This article is sponsored by Nordstrom + Collective Voice.

Whether it’s my art school years or my ’90s dream of living in SoHo, I can’t say for sure… but I love to wear black even during the hot summer months.

Black is chic, easy, and doesn’t show spills — it’s easy to love…but it can read kinda dark for summer when everyone else is wearing bright colors, playful prints, and light neutrals. (I do like to dip my toe in those brighter options, too.) So, I have a couple of tricks that make the all-black outfits I love feel a bit more summery.

Tee (M) | Joggers (M) | Sandals | Bag (Similar)

The Subtle Art Of An All-Black Summer Outfit: Enjoy The Details

Well, now I’ve given my secrets away in the title here, so it’s not like any of this is coming as a surprise. But for a great, all-black summer outfit you do have to start with great black essentials. I adore shapes, so for me, that means looking for pieces that have design details that pop.

I’m loving this Madewell muscle tee I found. The angled sleeves add a touch of toughness I adore in my outfits. More of a puffed-sleeves fan? Pick a black top with an element of that (ooh, this one.) These types of details help elevate the whole outfit.

For the perfect base outfit, I paired the Madewell top with my lightweight Zella joggers — they have a rad tulip hem detail. I’ll get so much wear out of these pieces mixed with the rest of my closet, too.

Tee (M) | Joggers (M) | Sandals | Bag (Similar)

Tee (M) | Joggers (M) | Sandals | Bag (Similar)

Shop More Black Essentials At Nordstrom

Sometimes simple elements like a tulip hem at the ankle or an interesting neckline can take basic black clothing to a whole new level. Here are just a few cool pieces I own and love as well as similar options I’m eyeing at Nordstrom.

Now For The Accessories: Gladiator Sandals & A Statement Bag

Next up I added on my current favorite taupe sandals, the Born Haidee Gladiators that I could walk all day in. The slightly warmer taupe shade softens up the black clothing for summer. You could go with a sandal color here in your own skintone shade to create a tone-on-tone look or go for a light color like white or ivory if you want more contrast with the black pieces.

Sandals here instead of sneakers take it up a notch for me as far as casual vs. slightly more pulled together. I love a strappy sandal for this reason and you don’t have to sacrifice comfort. Beek makes some of our favorite beautiful sandals, too, and you can also find those at Nordstrom.

Tee (M) | Joggers (M) | Sandals | Bag (Similar)

Last but absolutely not least, is the statement bag. I’ve realized in the last few years just how much a great bag can make your outfit. You can go high-end or reasonable on this…the key is interesting shapes, textures, or colors.

I’m all about structured bags right now, but a lighter shade like ivory or white or a pop of color can make tailored bags feel more summery. Staud makes amazing bags of all kinds and Nordstrom has a fun selection!

Check out the little widget below for even more fun options from various brands at Nordstrom at a variety of price points.

Shop More Statement Bags at Nordstrom

I’m honestly realizing how fun it is to pick out outfit-making bags. A little round-up of the variety Nordstrom has right now was a blast to pull together. I think any of these options would really bring an outfit together.

Back to top

As always, I truly hope this was a helpful way to think about wearing your black clothing pieces for summer. Plus, it makes packing SO much easier when you find a great purse or sandal that makes simple outfits really sing.

We’re not doing any big trips this summer so if you are going somewhere fun, please let me know! And Happy Summer!

xo,

L

Thank you so much to Nordstrom + Collective Voice for sponsoring this article. Nordstrom, we adore being able to find all the newest fun pieces to take us into warm weather on your site, whether they’re go-to black staples or fun statement bags and chic sandals. Thank you, TME readers, for your continued support of what we do here. All opinions and selections are my own as always!

Lovely photos by Posy Quarterman

Want to keep up with everything else I’m into? Pop over to my Instagram @laurajansenstyle where I love talking about food, sharing OOTDs, posting travel pics, and chatting everyday mom-life-stuff from Portland, Oregon. Oh, and lots of sarcastic memes and cute pet videos because what is social media without plenty of those? xoxo