70 degree weather outfits come down to one breathable top, one easy bottom and a thin layer you can carry. For ladies at 70 degrees, I start with a cotton or linen tee or button-down, add jeans, trousers or a midi skirt, and keep a light cardigan, denim jacket or trench in my tote for the cooler morning and evening. Sandals, loafers or sneakers all work.

I let one piece lead and keep the rest quiet. Hold any top up to the light, since opacity is the thing product photography hides best, and check that the shoulder seam sits on the bone, not past it.

What should I wear in 70 degree weather? Keep it to a single layer you would be happy in all day. At 70 degrees most people are comfortable in short sleeves or a light long sleeve, so the outfit does not need much. A tee or linen shirt with jeans is enough for the daytime. I add one backup piece, a cardigan or overshirt, that I can tie around my waist or leave on a chair. Heavy knits and wool coats are the pieces to skip.

What about 72 degree weather? The same single-layer formula as 70, with a lighter fabric. Two degrees changes little, so I keep the formula and lean on the lightest fabrics I own. Linen, cotton poplin and jersey move air well, and a dress or a skirt is comfortable at this temperature. I still carry a thin layer for air conditioning, since restaurants and offices run colder than the street.

And 73 degree weather? Short sleeves, breathable cloth and one thin layer in the bag. At 73 degrees I reach for a tee, a sleeveless shirt or a light dress, with trousers or jeans in a lightweight weave. The shade and the evening are the only places it feels cooler, so a cotton cardigan or a thin denim jacket is plenty. Sunglasses and a hat matter more than another layer.

At seventy degrees, the layer matters more than the top underneath it, since that piece decides whether you stay comfortable once the sun moves or the evening cools. Retro Fete's Aralyn Knit Cardigan is light enough to tie around the waist earlier in the day and still substantial enough to actually wear once it gets cooler. Cole Haan's Twill Trench Coat goes further, built for a real drop in temperature rather than just a breeze. Faux fur, fleece and peplum shapes all show up in this range, which means texture ends up doing more to change the mood than warmth does. Choose a layer light enough to carry all day without it becoming a second bag.

A few pieces do not fit neatly into anchor or layer, and they earn a place anyway because they solve a narrower problem well. Splendid's Kate V-Neck Tee works as the exception, easy enough to handle heat without needing a cardigan draped over it all day. Lauren Ralph Lauren's Classic Fit Linen Shirt is the opposite instinct, a layer you can wear the moment the temperature dips even slightly, but light enough not to feel like real outerwear. A dress and a mini skirt round out the group, both useful when a single piece needs to carry the whole outfit with minimal styling. None of this needs the whole range; one piece chosen for the specific gap it fills is usually enough.

Every piece here is chosen because it works specifically in that awkward stretch of weather that is too warm for a coat and too cool for bare arms. We would not buy every piece in this range, and you should not either, since a handful exist to fill out variety rather than to earn daily wear. Manymoons' Noah Tee in the turtle print is the easiest anchor to add without much thought, while a heavier knit cardigan only makes sense if you already reach for layers constantly. Read together, these pieces get you most of the way toward dressing for seventy degrees without any single purchase being essential. Nothing here made the cut for being famous, and none of it is included as a stand-in for quality. Buy the piece you can picture wearing this week, not the one you are saving for a better occasion. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together All-White Outfits for In-Between Weather and How to Dress for 60 Degree Weather.