When I was 15 or so, I used to study my older brother’s high school yearbook for style tips. He went to a fancy WASP-y private school in River Oaks, which is where all of the people with old money in Houston lived, and the girls dressed differently than they did at my big public school, where the aesthetic was very more is more. I was drawn to how understated and elegant the girls at my brother’s school were, and how cool they looked in jeans and a simple  Lacoste shirt, like this one.

A seersucker blazer in grey is a little chicer and less obvious than blue.

Classic khaki chinos in a just-right dark hue.

Embroidered belts are a preppy mainstay, but this one with skulls has a bit of edge.

I like this anchor belt too.

Tretorns are classics, and they’re so well-priced.

I’d wear this Madras shirt with cutoffs, or over my swimsuit at the beach.

All the preppy girls in Houston wore Mexican dresses like this one, and they’re so good for tooling around on hot days, and this purplish-blue embroidery is pretty good.

This wicker bag, with black skinny pants and a white tee would be aces.

And this wicker clutch is pretty good too.

Jack Rogers sandals are another preppy mainstay, and they get slightly edgy in gold.

Ray Ban Wayfarers suddenly feel really right to me again.

This tee dress has black and white stripes, which is somewhat more sophisticated than if they were blue or red.

I love wearing white all year round, but especially in summer: it always feels so crisp, cool, and super-chic, especially when paired with bright accessories . I do not, on the other hand, adore how often I stain my white clothes, which I do with stunning regularity, so I always keep an ample supply of Shout on hand and hope for the best. I think this dress is just so flowy and sweet but still really put-together-looking.

I dig the barely-there stripes on this button-down shirt.

A simple, well-priced A-line skirt I’d throw on with a white tee.

A white blazer is always chic, and you can dress it down with a graphic tee or dress it up for the office.

I’d cuff the sleeves on Everlane’s new short-sleeved popover, and wear it with cutoffs.

These jeans are straight cut, which I like, because I am not a fan of tight white jeans.

A pretty eyelet top that manages to be feminine without veering into priss territory.

An easy beach coverup that has sleeves—rare in a beach coverup—and a nice neckline.

These wide-leg cropped pants would be so cute with a white button-down and contrasting belt.

This gorgeous lace dress isn’t exactly cheap, but it still looks a lot more expensive than it is.

I like the deep V-neck on this tee.

A really snappy pair of skinny pants that would look cute with a Mexican shirt and mules.

A clean-looking blouse with an appealingly peasant-y cut.

Yellow and red are so good together in that mustard and ketchup way, and this floral couldn’t be a whole lot cuter.

These aren’t the summeriest colors, especially, so I’d lighten things up with a white scoop-neck tee.

This striped linen is so damn fresh.

Another floral, this one with a print that strikes me as fun in a cartoonish way.

A sweet and feminine choice.

I honestly don’t know how I got through summer previous to clog sandals entering my life: they’re just so good from a comfort and walkability perspective (I’m not certain why, as wooden soles aren’t that foot-friendly, but there you have it) and plus, they’re super-cute. I feel as though I very much need this Madewell pair, as I want a pair of white sandals and I like that these aren’t a glaring optic white.

Just an easy, casual pair of slides.

I couldn’t resist including this borderline loud yellow pair.

From No. 6: The rose gold metallic here makes these standout. Also, metallic tones totally work as a neutral, so you can wear them with literally everything.

This braided pair would be perfect with a Mexican embroidered dress.

A peep-toe number in a very good red.

I like that these have studs instead of staples.

The stripey business here is fun.

This crisscross pair is pretty classic, but the color makes it interesting.

This blue specimen is very work-to-weekend.

These are the easiest shoes in my closet, the ones I reach for when I have to take the dogs for a spin, or for walking all over the city. They don’t add much in the way of height, but you can’t beat them for comfort, and they’re a nice way to show off a good pedicure. This crisscross pair is so bright and happy.

You can’t go wrong with the classic pool slide from Adidas.

This knotted option comes in a pretty good peachy pink too, but I feel like the black would be more versatile.

Here is a color that would pretty much go with everything.

I like the muted metallic on this one, and the fact that it’s super-cheap. It comes in white too, which is worth considering as the smart money is on never spending a fortune on white shoes.

I like to think of army green, like on this double-buckle slide, as a neutral.

How adorably loud are these Vans slides?

I remain intrigued by the notion of Dr Scholl’s: they’re hell to walk in, but I’ve always thought they were great-looking.

At this point, I think we can call German orthopedic Worishofers classics, and they’re like walking on a cloud. Perfect for travel.

This striped number is so beachy and fun, and well-priced too.

A spendy choice from Isabel Marant that couldn’t be a whole lot cuter.

The stone hue of these Birkenstocks lightens them up a bit, I think.

OK, this is somewhat silly, but I feel like it would always put a smile on your face, and how much footwear can you say that about?

A slightly modish silver pair that could be dressed way up if you were in the mood.

Just a good, basic black slide (it comes in a few other colors too)

This is a pretty much perfect option for dresses.

And this woven pair will look fantastic once it’s a little broken in.

How snappy is this red, white, and blue striped pair?

Maybe as cute as this braided one.

I love the tweedy fabrication here.

And this Mexican-inspired slide is so graphic.