I have a confession to make. Growing up beside Sydney’s tranquil beaches has made it quite complex when it comes to investing in stylish summer tops. You see, the hottest months fall at the end of the year. So, when it comes time to make my annual purchase for chic blouses, it’s often tied up with the hullabaloo of holiday sales and search for festive season party options. Now that I’m based in London, summer tops have taken on a new meaning. The garments I’m gravitating towards are ones rooted in slowing down, embracing the skin’s soft rays on my shoulders and injecting a sense of lightness to my wardrobe.
These days, you won’t find anything laden with chintzy sequins. Instead, soft prints like gingham, relaxed white T-shirts that can be paired with lace-trim satin shorts and languid silhouettes rendered in blissful hues like powder pink or butter yellow. Indeed, the trending tops styles for summer 2025 are ones that encourage you to unwind and reset. They’re designs made for sipping a glass of orange wine at your favourite local bar. Or, for doing a bit of shopping at your local high street before grabbing a punnet of strawberries and heading to your nearest park. Consider them the antithesis of the past few years, where summer has been marked by one specific aesthetic. (Tomato girl, Brat-core, quiet luxury, old money, etc.)
Still, there will always be styles that are in favour and those that have fallen out of mainstream interest. But rather than the key 2025 summer tops trends being ones you’ll swiftly discard because of how easily dated they can look—polyester football jerseys, I’m looking at you—the most popular pieces right now are ones you can willingly invest in knowing they’re truly timeless.
This is something the founder and creative director of celebrity-adored independent brand Mode Mischief Studios, Mia Zotos, knows too well. Designing through a paradigm of nostalgia and off-duty elegance, her anything-but-basic tops have been worn by the likes of Gen Z icons like Hailey Bieber and Emma Chamberlain. As Zotos told me from New York, where she is currently based for Mode Mischief’s new SoHo pop-up, a top is “one of those thoughtful elements that take a simple outfit to the next level”. Ready to up your summer outfit game? Ahead, Zotos and I spill our insights about the leading summer tops trends for 2025.
The 6 Summer Tops Trends Chic Dressers are Wearing in 2025
1. Polka Dots
Style Notes: In what should come as no surprise to anyone, polka dot tops have arrived on the scene as he warm weather alternative to the summer dress trend du jour. (We have Miu Miu and Realisation Par to thank for that.) While longer versions of the print can read a little ’80s to some, thanks to the dotted motif’s association with Princess Diana and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, shorter styles will always curry favour. Zotos, has a different lens on it, however. According to her, spotty tops are emblematic of the ‘circus aesthetic’ that’s quietly cropped up. Other hallmarks of the micro movement? “Mini shorts, puffy sleeves, ruffles and playful stripe prints that are all taking over.” You heard it here first.
(Image credit: @avahgilchrist)
Shop the Trend:
Fruity Booty
Tan Polka Top
Another small indie darling, Fruity Booty, is offering a sweet latte-coloured style.
I own this exact Reformation style and can not recommend it enough. From the ballerina-inspired wrap finish to the black-on-white fabric, you’ll wear this for years to come.
Mode Mischief Studios
Minette Scoop Blouse
Wear with bloomers to lean into the clown-ish trope. Or, keep the print more regal and refined by styling it back with something more demure, like a slip skirt or denim jeans.
2. Broderie Anglais
Style Notes: In a sentence that will read like it was written in 2005—Broderie anglaise is back. Well, not exactly “back” per se, especially given that this needlework style has never truly gone away. But rather, returned in public consciousness. Blame it on the rise of modern bohemia. With ruffles and lace once again a dominant trope, fans of brands like Chloé, Isabel Marant and Rixo are returning to other archival and ethereal designs to spotlight. The result is a look that’s romantic, wafty and very triggering to those of us with trypophobia! As Zotos adds, “whether it’s used subtly or as the main fabrication, [it] brings that handcrafted intricacy which is perfect for layering into summer wardrobes.”
Shop the Trend:
Dôen can always be relied upon for creating the most sophisticated, balmy and boho-inspired tops.
As Zotos explains, details like broderie anglaise bring”beautiful movement and femininity to a look and are quintessentially ‘summer'”.
Nobodys Child
Black Sleeveless Broderie Anglaise Top
Cut-out eyelets are something designers like Zimmermann use a lot in their collection, making any high-street brand that does the same instantly look more expensive.
3. Peasant Sleeves
Style Notes: Another airy style that you’ll spot everywhere this summer is peasant-style blouses. With a rounded neckline, billowing shape and puff sleeve, these tops are less provincial and more downright pretty. “Short-sleeved blouses [like these] are on the rise, evoking a subtle nod to ’90s and early 2000s nostalgia,” says Zotos. “They’ve evolved into a year-round staple and are just so many ways to interpret them through colour, trims, prints and detailing.” As for summer wear, pair with a bright-toned bottom like white jeans and finish off with the leading summer sandals. (Read: fisherman and rope styles.)
Shop the Trend:
ZARA
Romantic Embroidered Blouse Zw Collection
As fashion insider Brenda Weischer has proven time and time again, cool all-black outfits can be pulled off even in summer’s scorching climate.
DÔEN
June Gathered Gingham Organic Cotton Blouse
4. Halter Necks
Style Notes: Another Y2K trend—albeit on the other end of the spectrum to the more ethereal boho chic styles—that’s made a comeback is halter neck tops. Two decades ago, we would’ve pined for the glittery versions worn by Paris Hilton. These days, stars like Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber are putting a more Parisian spin on the silhouette, while still underscored with a glitzy sensibility. The reason? Y2K styles are expressive, easy to throw on, and still feel put-together,” Zotos said. “After seasons of quiet luxury and minimalism, people are craving more personality in how they dress. The early 2000s really championed bold and experimental fashion. We’re seeing that spirit return.”
Shop the Trend:
H&M
Draped Halterneck Top
You’d never guess this style cost the price of a Gail’s coffee and pastry.
MANGO
Striped Linen-Blend Halter-Neck Top
The white pinstripe is the summer-approved way of doing Saville Row-inspired tailoring.
5. Waisted Shapes
Style Notes: If you’ve been keeping a keen eye on what trends have been bubbling up, you’ll notice that waisted tops are one such style that’s been piquing interest. Seen on longline vests, strapless tops and peplum pieces, this trend contours through the torso to create a sculpted silhouette—the ultimate opposition to wintery layers!
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FAITHFULL
Boe Strapless Gathered Shirred Linen Tunic
The ruching through the bodice is such a summer staple.
Don’t think chocolate brown is just for cold temperatures.
DISSH
Demi Cream Longline Vest
DISSH is the brand Londoners can’t stop wearing. Styles like this elegant vest top is exactly the reason why.
6. Plaid Tops
Style Notes: From suede to leather, there has been a constant presence of traditionally “winter” fabrics through summer months. The plaid top trend is the perfect example of this. While I always connect it to the grunge subculture—very Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis, if you ask me—you can consider it like the older and more mature sister of the gingham print. “We’re seeing more colourful, unexpected plaid prints entering warm-weather collections. They’re fun to style and lend themselves well to more expressive summer dressing,” Zotos explains.
Shop the Trend:
DÔEN
Joelle Ruffled Checked Organic Cotton Top
Perfect for your next Cotswolds escape.
LISA MARIE FERNANDEZ
+ Net Sustain Pouf Cropped Tie-Front Checked Linen-Blend Gauze Top
This top also comes with a matching skirt, in case you were looking for a cute co-ord moment.
ACNE STUDIOS
Checked Crinkled-Twill Shirt
Take cues from The Row and invest in a flannel-inspired shirt.
