Summer has parked itself right outside my door, constantly
beckoning me to come out and play. And though I'm still
spending my fair share of hours indoors in front of my
computer, this time of year finds me (and the rest of the
shopbop photo team) out and about in search of places to
shoot our stories, looking for shaded alleys, fields of prairie
grass, and above-it-all rooftops.

What does that mean for my wardrobe? Well, anyone who
knows me knows what I wear has to be easy, slightly
body-conscious, and look effortless, and that's especially
true right now. My uniform of late has been my Dad's old
shorts (baggy, BF style, of course) or Pencey biker shorts,
plus a black bikini top, and one of a handful of stretched-
out tanks (Alexander Wang, KAIN, and new brand to
shopbop, A.L.C., just to name a few). As far as footwear,
the Cocobelle elastic thong sandal or my old Ash leather
sneakers are my go-tos. Don't get me wrong, wearing big,
bad platforms is one of my favorite activities (for real), but
running around all day doesn't keep them looking shiny and
new. (Who cares about my feet! I'm worried about scuffs
on my Givenchys.) Besides, I'm really getting into wearing a
mini jersey dress with sneakers in the PM: the ultimate
what-this-old-thing look.

But like you guys, I'm always looking for
something new. Maybe not new as in just-
invented, but new to my style. Perhaps a pair of
bright shorts? Something seersucker? Which
brings me to this month's feature on classic
American sportswear: a look that feels so right for
the height of summer. Naturally, Kate and I wanted
to bring some shopbop attitude to this style's
characteristic blazers, stripes, brights, pastels,
button-downs, and shirtdresses. And who better
to help us paint that picture than shopbop's
resident classic beauty, Elena. The consummate
trouper, Elena came with her usual up-for-anything
attitude, which made shooting on a
sea-bound (or rather, lake-bound)
set so much easier than it should
have been.

One final thought: though many
of us have had to make some
lifestyle adjustments in recent
months, it doesn't have to keep
us from being ourselves. So if
you love fashion, keep loving it:
it's a cool, interesting time to be
watching, wearing, and
experimenting.

Go get dressed! Your summer awaits.
Morgan Wendelborn