Chloë Sevigny's sporty style is my sleeper look for summer.

For those of you reading this in any other part of the country, August might seem a bit late to identify one’s go-to look for summer. While it might still be roasting, you’ve had nearly 2, maybe 3 months of indulging in the tiniest of shorts, tops + sandals to survive whatever heat you are sweltering in. Back to school is mere weeks (days?) away and starbucks has already (!) declared it to be PSL season. For those of you all who don’t live in a 7 x 7 plot of land sandwiched between an ocean and a bay, Meg Ryan fall might sound a lot more exciting.

For the tiny minority of us who call SF home, we’ve been bundled up like Diane Keaton in a Nora Ephron movie while enduring such horrid clickbait headlines as ‘San Francisco Experiences Coldest Summer On Record’. Not only has it been foggy more days than not, it has also been weirdly muggy while also annoyingly chilly while also misting for the majority of the morning hours. Fog rain *might* be worse than real rain because nary an umbrella nor a jacket help. It is as if you are walking in a steam sauna but it’s cold, with tiny little droplets of mist making you wonder if + when a trip to Hawaii might be necessary (for us it’s next week).

Here in SF, while the rest of the country laments about triple digit heat and how boring it is to get dressed in as little clothing as possible (my sympathies) we wait in eager anticipation of the fall, which is when our ‘summer’ finally hits. Labor Day - Halloween, this is when we finally get to pull out all of our summer clothing, so late in the season it feels mildly awkward to be wearing lace and sandals as the rest of the country pulls out their sweaters and talks about the importance/annoyance of layering (LOL bc IYKYK).

I am very much of the ‘loves summer hates everything else’ camp. Sure it’s annoying to have to wake up at dawn to run because it’s simply too hot once the sun emerges but oh how I miss the feeling of heat radiating off a sidewalk at 9am. When I could leave my apartment in minimal clothing, no jacket/sweatshirt/sweater in hand and not regret my life choices. I grew up in Michigan, on Lake Huron and I miss me a warm, humid midwest summer; when the heat and humidity envelop all the senses. The thing I miss the most about summer is the smell. If you’ve never realized summer has a smell, live somewhere where summer isn’t a thing and you’ll realize just how much you miss it on a cellular level.

All this to say, the other day as I was attempting to work on a graphic for an instagram post that was a week too late, I found myself down a pinterest rabbit hole looking at photos of Chloë Sevigny’s effortless + enviable style. Like any good elder millennial that is so elder she’s almost in a different generation, I’ve always idolized Chloë Sevigny as if she were the older sister I did not have. Effortlessly cool, the combinations she puts together work only on her; anyone else would look like they were trying far too hard. Her style’s always been a cool blend of indie designers mixed with thrifted vintage finds; a little bit Marc Jacobs, a little bit Chloe, a side of Maryam Nassir Zadeh. She was (+ is) the epitome of the entire indie sleaze era.

The images the pinterest algorithm was feeding me felt so fresh + of the moment because while the usual girly hints were still present, there was a cut through of sport I hadn’t clocked before. As I further analyzed her outfits, I realized she was wearing a few key pieces; as if she had bought (or thrifted) them herself rather than borrowing them from a stylist. There’s something so refreshing to see celebrities rewearing pieces from their own closet (stars, they’re just like us!). It feels human + wonderfully normal, especially in this age of social media, when rewearing something that’s already been photoed almost seems like a faux paux. As if god forbid we don’t all have endless outfitting options and we must be a (gasp!) outfit repeater.

Tiny little adidas shorts, vintage tees, ballet sneakers…pieces I already had in my wardrobe being worn + remixed in ways that felt so effortless and also the perfect balance of it’s hot but it’s October; the ideal mix for peak summer here in SF. Instagram post complete + posted, let’s indulge in the key pieces that make up Ms. Sevigny’s enviable street style.

1. Tiny Little Adidas Shorts

   

Three stripes lend a classic, thrifted sport appeal however any shorts would do. The key being that they must be tiny (think 2-3” inseam) + they must be technical. These shorts are the perfect foil to any outfit, making it sporty and also effortlessly casual. I’ve waxed poetic about this before, and the iterations above will easily evolve this concept into fall.

The high waist + micro inseam paired with the unexpected choice of a heel or button down create the necessary tension for this to look effortless rather than uniform. I’m not a heel wearer (I gave mine up during the pandemic) however I do like me a feminine little flat moment by way of a cute french jelly.

I bought these Sporty + Rich Adidas shorts a couple of weeks ago + I’ve worn them to the store at least twice a week every week since. My typical styling errs on the more casual side but I’m very into dressing them up via a crisp white button down or some dainty little jellies.

2. Baggy Sweats

   

What I’m wearing now (baggy sweats) vs. what I’ll be wearing later (tiny little shorts). God bless the pandemic for making it socially acceptable to wear sweatpants as everyday attire. That said I do think it’s time for us all to say goodbye to the sweat set. I’m all for head to toe fleece, but let’s create our own combos - perhaps head to toe grey but the greys don’t match. Or instead of a sweatshirt it’s a vintage tee. I’m also particularly drawn to the unexpected jacket situation above - especially the leather trench moment as well as the unusual shoe pairing. The best way to modernize your sweats? Wear them as if they’re just regular old pants.

Left on Friday appreciation post : I treated myself to a new Sunday suit when we had their pop up in store and I cannot wait to wear it in Hawaii next week. The trend cycle’s come back around because I haven’t wanted to wear a one piece since about 2017 and I’m very into it. I won’t pair it with sweats because it’ll be far too hot (obviously) but I wouldn’t be above wearing it to the store outfitted that way on a day when it’s *actually* warm out.

3. Ballet Sneakers

   

Perhaps the most controversial of all trends this summer is the ballet sneaker, its sister being the mary jane sneaker. Ballet flats are most definitely having a moment, as are sneakers, so it’s only natural the two would combine. It’s very easy for this to look gimmicky, as hybrid styles (especially ones that are so vastly different) can be tricky to pull off. For these pieces one must wear them in ways that are completely normal, as if you are just wearing a plain old pair of new balance 990s but you’re not because you’re Chloë m*ther f*cking Sevigny.

The other celebrity of note who has been encompassing this effortless blend of sport + style would be ultimate cool girl Zoë Kravitz, who’s mix of tiny dolphin hem shorts, bike shorts, and flip flops also create a vibe that screams high summer but it’s Fall. For the average human, these sporty looks feel accessible; especially in our year of the running ‘fit.

My own interpretations as per below, however I must admit I’m not a huge fan of bike shorts and leggings but I do love how effortless her pairings are. Key pieces being the retro woven shorts, bike shorts + a vintage tee, and an oversized fleece/jacket. A combo that on anyone else would seem basic, on Zoë works because she isn’t wearing a sneaker. A femme, tiny shoe completely changes the game.

We leave for Hawaii Sunday, and there’s no trip I love to pack for than a Hawaii trip. I plan on channeling my inner indie celebrity and wearing all the weirdest combinations that I never get to wear in San Francisco. Partly because it never really gets warm enough and partly because it’s, well, San Francisco.

One last look for the road - swap my little jellies for a kitten heel and I feel like both Chloë + Zoë would wear something similar. I bought these iridescent dolphin hem split shorts from the 80’s off etsy only to discover when I received them that the sides are completely open. The split is fixed at the waist only, which usually isn’t a problem however the dolphining of the hem is super aggressive + there is no way to wear these without exposing whatever I’m wearing underneath. Sadly, they’re cute but these will be a swim cover up only; just in time for a trip to the beach.

*k