By Stacia Kindler

After months of the omniscient Mother Nature making us heat-hungry New Englanders envious of our West Coast neighbors, we can finally start to see the long awaited light and be happily blinded by summer. Whether you’re out of school for the season, skipping toward a vacation or planning to take it easy and soak up the sun this June 21, the first order of business is to box up your tired sweaters and start thinking about what styles to live in this summer.

As summer seems to be the most fleeting of all seasons, I find it best to build a handful of go-to summer looks to beat the heat before transitioning back to the usual pair of jeans for the rest of the year. This season, there are three basic concepts of summer style to choose from: boho, girly girl and tomboy.

The bohemian look is perfect for the girl looking to capture the no rules, fun-loving whimsy of summer in her wardrobe. The pattern-mixing, texture-loving aesthetic is inspired by the gypsy-like 60s revival trend being seen this season and is embodied by the free-as-a-bird festival queen that is every free spirit’s summer fantasy. To go boho, look for glimmers of fringe, beading and crochet details on your garments or breathe a new life into old pieces by adding these details yourself. A no-brainer starter kit is to pair denim cutoffs with a paisley or tie-dye tank top and tons of bronze jewelry.

Sucker for floral? Consider yourself a girly girl. This is always an easy road to take as the weather warms and stores are packed with ultra-fem silhouettes in every color of the rainbow, prints included. A good plan to build this look is to have at least two

versatile dresses ~ perfect for a no-fuss, one-step summer style. I would recommend one lightweight, loose-fitting dress and another with a more sartorial feel, such as an oh-so-sweet fit and flare.

Although the girly girl lives in her dainty dresses, this season is packed with girl power trends to bring the heat to any run-of-the-mill summer getup. Play with peek-a-boo cutouts to rough up ordinary pieces
or stay up on unique trends this season, such as daring skirt slits, knife- and accordion-pleated skirts and bold ruffles to create your own individual spin on the girly girl approach.

In contrast to the adventure-seeking boho girl and the saccharine girly girl, there enters a different breed of nonchalant summer style, embodied by the all-American tomboy. If your idea of fun in the sun consists of a rough and tumble day exploring the great outdoors, put the dress down. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ladylike trends that can pack a punch.

Just as the girly girl lives in her dresses, the tomboy lives in her denim shorts and vintage cutoffs. A go-to outfit would be a perfect pair of high-waist denim shorts paired with a super-cropped top to play along with the ever-lasting midriff trend. Or play with this season’s bold graphic prints, easy as pie to pair with any denim for a bare-bones, catch-me-if-you-can style.