I’m the first to admit that the latest trends can seem exciting. We’re trained in the fashion industry, after all, to sit up and take notice at least twice a year when designers’ new looks are sent down the runways, primed and ready to be labelled the next cult buys, and then worn by the elite style set on the street. However, after a decade of working in fashion, I can confirm that even when the most inventive trends offer that heart fluttering excitement (and hopeful bank balance check), it’s rarely these items that any of us wear day to day.
In reality, myself and my fellow Who What Wear UK editors—along with the majority of fashion influencers, stylists and industry insiders I follow on social media—all rely much more heavily on what you could easily call “boring” basics. No matter if you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, truly great wardrobe staples, from the humble tank top to the perfect white button-down, are the pieces we all actually end up wearing on repeat.
So, as summer 2023 gets well under way, I’ve done a deep dive into the warm-weather wardrobe essentials that fashion people are truly loving right now. I’ve scrolled and scrolled and come up with 16 easy basics that are cropping up repeatedly across the coolest Instagram profiles. The best part? You can find good quality versions of most of these staples on the high street, and even the premium designer versions won’t be breaking any four-figure brackets.
Keep reading, then for my list of the 16 “boring” staples fashion people are genuinely backing for summer 2023 and, no doubt, beyond.
