I can’t believe I’m saying it, but Memorial Day is just a week away! I’m sure I am not alone in saying that I’m more than ready to see this bizarre school year come to an end. Plus, I feel like we’ve been styling spring outfits for ages.

With Covid restrictions lifting around the country, I have high hopes that this summer will be a lot more “normal” than last. Here’s hoping, anyway!

While Memorial weekend has come to signify the unofficial start to summer, I never want to forget to honor and remember those who died serving our country for the freedoms we enjoy. We used to attend the annual Memorial Day parade in Paul’s hometown with his parents when the kids were little. I have such fond memories of those times, and it was a good reminder of the origins of the holiday.

These days, we usually keep it low-key and have a few friends over for a cookout, but I was just looking at the Memorial Day weekend programming available at the historic sites in Philly. The older kids have to work, but it might be fun to take R down to the Revolutionary War Museum or the Constitution Center. She’s been asking to see those for a while.

Whether you’re attending a hometown parade or gathering with friends for a backyard BBQ or visiting historic sites, it’s always fun to give a nod to a patriotic holiday with your outfit, so I rounded up 5 casual outfits for your Memorial Day style inspiration.

5 Memorial Day Outfits

white tank // AGOLDE jeans also at Nordstrom & Shopbop // embellished slides (size up) // teardrop earrings // similar pendant // Lagos bracelets // red nail polish

I’m one to keep it simple for patriotic holidays, and you can never go wrong with white and denim. I shared this sleeveless v-neck tee with the eyelet ruffle trim in last Saturday’s Summer Fashion Try-On Haul, and I think it’s the perfect top for pairing with jeans or jean shorts for a casual summer event.

The ruffle trim adds a touch of femininity to a casual slub tee, and the classic fit is easy to pair with pants, shorts, or even skirts. This top runs true to size, or you may want to size up if in between. It’s also 30% off today!

I paired this white top with my AGOLDE Toni straight ankle jeans that I’m loving so much this season. The light wash and straight ankle style is on trend, and they have a comfortable mid-rise. You can find them at Evereve, Nordstrom, and Shopbop.

If I had a pair of casual red sandals or sneakers with red accents, I would have worn them, but I don’t so I chose these embellished slides in the Modern Ivory and allowed my nail polish to be my pop of red in this look.

I suppose I could also wear red lipstick, but I have thin lips and I prefer softer tones so I just stuck with my usual lip trio. I wore my silver brushed teardrop earrings, a simple diamond pendant, and Lagos bracelets to accessorize the look.

If you prefer a bolder color combo, red and denim is about as Americana as it gets. For this second look, I wore a red eyelet ruffle strap button-up tank with cuffed denim shorts and the same white embellished sandals for a complete red, white & blue ensemble! If I don’t wear this outfit for Memorial Day, I’ll definitely wear it for the 4th.

red tank // denim shorts // embellished slides (size up) // hoop earrings // star necklace (also on Amazon) & charm pendant (also on Amazon) // Victoria Emerson bracelet // straw tote // cat eye sunnies (option) // red nail polish

This top was also featured in last Saturday’s Summer Fashion Try-On Haul, and I think it’s such a cutie for summertime. The square neckline is very much on trend right now, and the eyelet details and ruffle straps are feminine and pretty but not too romantic for those of us with a more classic style.

You can see here that it is cut nicely around the arms so that it easily covers a regular bra, and it’s just generally a very well-made top. It looks just as good paired with white as it does with denim, so that would be another option. It runs true to size and is fully stocked at the moment.

The only thing to keep in mind with this top is that it’s quite short, with a 22″ body length, and it really needs higher rise jeans. The ones I’m wearing have a 9″ rise, and you can see, the bottom of the top barely covers the waistband of the jeans.

Here’s a better shot of those embellished slides. I think these are so cute, and they look just as good with casual dresses and skirts as they do with jeans and jean shorts. I do recommend sizing up, though. They run small and also a bit narrow. I usually size down to a 7.5 in slides, and these just fit in the size 8.

This time I swapped out my jewelry for some of my gold pieces. Isn’t this super star necklace perfect for accessorizing a patriotic outfit!?! I paired it with a dainty gold pendant for an understated layered look, and these gold chain hoops are such a good mix of modern and classic styling.

