It’s day THREE of my Better Than Basic Summer Style Guide! Today is all about elevated outfits. Not super dressy, but outfits you can wear for date night, girls night out, going to a concert, or want a step up from casual.
Welcome to Better Than Basics Summer Style Guide week!
Every day this week I’m sharing outfits for specific summer outings and events, and showing you outfit formulas or combinations or colors to try that are beyond the basic little black dress, or slacks and a button up for work, or leggings and a tee for mom life.
Today is DAY THREE, and today is elevated outfits. These are six summer outfits that can be worn for date night, girls night, concerts, and beyond.
If you need even more outfits, MY OUTFIT GUIDE here on my website is a great resource. There, you can filter by occasion, dressiness level, and seasons to get hundreds of my past outfits to help inspire your wardrobe.
If you missed them, here are quick links to DAY ONE and DAY TWO of the Better than Basic Summer Style Guide.
Six Better Than Basic Summer Date Night Outfits to Copy
Try a tee and a long skirt
I absolutely love this outfit. You could wear to an outdoor concert in the park, a nice/casual dinner (add dressier shoes if you’re going to a fancier restaurant), a walk through the city, a morning at the farmers market, dinner with girlfriends…anything! It’s comfortable, and just a step above casual.
The bright colored tee makes the outfit really pop, and the long skirt with the slit is just fun and unexpected.
AMAZON TEE (wearing size small) | ANTHROPOLOGIE SKIRT (wearing size XS) | HERMES SANDALS (similar budget friendly option HERE) | TARGET PEARL DROP EARRINGS | AMAZON TURQUOISE BRACELET | SIMILAR GOLD BEAD BRACELET
Better than basic top and cropped jeans
When you’re heading out for date night, it’s a perfect chance to wear your white jeans if you’re afraid to wear them around the kids. These jeans are so comfortable (they’re from Spanx and are pull on with a fake fly and tummy control), and they feel so summery paired with a light and airy floral top.
You could absolutely wear with flats or sandals, but I wore a pair of heels to elevate the look. This would be great for summer dinner date night or a comedy show.
TUCKERNUCK TOP (wearing size XS) | SPANX JEANS (wearing size small, use code MERRICKXSPANX for 10% off and free shipping) | SIMILAR ANKLE STRAP BLOCK HEEL | SEZANE EARRINGS | SIMILAR GOLD BEAD BRACELET | MIRANDA FRYE HINGE CUFF BRACELET | BUDHA GIRL BRACELETS
Better than basic top and jeans
This is one of my favorite go-to outfit formulas for date night: elevated top, comfy jeans, nice sandals. Easy, practical, and nice!
I love a white crocheted top for summer, and this anthropologie one is fantastic. Paired with jeans and flat sandals, you feel casual but still better than basic.
I added a fun better than basic bag to top the whole look off, and I love how it came together!
ANTHROPOLOGIE CROCHETED TOP (wearing size XS) | SIMILAR JEANS | TARGET BAG | HERMES SANDALS (similar budget friendly option HERE) | J.CREW SHELL EARRINGS | SIMILAR GOLD BEAD BRACELET | MIRANDA FRYE HINGE CUFF BRACELET | BUDHA GIRL BRACELETS
Better than Basic colored jumpsuit
I think jumpsuits are underrated as a good date night or girls night outfit! If you’re going to a concert, dinner, a comedy show, or some other fun event with girlfriends or your date, a chic jumpsuit in a better than basic color is perfect and feels like a cool choice.
I paired with some oversized earrings for a better than basic touch, and classic heeled sandals for a little more height and elongation, but still keeping it classic against a more modern outfit.
WALMART JUMPSUIT | J.CREW SHELL EARRINGS | AMAZON TURQUOISE BRACELET | SIMILAR GOLD BEAD BRACELET | MIRANDA FRYE HINGE CUFF BRACELET | BUDHA GIRL BRACELETS | SIMILAR DOUBLE STRAP BLOCK HEEL SANDALS
Bodysuit and better than basic skirt
I’m obsessed with this outfit. This is a perfect kind of outfit to wear to a hot weather date night when you want to feel elevated. I think this feels like a vacation date night outfit when you’re somewhere tropical. It’s great for eating at a restaurant on the sand, and then walking on the beach afterward.
ARITZIA BODYSUIT (wearing size small) | FARM RIO SKIRT (similar budget friendly option below) | HERMES SANDALS (similar budget friendly option HERE) | TRIPLE HOOP GOLD EARRINGS | SIMILAR GOLD BEAD BRACELET | MIRANDA FRYE HINGE CUFF BRACELET | BUDHA GIRL BRACELETS | AMAZON TURQUOISE BRACELET
Similar budget friendly skirt options:
Comfy better than basic dress
I wanted to show one really comfortable date night option that’s still better than basic. This is the kind of outfit you could wear to a nicer dinner but then still go sit at the movie theater and feel comfortable. Or you could wear it to have dinner with friends and then go back to the house and sit on the couch for hours. This dress is loose and breezy, but the bold print makes it feel really special and better than basic.
BODEN DRESS (wearing size 2R) | SIMILAR WHITE SANDALS | BUDHA GIRL BRACELETS | J.CREW GOLD BEAN EARRINGS | MIRANDA FRYE HINGE CUFF BRACELET
See you tomorrow for our last day of Better Than Basic Style Week…all about formal outfits!
