Summer 2020 Himekaji Wardrobe Inspiration

It feels like I only ever blog in the summer for some reason But here we are, back in my least favorite time of the year. We're in the middle of a huge heatwave with no end in sight right now, so it's kind of hard to find the motivation to dress up cute. When it's this hot out I definitely want to prioritize comfort over everything else so I think my ideal summer style can be a little bit toned down compared to other seasons. I'm also probably not going to be buying a whole lot for my wardrobe this season; I've learned my lesson from past years trying to build up a new wardrobe without planning well in advance! But that won't stop me from daydreaming anyway.


This time I found a lot of my inspiration from instagram! There are so many cute and talented girls in the english language himekaji community from all over the world, so I wanted to feature some of their outfits that I felt inspired by, in addition to the usual shop releases and staff snaps!

Looking over these outfits, it's clear that warm weather is a huge influence on my ideal summer style. On top of that, I think strawberries, sunflowers, gingham, denim, and cancan hats are all staple details that I'd like to keep in mind when forming my capsule wardrobe for the season. In addition to those details, there are a couple of outfit formulas that I noticed:

Jumper Skirts and Dresses

The first type of outfit I've been admiring probably won't get so much use in my wardrobe this season. I think normally this kind of outfit would be perfect for a cute date going somewhere a little bit fancier, like a museum or nice restaurant, or some kind of event that I can dress up for. That kind of won't be happening for the foreseeable future, so I have a feeling that my dresses will get a little less use this time around ^^
That doesn't mean I don't still love this style though, and I still feel deeply inspired by it! I think a safe bet for coordinating these would be wearing a cute blouse underneath if the dress allows it, wearing cute wedges and low ankle socks with cute details, a bracelet or watch, and a matching hat or hair accessories.

    


Skirt and Blouse

This category is probably closer to what I'd normally want to push myself to wear closer to daily basis. While the prints and styling of these outfits are definitely unique and princessey, something about the skirt and blouse combination feels a little bit more toned down compared to the dresses above. However, I think this Summer it will prove to be extra difficult so I'll be forgiving on myself. Still, I think these kinds of outfits would be really cute and comfy to incorporate in between heat waves throughout the season, or on the rare occasion that I have to go out and about to run errands here and there!
It seems like these outfits are often styled pretty similarly to dresses, but I think the variety of blouses and skirt shapes gives a little bit more freedom in terms of silhouette and accessorizing.

     

Casual Styles

Ok... so these outfits are still not truly "casual" when compared to my usual quarantine looks (hello sweatpants!) but they're still more off the beaten path from a typical himekaji outfit. I'm actually truly not sure whether all of these outfits fit under himekaji or any particular style (particularly some of the shop flatlays I included) but I think it's in a similar spirit and strikes a nice balance between comfort and style in my opinion!
This category is the most interesting to me, since it's closer to something I'd be able to exist in while being stuck at home with no AC for most of the summer.

There's less of a rigid formula for these outfits, but I do see some common patterns:

Loose t-shirts tucked in to cute skirts:

While a cute skirt and socks elevates any outfit instantly, the loose t-shirt makes these outfits very comfortable and easy to wear in all settings. Since it's so toned down I think it's best not to overdo it with accessories; if any accessory is needed I think more modern accessories like a cute watch might be best in this case! I also think it's important in these cases for the shoes to strike the same balance as the rest of the outfit. While flip flops might be too casual, and strappy heels might be too dressy, I think simple wedges in a cute color paired with cute lace or frill ankle socks or sneakers with a cute detail like ruffles or ribbons is best.

Gyaru or himekaji style jumper skirts, with no blouse underneath and toned down accessories.

The following two styles are much more in line with himekaji that I'm familiar with! Usually when wearing a sleeveless dress or jumperskirt I'd want to layer it with a blouse or shirt of some kind, but during the summer that's just not always realistic. Luckily wearing these with bare shoulders is totally cute and perfect for super hot weather! This kind of look can be dressed up or down depending on the dress or setup. Personally I find that too much jewelry still bugs me when the weather is bad, so I'd probably wear this style with just a simple bracelet, but it would also look cute with a necklace or choker depending on the cut of the dress!

The fabled camisole coord.

I've always seen Liz Lisa camisoles that looked really cute, though I could never quite figure out whether they're meant to be innerwear or outerwear, plus I have a feeling they wouldn't suit my body type. Still, out of necessity for survival I'll have to learn how to coord with camisoles eventually! It's a little hard to find many examples, though I think this is a case where borrowing from more classic gyaru could come in clutch! Pairing a cute cami with sukapan is a pattern I've noticed and I think it can work quite well, but I'm still pretty intimidated by it for some reason.

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