I also wore this pretty white and gold cuff, to bring a little more white into the outfit, and to complement my sandals. It’s part of the new Victoria Emerson collection with Shaeffer Told Me To, and they’re BOGO free for a limited time! I thought the sale ended yesterday, but they’re still showing up BOGO free in cart, if you missed it.

I always like to have a pair of sunnies when hosting outdoor gatherings. Not only are they useful for blocking those afternoon rays, they act as an additional accessory and point of interest. Just remember to take them off when meeting someone new or even when initially greeting your guests.

If shorts aren’t your thing, this next look incorporates a navy and white stripe top and a pair of white jeans. Memorial Day can sometimes be chilly around here, so this is a good option for those of us who live in cooler climates.

tie dye tee // white jeans (more sizes) // gold sandals // teardrop earrings // gold bangle // straw tote // oversized sunnies

Yes, another top from my last Try- On Haul! I almost held these tops out so they could be new for this post, but I suppose it can’t hurt to see them twice. I guess this tie dye muscle tee was popular; it is suddenly showing up as low inventory. There are more sizes in petite, in case that helps.

Anyway, this is a great little top and so on trend this season. The pleat detail helps soften up what tends to be a more masculine silhouette, and the subtle stripe pattern in navy and white is perfect for a patriotic holiday.

It’s very soft and comfortable, and like both of the tops above, I appreciate the way it’s cut around the arms so it doesn’t show your bra. So many muscle tees are cut too low under the arms, and I don’t want to have to wear layers in hot weather.

These jeans are my Mother Insiders in the white, and they probably need no introduction. (You can find a few more sizes at Neimans and Saks.) Mother Denim makes the best white jeans I’ve tried. They’re stretchy and comfortable, but also soft and thick and not the least bit see-through.

White jeans tend to look more polished than blue jeans, so I like how the raw step hem and cropped length help give these a more casual vibe that is fitting for a parade or backyard BBQ. But the best thing about these jeans is the high rise that holds in all the fluff. They run true to size, and I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll go on sale somewhere this weekend. I’ll keep an eye out for you.

I left the tee untucked with these jeans because I thought it was short enough for the proportions to work, and I think it looks okay in person. We tried it both ways, and Alison agreed, but in looking at these pictures, I do think a front tuck would accentuate the waist and look a little more intentionally styled.

I wore my gold Miller sandals to bring some metallic into the outfit. I always like metallics with white and navy. The gold is an older color, but they do come in silver.

And this crochet-style straw tote with the pom pom tassels makes a nice contrast against the cooler colors in the outfit. If you’re going somewhere for the day, it’s helpful to have a roomy tote for all the extra things you might need along the way.

I wore my rag & bone sunnies with the large square brown tortoiseshell frames, which I found for a great price on Amazon. I got these on a Shopbop sale last spring, and I’ve worn them a ton over the past year. I love the flecks of purple and amber in the frames, and the square shape is fun for a change, since I usually gravitate to the cat eye style.

And yes, I actually have these brushed teardrop earrings in the gold as well as the silver. They’re a great price point, and I love how they pop against my dark hair. I wear them a lot with casual looks because the brushed metal has a more relaxed, informal vibe.

That was going to be my final look, but since the weather can be pretty fickle on Memorial Day weekend, I like to be prepared with a long-sleeved option. This white and navy stripe hoodie that I styled with the Caslon boyfriend shorts last month is still in stock.

It’s really cute with denim shorts, or you could bring it along with any of the outfits above to throw on over your short-sleeve top if you get chilly later on in the evening.

stripe hoodie // rolled denim shorts // neutral slides // teardrop earrings // sunnies

And if you want something a little dressier but still casual enough for a parade or BBQ, this tie dye waist-defined dress that I styled a while back is still available in most sizes. It runs true to size, and it’s 30% off right now.

tie dye stripe dress // woven platform sandals // gold hoop earrings // similar straw tote

I hope that gives you some good Memorial Day style inspiration, or if you’re thinking ahead to the 4th of July, these looks would work for that too.

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photos: Alison Cornell