Few wardrobe essentials reward experimentation quite like the white poplin skirt. Like its elegant counterpart—the little white dress—easy, breezy cotton midi skirts were a fixture in the spring collections. Prim and knee-high at Miu Miu where they anchored the collection’s preppy East Coast summer looks, then frothy and flowing as maxi at Jacquemus. Styling-wise, the wardrobe staple is the ultimate blank canvas, ready to coordinate with all your trusted staples and statement accessories.

Vogue’s White Poplin Skirts:

High summer means we’re spoilt for choice in the category. There are polished everyday styles for the minimalist from Matteau and Loewe, and romantic broderie anglaise options from Dôen and Thierry Colson for those with more bohemian sensibilities. Midis and maxis are fail-proof lengths when deciding on a white poplin skirt—timeless, easy to style, and always a breath of fresh air. Silhouette is where you can, and should, experiment. Go airy with a voluminous A-line skirt, poetic with something floaty and embroidered, or pared-back with clean lines and crisp pleats.

Once you’ve found your white skirt, that’s where things get fun. Follow our lead on how to style it, with the guide below.

Summer-in-the-City Uniform

When in doubt, think “what would Carrie do?” The answer: she’d start with Matteau’s crisp poplin midi and then slip into Tory Burch’s flower-adorned tank as perfect foil. Keep accessories sleek and functional with Khaite’s minimalist sandals, Eugenia Kim’s silk head scarf, and Reformation’s roomy tote. A perfect 10!

Heatwave Dressing

The most reliably formula for when the real feel is too hot to bear but you still need to look presentable at the office? A simple T-shirt you don’t mind sweating in, and conversation-starting extras. Start with Uniqlo’s mini tee and Loewe’s knotted skirt as your base. Add in Tibi’s cord sandals for cool practicality, then let the rest of your accessories own the spotlight. We’d pair it with Juju Vera’s new onyx choker and Laoli World’s handcrafted shell-adorned bag, a one-of-kind treated created in collaboration with Mexico-based slow fashion label, Sloan.

Spirited Ease

Embrace boho’s particular brand of glamorous nonchalance with Eres’s striped voile top, Thierry Colson’s broderie anglaise midi, and Amanu Studios’s wrap sandals, adorned with sage green aventurine stones. The Ysso’s shell-shaped cuff and The Row’s mesh tote play into this artistic look that’s made for a Sunday in Mexico City browsing the stalls of the Lagunilla market.

City Surf Girl

You just booked a solo surf retreat and have William Finnegan’s Barbarian Days at least three times. Channel a carefree surfer’s spirit by surrounding a white poplin maxi with beach-inspired staples—a striped one-piece, jelly flip-flops, and a crochet tote. Essential extras to have on hand: surf wax (you didn’t think we meant SPF right?), a printed scarf to wear as a pareo, halter, or head scarf, and a beaded anklet that looks like it washed ashore just for you.

Destination Calling

Dreamy vacation looks need little more than these essentials: a little bikini, loose linen shirt (wear it open over your swimwear for sun-drenched walks to the lido), or belted (buttoned-up for a post-dinner gelato stroll), and some sprightly accessories.

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