As the old adage goes, “You can always put more layers on, but only take so many off.” But I would rather die of heat stroke in a pair of swim trunks and a t-shirt than freeze in the cold weather and have to cover up my fit with a big jacket. These are a few of my favorite and least favorite essentials for low layer weather.

Whether I’m lounging around my apartment without air conditioning or going on a stroll, I like to wear loose shorts. My favorite pair right now is a pair of white linen shorts. Another good addition to the wardrobe is a pair of nylon shorts. These two shorts are so versatile they can get you through a summer.

“I love a good linen on linen that’s not ironed. Don’t iron your linen,” biology major and senior Chrpa AlGaff said. “And I’m over the color brown.”

Linen shirts are always a warm welcome to warm weather wardrobes. The wrinkles can add a nicer texture to the clothing than the wrinkles from a cotton shirt would.

Brown and other dark colors should generally be avoided in the summer. While I am not usually a fan of stacking white on white, this year I have taken a particular liking to a mismatching of off-whites. It gives the usual old white t-shirt a nice pop in the sunshine.

“Being back in the Bay Area, California, I think it’s almost always going to call for short sleeves and maybe, maybe just maybe a tank top,” journalism major and senior Bryan Del Fava said.

Del Fava said he likes to wear vintage jerseys and sports t-shirts from the 1990s, a style I would love to see reemerge. I personally will be looking to get my hands on a 1997-99 Milwaukee Bucks Ray Allen away jersey and will likely rock it all summer.

Tank tops are an incredibly versatile shirt. On slightly cooler summer days and nights, I like to wear a tank top under a flowy button up shirt.

For a more traditional feminine style, the casual nighttime look might look something like, “A scoop neck, long pink dress, Bridgerton style. And some kitten heels,” AlGaff said.

I would also officially like to declare: blouses are 100% in for men this summer. Stealing clothing from your girlfriend, sister or friend’s closet is one of the great pleasures in life and we should all engage in it.

A brief intermission in haiku on my feelings about sandals: 

Open toed down low

I say dogs out this summer

Let those bad boys breathe

The traditional floral shirt should leave everyone’s wardrobe. That type of nostalgia for the corny middle-aged vacationer seems to be dying off anyways, but diversity in floral designs is prospering. A nice vintage floral or floral embroidery can spice up an outfit in a unique way. With less layers, it might be tempting to go crazy with the patterns, but constraint is key.

Maybe my most bold take of all, but in the year 2024, it really feels like the last days of the chest emblem t-shirt. Full centered designs seem to have firmly come back into the mainstream for what I believe to be the best. Maybe they stay around for a few more years, but I sure hope they don’t.

Whether jerseys, tank tops or shorts the key to summer wear is to stack as little as possible. With only a few pieces it may seem hard to express a sense of style, but style is all about the small details.