Best Summer Basics: Silk Camis, Linen and Crochet Pieces

Camisole tops have become the easiest way to dress for heat without reaching for a full dress. The Venroy Cross Back Silk Cami in powder blue uses a crossed strap detail at the back instead of the usual plain straps, which is a small change that makes it look less like underwear. A silk charmeuse cami elsewhere in the group sticks to the classic slip shape, plain enough to wear under a shirt or alone. Self-Portrait's Black Satin Lace Shorts move away from tops entirely, pairing satin with lace trim for something between loungewear and going-out shorts. A crochet tank rounds out the mix, proof that the silk cami is not the only lightweight top worth having.

Satin shorts keep showing up as the alternative to a skirt once the heat gets serious. The Susanna Chow Naomi Satin Shorts in cream stay simple, a clean satin short with no extra trim to compete with a top. A lace-trimmed silk satin cami elsewhere in the group pairs naturally with a short like that, both in the same soft cream tone. Windsor's Off-The-Shoulder Satin A-Line Mini Dress skips the separates entirely, doing the cami-and-shorts job in one piece instead. All three treat satin as the fabric that makes summer basics look slightly more finished.

This shortlist is built around fabric more than any single item, since silk and satin are doing the work that used to belong to a hundred different summer basics. Camisole tops, in silk charmeuse or with a crossed strap, have replaced the need for a fitted tank in a lot of outfits. Satin shorts push that same logic further, standing in for a skirt without giving up the ease of separates. The overlap between the cami and the mini dress at the end of the list shows how close those categories have become, since a slip dress is really just a cami with a longer hem. If you take one thing away, it is that silk and satin, not any particular cut, are what make a summer basic feel considered rather than just practical. I would keep one silk cami on rotation past the season, since it works as well layered as it does alone.