different colors and textures. Ellis Ross has a clear appreciation for and intentionality behind using fashion as an art form, which never goes out of style.” —Tiffany Dodson, beauty commerce editor
Dua Lipa
“Is there any modern celebrity who has more fun dressing up than Dua Lipa? The pop star has a vivacious, helter-skelter approach to fashion that feels all at once colorful and infectious. Even the simplest pieces are turned askew under her watch, like this ribbed Courrèges tank top with a single buckle strap that she wore to the Glastonbury Festival last summer. This season, I want to imbue that same level of carefree imagination to my own wardrobe, whether that means leaning into striking color combos or punctuating outfits with the loudest bag in my closet.” —Chelsey Sanchez, digital editor
SZA
“SZA’s style is so often what I’m trying to capture with my fashion. Her outfits seamlessly blend masculine and feminine silhouettes, they stack colors and patterns in unusual ways, and they have a playfulness to them that just feels completely her. Not to mention, I’ve found myself really pulled toward sportswear this spring, and I can think of no star who better pulls off sporty touches than SZA (recent examples include a varsity jacket embroidered with a Winnie the Pooh patch and a vintage rugby polo dyed in the same colors from her SOS album era). She’ll use these pieces as a starting point, and then she’ll add a boho frill here or a preppy accessory there, landing on a result that looks like something straight out of the ’90s. It’s incredible. Suffice it to say, SZA will be dominating my fashion mood board all season long.” —Joel Calfee, assistant editor
Victoria Beckham
“Posh Spice is someone I always look to for style inspiration. She keeps it sleek and chic—and sometimes a little extra with her impossibly high stilettos. Her elegance seems so effortless. Like her, I am always drawn to breezy slip dresses, a great bag, and dramatically oversized sunglasses that cover my entire face. Having a no-makeup-makeup cosmetics line and David Beckham as a husband wouldn’t hurt either.” —Rosa Sanchez, senior news editor
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