Beach, here we coooooome…

As the school year comes to an end and the heat scorches through, we have bid yet another farewell to the squash season of the year and welcome the beach season with open arms.

And what kind of fashion sister would I be if I let you dive into the summer unarmed, especially not when Summer ’25 is packed with fashion moments just waiting to be served.

So here it is: Part I of your ultimate hot-girl summer style series.

This one is all about the clothing trends—from playful prints to elegant minimalism, I’m giving you the lowdown on what to wear, how to wear it, and why you’re going to own it.

Let’s unpack the pieces that are about to dominate your wardrobe and help you channel your unique energy—whether you’re serving vibes by the sea or off-duty post-training.

A. Gingham’s Hot Girl Summer Era:

This summer is all about fun, playfulness, and breaking free from the need to perfect everything—in the most effortless, creative, carefree, and soul-liberating way. The first trend in line that achieves this is gingham print; the trend that was once classic and boring has become everything summer calls for: playful, colourful, and just the right amount of girly to help you stay true to that little girl within.

B. Sailor Core Meets Slay Era:

Stripes have long been a controversial trend—hard to pull off, doesn’t work for every body type, and well, let’s face it, a little too prison(ey).

This time around, though, stripes are having a major comeback with an even bigger upgrade, and it’s everything but boring! Think bright colours, wide stripes, unbounded fits—and like it’s already not enough, the way it’s styled tends to be on the playful side, with mixing patterns, prints, and colours to form interesting juxtapositions that just bring so much joy to your fit and the whole place.

This season, stripes additionally play a role as part of an even bigger trend; think maritime, nautical, and everything navy.

Instead of the basic black and white stripes, opt for summer colors like baby blues, butter yellow, and even better, red stripes! When updating your stripes wardrobe, go for wider stripes and do not shy away from mixing and matching different striped pieces together.

Feeling a tad more playful? This season gives you all the liberty to go all out– allowing you to play around with stripes and prints together to satisfy the need for freedom outside the classic lines.

Bonus: some of the hottest prints this season are the ones that give off the Portugal-core vibe; think sardine prints, tomatoes, crabs, and anything that screams sunny European summer. And the final tip here—if you wanna kick it up a notch, try adding bold, big, beaded, and colorful jewelry. Seriously, the bigger, more colorful, and bolder, the better.

C. Quiet Luxury, Intriguing Aura:

Now that we covered a few rather lively trends, I’d like to remind you that fashion this year didn’t forget the quieter and more reserved ones.

After all, looking good isn’t about merely wearing any trend but it’s about styling what best works for you and speaks to you– needless to say, the whole point of this column is to help you find and channel your true self through fashion. So, for my subtle girlies, rest assured, the 90s minimalist trend has been taking the past couple of seasons by storm and is here to stay.

Feel free to lean into basic neutral pieces, simple silhouettes, and clean lines, which all offer ease of movement and day-to-night comfort for effortless yet chic all-day-round fits. Such items can be anything from basic tank tops, classic tees and crisp shirts to straight-cut denim (not baggy!), knee-length shorts aka jorts, capri pants (read more below), loafer shoes, ballet flats, and simple classic sandals.

As for the accessories, if you’re an eyeglasses girl, you’re in luck because the 90s minimal slim rectangle eyeglasses are all the rage—so feel free to switch it up, coupled with a sleek low bun, or keep your hair down with a black or white headband, and fresh clean no-makeup face, and you’re good to go.

Capri Comeback Season:

Next in line, Capri leggings!

If you haven’t noticed already and haven’t even put your hands on one (or more), I really suggest you do. Exactly one year ago, I was giving styling sessions at different universities with L’Oreal Paris, and I remember when I predicted this trend, all the girls exchanged looks like I was crazy.

Fast-forward one year later, and capri leggings are all I see on the stylish streets. It’s even making its way back in the sports world (and yes, I’m saying back because this was once worn when I was 9 but unlucky me we didn’t have the Pilates aesthetics to make it look pretty back then).

Back to you, the most basic fail-proof capri pair you can purchase is simply black, but if you’d like to change it up a bit or you’re the minimalist kind, you can go for other neutrals like off-whites and beiges.

Remember, the capri trend is the one trend that can be easily styled up or down to match your personal style and mood. It also perfectly ties in with some of the other trends we discussed, as you can also opt for a red pair or even better, gingham for a playful retro twist.

Spoiler alert, all the shoes I’m mentioning below perfectly pair with this trend so keep reading to get your head-to-toe insight into season’s most coveted fashion pieces.

And that’s your Summer ’25 clothing trend rundown!

From gingham to capris, this season is all about choosing your vibe and wearing it loud (or soft—minimalist girlies, I see you). But don’t stop here.

Because the true game-changer in every look? Accessories. In Part II, I’m diving headfirst into all the extras—charms, scarves, jewellery—and showing you how to layer your style like a pro.

And don’t forget that, as in everything you may wish to achieve, squash or fashion the magic is always in the details…