Hot Girl Summer, Minus the Performance
Every June, “Hot Girl Summer” comes back into the conversation. And with it comes the pressure: the body, the vacation, the parties, the outfits, the wallet, the supposedly effortless life, and that you need to be young to be able to feel that “hot girl summer” vibe.
But let’s be real.
Hot Girl Summer is not one thing. It is not an age. It is not a dress size. It is not a bikini, a beach club, or a passport full of stamps.
It is about deciding what makes you feel alive, attractive, playful, and good in your own skin.
So yes, in my 20s, I was dancing on tables in French nightclubs. And in my 30s, I got married, built my business, and spent years in full work mode. Now, in my 40s, I want to feel alive again.
But not 20s-alive.
I do not need to relive the table-dancing era. She had her moment. She was fun. She also probably needed more water.
What I want now is a different kind of aliveness. More playful. More sensual. More connected to the part of me that does not just answer emails, and think about what is for dinner.
Still rooted in my adult life, but with a little more spark.
I was recently shopping with a client in her mid-50s, and our watchword for her summer refresh was: sexy and playful.
I was so here for it.
But first, we had to define what sexy meant to her. Because sexy does not always mean tiny dresses and high heels. Sometimes it is a silk shirt that slips off the shoulder just enough. Sometimes it is a great pair of white jeans. Sometimes it is a neckline, a color, a sandal, a perfume, or a dress that moves beautifully when you walk.
For her, it was about feeling more feminine, more relaxed, and a little more daring, without feeling like she was wearing a 20 year old’s outfit.
I am fully obsessed with the lingerie trend at the moment. So, for me, right now, it is being bold enough to wear a dress that looks a little like lingerie. A little slip dress, a lace detail, a satin texture, something that says “I am an adult woman and yes, I did choose this on purpose.”
That is my current version. What is yours?
When I work with clients and we want to bring in that “Hot Girl Summer” feeling, we do not start with the outfit. We start with the feeling.
Do you want to feel sexy? Free? Playful? Polished? Relaxed? Bold? Softer? More visible? More like the version of yourself who used to have fun before life became a google calendar?
Then we translate that into clothes and accessories.
Maybe your Hot Girl Summer is:
A bold color you usually avoid.
A lower neckline than your usual safe one.
A dress that skims instead of hides.
A swimsuit you do not apologize for.
A pair of earrings that instantly changes your mood.
A sandal that makes your simple outfit feel intentional.
A red lip at lunch.
A sheer layer over a tank.
A long necklace that goes into the décoleté
A cutout detail
A print that feels joyful.
A white dress, if white loves you back.
A black dress, if that is your real summer personality.
A linen shirt worn open over a swimsuit.
A silk skirt with a tank.
A delicate anklet
Here is some inspiration for you.
Just click on the item if something catches your eye.
The point is not to perform confidence. The point is to create the conditions for it.
Because in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, Hot Girl Summer can be less about proving you still “have it” and more about remembering that you never lost it. You may just need to dress in a way that brings it back to the surface.
So no, we do not need to audition for the internet.
We do not need to become someone else’s vacation mood board.
We just need to ask a better question: What would make me feel a little more alive this summer?
Start there. Then get dressed.
Bisous my friend,
Lili