For style gurus and those still searching for their personal definition of style, these four items offer just a few ideas to complete your overall summer look. What’s special about these items is that they can be used in rotation and are always suitable for the warm weather ahead.

1. Blue jean cut off shorts

I think it’s fair to say that blue jeans of any sort is one of, if not, the most prevalent and iconic style staples of our popular culture. Blue jeans are made for and flatter basically everyone. Yet, as summer is approaching and the thought of heat radiating onto our bodies, the thought of wearing jeans is sometimes off-putting. An alternative to wearing your favorite blue jean bottoms without the threat of retaining too much heat from the thick material covering the legs is to instead opt for blue jean shorts. To “one up” the edginess of the look, I prefer to choose cut off blue jeans with frayed edges. The best way to accomplish this look is to cut a pair of jeans and wash them to stress the “destructed denim” appeal. For even more appeal, I recommend folding the ends and leaving some frayed strings to hang, adding slits near the pocket squares. And my favorite tip: add multicolored patch squares that can either be sewn or glued directly onto fabric. Don’t have fabric? Use swatches of fabric cut out of old t-shirts or dresses. Try something different and choose a character image like the Batman symbol. If you decide to go for the DIY route, you’ll discover how much fun it is to experiment with your look and take pride in having created a clothing item specifically tailored to your style.

2. Crops

Crop tops can literally be made out of any old, worn out t-shirt, so the idea of buying a crop from a department store at an unreasonably overpriced mark up is unfathomable-unless. You might feel that there is no way of making a certain crop yourself. What I love most about crop tops is that they can be worn with almost any outfit you may style for the summer. Whether you wear high waist shorts, jeans, even skirts, more than likely you can pair a crop top with it. Now crop tops are not all the same. Some are loose fitting, may hang over the shoulder droopily, while others are form fitting and accentuate the bodice. For this reason, crop tops are versatile and comfortable to wear. My only advice for wearing crops is that you should make sure that you feel comfortable to wear a crop top. Don’t ever feel like you can’t wear a crop top or that you feel too exposed to wear a sometimes widely bare exposing top of this sort. Wear what you like and what feels comfortable to you.

3. Summer dresses

I don’t wear these often, but when I see them other people I admire the wispy carefree appeal of their summer dress. In fact, the idea of throwing on just a singular article of clothing and appearing as if you spent all day preparing to go out to be one of my favorite aspects of style that I associate with summer dresses. Hence, if you’re the kind of person who thrives on ease, and low maintenance outfits, a perfectly designed summer dress to your style and build is designed for you as it does the work of looking “done up” for you.

4. Hats

I for one am a hat fanatic. From bowlers and fedoras to baseball caps and visors, I accessorize them all. If any season calls for the use of a hat, it’s the summertime. Hats serve two purposes.

1.) The style and its ability to compliment the look of an outfit

2.) Its protective use as shade from the harsh rays and heat of the sun.

Many people tend to avoid the addition of hats to their wardrobe as they may feel as though hats do not compliment them well. However, with the wide variety of hats in terms of shape, size, and style, I guarantee that there are hats that will look well on anyone. The key is to experiment: try on as many as you’d like. By venturing out and trying on different types of hats not only do you invite the fun of trying something novel to your style statement but also learn what best fits you.

These ideas stand as mere starting points to developing your sense of style this summer. Use these items as guides to identify what you like and don’t like as well as to learn to take risks by wearing items that you normally would not dare to wear.