Elevate Your Summer Look With These Easy Fashion Hacks

Shot Girl Summer, Vax Girl Summer, Hot Vax Summer — whatever you want to call it, it’s here: the time to unleash all the pent-up energy, inhibited creativity, and most importantly, unworn ‘fits to make up for the last year and a half. That strappy, diaphanous dress you pre-ordered last February that has been collecting dust in your closet? Consider now its moment to shine. The fancy bag you couldn’t bear to waste on a grocery run last year? It's finally time to let it see the light of day.

In other words: We. Are. Ready. But if your closet isn’t quite there (and neither is your wallet), we're here to help. Ahead, we partnered with Reef and content creator Taylr Anne Castro to bring you nine fashion hacks that will help you achieve Shot Girl Summer-worthy looks with pieces you already own — and, really, without any effort at all. Dress up your ride-or-die sandals with key accessories or flawlessly execute a day-to-night look for a seaside soiree without changing out of your two-piece (yes, it’s possible).

1. Anklets are back: Clip on a dainty, threadbare chain for the tiniest hint of glint or take a more maximalist approach and layer a stack of beaded styles (daisies, seashell charms) that promise to spark joy. 

2. Look for no-frills sandals to let your ankle jewelry shine. You need a strong base as your foundation, and these simple, yet chic two-strap slides (which honestly work for all looks and all occasions) are just the thing. 

3. There’s nothing more delightfully Parisian than a luxe scarf jauntily tied around your neck. Bring it down to your ankle to add that trademark charm (which just so happens, also mimics a surf leash for an unexpected cool, beachy edge) to your go-to pair of vegan leather sandals.  

4. Take a break from butterfly clips and hair claws this summer — inject color and texture by weaving a scarf through your braid, instead. Leave the ends long for a breeze-catching effect.  

5. When you've committed to consecutive beach excursions, and all your cover-ups and trusty oversize button-downs are in the wash, tag in your scarf, which you can fashion into a sarong by wrapping and knotting it at your waist. If it’s long enough, it doubles as a beach towel as well.  

6. As much as we’d like to pretend we can go to the shore with nothing but a towel and sunscreen, the opposite almost always occurs: finding ourselves invariably weighed down by bags crammed with snacks, back issues of The New Yorker, multiple tubes of sunscreen, and wireless speakers. If you find yourself needing another bag, tie the opposite corners of a scarf over your haul (mandarins, anyone?) and then tie the remaining ends over it to create a cute, easy-to-carry bundle. 

7. You’re likely already well-versed in the pros of suiting — it’s the simplest, most surefire way to look polished and exude badassery at the same time. This summer, for your next fête, try mixing and matching your co-ords for a new look. Two quick notes: Stick to linen or lightweight cotton fabrications (no one wants to be sweating in wool), and embrace a wide-leg silhouette — when paired with a flat sandal, it’s the epitome of laidback refinement. 

8. Day to night, seaside to barside: Throw on mismatched suiting over your swimsuit (your bikini top and your one-piece both work) for an outfit change that requires little to no prep time. 

9. The success of all-day outings is dependent on one thing: comfortable, versatile footwear, like this waterproof pair from Reef that boast molded footbeds and a durable outsole, that can take you from here to there, from a.m. beach hangs to p.m. sunset dinners.