Every season, we’re given a list of aesthetics that we can expect to see bopping down runways. Every season, fashion writers give these aesthetics cutesy little names, usually ending in “-core.” So let me fill you in on the most fun “core” I’ve seen in a while: Summer Camp Core.

As a vibe, Summer Camp Core is tube socks and Chaco sandals, tie-dyed t-shirts, layers and layers of friendship bracelets, and the nostalgic chaos of capture the flag. It’s singing out loud, taking outdoor showers, and capturing all of your memories on a disposable Kodak camera. Oh, and don’t forget your Nalgene water bottle, complete with cool bumper stickers.

While all of these might not be possible with your 9-to-5 job, anyone can add a colorful anklet to their ensemble, make s’mores instead of dinner in their microwave, and write letters to their best friends. It’s less about the amount of time you may get to spend in a cabin by the lake, and more about intentionally adding small, nostalgic reminders to your daily life.

Why is Summer Camp Core trending now?

After years of being told how to style our hair, wear SPF every single day, drink 8 glasses of water, and sleep on silk pillowcases, we want some damn red Kool-Aid out of a giant orange Gatorade dispenser. And we want to call it Bug Juice.

The truth is that the Clean Girl Aesthetic has brainwashed most of us. But Hailey Bieber doesn’t own you, and neither do her perfectly “glazed donut” manicured nails, her perfectly laminated eyebrows, or her phone cases with slots for her Rhode lip glosses (no shade).

But somewhere between the Clean Girl Aesthetic and the Quiet Luxury fashion movement, we’ve started to get a little too robotic in our attitudes toward what’s socially acceptable and what’s “a bit much.”

That’s why Summer Camp Core is so fun to embrace, even if just for a weekend.

Ways to Include Summer Camp Core in Your Life

Some of these have already been mentioned above, but rest assured, we’re going to repeat them. And remember, even if becoming a head counselor isn’t in your LinkedIn aspirations, you can do anything you want to do on the weekend!

• Go for a hike: Literally, get outside. Use an app (I recommend AllTrails!) to find an appropriate hike for your skill set and your friends, then pack some sandwiches into Ziplock baggies and get after it!
• Sing in the shower: While an outdoor shower may be a stretch, who says you can’t be the star of your own karaoke shower singing from your own bathroom? Que up some tunes from your summer camp days, and blast them loud and proud!
• Write letters and mail them: Lean into the camp culture, and stay up late with just a flashlight, writing letters to your loved ones. Make sure to put a stamp on them and drop them in the mailbox!

• Look the part: See my recommendations for summer camp fashion below. But whatever you do, have fun with it!
• Park yourself near a body of water: Find the nearest body of water and take a picnic blanket and a book. Forget your phone in the car. Document everything with a Camp Snap camera!
• Host a sleepover party: Host a themed sleepover party where you tie-dye t-shirts, make friendship bracelets, tell ghost stories, make s’mores, and tell secrets until you inevitably fall asleep on a pile of sleeping bags in your living room.
• Go glamping: Rent an AirBnB with a group of your friends and get off the grid for a weekend!

Summer Camp Core Fashion

Okay, Diva.

I want you to channel your crunshiest, flashiest, most talent-show winning ensembles, and show up as cool as you imagined you looked when you were 13 years old.

Thrifted looks are always a fun way to experiment with fashion while also staying within a budget.

The look we’re going for is this:

• Tank top or t-shirt
• Cut-off denim shorts or outdoor/hiking shorts
• Old crewneck sweatshirt or flannel (oversized)
• Baseball hat (if you’re a hat girl)
• Gold live-in hoops
• Bandana beaded bracelets, and anklets
• Crunchy shoes of your choice

PLUS (bonus points):

• Loud, bright nail polish
• Anything Tie-Dye
• A bow or bandana in your hair
• Wired headphones
• Sling bag or backpack
• High socks
• Hiking boots

Whether you’re going into the great outdoors or simply down to your local bodega, have fun with it!

I personally enjoy browsing the closets of the men in my life for these staples. (Thanks, Dad, for the never-ending flannel collection, and to my brothers for all their old t-shirts!) This can also be a prime spot to grab an old, worn-in baseball hat and a crewneck sweatshirt for late nights by the bonfire (with their permission, of course).

Now, unlike 13-year-old you, adult you now has access to some seriously cute shorts (think: denim jorts; DIY them if possible!) If you’re looking to purchase a pair that will last you for YEARS, I can’t recommend Levi’s enough. Their 501 Original Fit High-Rise shorts are seriously my favorite. They’re snug, but stretchy, and short, yet not so short that I constantly have to pull them down.

Now, it’s time to accessorize. These bracelets, made from bandanas, scraps of ribbon, and beads, have taken over my Pinterest feed. I don’t even know who originally designed them (though I’ve seen rumors of the ‘cool French girls’ who wear them, so let’s give them credit). The best part is, they’re totally DIY-able, and you can also make them into anklets and necklaces.

Add a pair of live-in gold hoops, paired with Tevas, Chacos, Birkenstocks, or your go-to crunchy shoe of choice. (Wear hiking boots if you’re going hiking.)

Now put all the contents of your purse into a sling-style pack or a backpack.

Chef’s kiss. NOW, you’re ready for an adventure!