Here's Your Summer 2018 Starter Kit, Thanks to H&M

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Forget the holiday season: Summer is our favorite time of year, so we're obviously in a fantastic mood right now. Maybe it's the sudden overload of vitamin D, or maybe it's the feel-good threads dropping on the regular at H&M that perfectly pair with our best warm-weather life. Check out our 16 favorite summer steals from the new Divided collection—everything's under $50, so your wallet's going to be feeling good too.

Slingbacks are on our radars big time this season, as are any accessories with basket-like touches of jute braiding. Wear these everywhere. With everything. (Oh, and they also come in this color.)

If you haven't teamed a marigold tee with wide-leg lilac pants and walked through NoLIta on a Saturday with an iced coffee, is it even summer?

In our actual dream summertime, it's still 1994, we live on Melrose Place, and we're wearing these shorts.

During that one inevitable week in August when it feels like everyone but us is on vacation in Greece, we're adding our brightest earrings and vintage-vibe white sunnies to this fresh onesie to help pretend that we are too.

Poolside? Sure, but we're also teaming this with breezy wide-leg pants and a bodysuit to survive those glorious/terrible days when it's just too hot to go outdoors (but we gotta).

This little summer-ready number is so afternoon date ready we can hardly deal with it. 

You really need to see this skirt to understand where we're going with this polished boho outfit. Just add logo slides and Lucite heels to take it from sunny days to balmy nights.

Just add an oversize button-down and platform sneakers. and you're all set for a Sunday that starts at the farmer's market and ends up, well, who knows where? (Because summer.)

Evenings at the open-air cinema? Off-the-shoulder gingham plus dark denim is perfect as the sun goes down.

We're pretty sure everyone on the planet has gotten the basket-bag memo by now. The moral of the story: This is your number one summer essential, so just keep on adding fresh iterations to your collection.

This essential palm print has picked up right where Millennial Pink left off. Not satisfied with it only existing on our couch cushions (and iPhone cases, and notebooks, and makeup bags), we're also going to be wearing this effortless romper as often as we can possibly get away with.

Tie-front tops are cute as ever, but this tie-back is giving the classic a run for its money. Flutter sleeves and an open back make this self-ventilating top perfect for sticky-hot evenings.

Life hack: Keep this top on hand to change into for balmy after-work drinks—it'll take every single high-waisted skirt or trouser option from office hours to happy hours in a flash.

Sundays afternoons in the park look exactly like this. Just add a friend with a dog (and preferably these shades).

This ultra-versatile black-and-white top gives a most subtle nod to this summer's polka-dot trend, and will be taking us to alfresco dinners all over town.

Still looking for the perfect pair of denim shorts? Take five, because these are hopping straight in your Tulum-bound carry-on.

Natalie Cantell
Contributing Fashion Editor

Natalie Cantell is an NYC-based style director, creative consultant, and contributing fashion editor. She was the executive director of Who What Wear and Marie Claire’s brand studio until 2023, and now freelances globally on shoots, stories, and special projects across fashion, luxury, beauty, home, and travel.