This season, we’re looking to Mango for pieces that strike that lovely balance between effortless and considered, clothes that feel easy enough for a hot summer’s day, but polished enough to take you from a long lunch to sundowners, or from the office to dinner with just a change of shoes and a swipe of lipstick.
Our current Mango favourites on Superbalist have a distinctly relaxed, feminine feel, with satin, stripes, linen, soft knits and unexpected pops of colour doing most of the work. Think beautiful dresses that need very little accessorising, relaxed tailoring, playful denim and accessories that make even the simplest outfit feel finished.
The dress that does all the talking
Every summer wardrobe needs a dress that makes an entrance, and the long brown backless satin dress is exactly that kind of piece.
Rich brown is an especially beautiful alternative to the usual summer neutrals. It has warmth and depth, while satin gives the colour an almost liquid quality. The open-back detail brings a touch of sensuality without needing much else — this is a dress where the silhouette really is the accessory.
Wear it with barely-there sandals or delicate heels for dinner, or keep the jewellery minimal and let the back of the dress take centre stage. For a cooler evening, throw a lightweight knit over your shoulders.
The beauty of a dress like this is that it doesn’t need to be complicated. Slip it on, add a great shoe and go.
Stripes, but make them elegant
Stripes are having one of those seasons where they feel anything but predictable. Mango’s striped print slip dress with its draped neckline is a particularly lovely take on the trend.
The long, fluid shape gives it a graceful quality, while the draped neckline keeps it relaxed rather than overly formal. The thin straps and elongated silhouette make it the sort of dress that feels made for warm evenings, holidays and those impossibly long lunches where nobody wants to be the first person to leave.
And because the print is doing the work, styling can remain wonderfully simple. Add a woven or braided bag, delicate earrings and kitten heels and you have a complete look.
The little shoe with a big personality
If there is one shoe trend we are particularly happy to see this summer, it is the kitten heel.
Mango’s thong-style kitten heels bring a slightly unexpected, fashion-forward touch to summer dressing. The beige pair is the quiet luxury option, elegant, versatile and perfect with everything from the satin dress to tailored trousers.
Then there is the lime green pair, which is where things get more fun.
Lime green is exactly the kind of colour that can transform an otherwise simple outfit. Wear it with neutral linen, white denim or chocolate brown, or if you’re feeling adventurous, let it clash beautifully with pink.
The point is that summer fashion doesn’t have to take itself too seriously.
Blouses that make everyday dressing more interesting
The blouse is one of those wardrobe staples that can sometimes feel overlooked, but the right one can completely change the way you approach everyday dressing.
We’re particularly taken with two Mango versions.
First, there’s the animal-inspired zebra-print blouse. It has just enough pattern to make an outfit interesting without requiring a complete rethink of your wardrobe. Wear it with simple trousers, denim or a sleek skirt and allow the print to be the focal point.
Mango’s current collection also has an animal-print top with an asymmetric feel, reinforcing the season’s appetite for graphic, statement-making prints.
Then there’s the striped blouse, which picks up on the same relaxed stripe story as the slip dress. It is the sort of piece that can work just as happily with jeans at the weekend as it can with tailored trousers during the week.
The trick with both is not to over-style them. Let the print have its moment.
A little yellow sunshine
If there is one colour that instantly makes an outfit feel more summery, it is buttery yellow.
Mango’s linen shirt in a soft buttery yellow has that wonderfully easy quality that makes linen such a perennial warm-weather favourite. It feels fresh without being too sweet, and the muted yellow works beautifully with cream, white, denim, chocolate brown and even pink.
Wear it buttoned with the striped trousers, loosely tucked into the pink balloon jeans, or open over a simple camisole or swimsuit.
Linen is also one of those fabrics that looks better when it looks lived in. A few natural creases only add to the relaxed appeal.
The bag you’ll carry everywhere
Summer calls for a bag that feels a little less structured and a little more relaxed, and the braided shoulder bag fits perfectly into that mood.
Texture is one of the easiest ways to make a simple outfit feel more considered. A woven or braided bag adds interest to a monochrome look, works beautifully with linen and feels naturally at home with summer dresses.
Mango’s current accessories offering includes braided bag styles, including a braided tote and shoulder-bag options. Mango Braided tote bag
With the brown satin dress, it softens the glamour. With the striped dress, it reinforces the laid-back summer feeling. And with denim and a blouse, it gives the whole outfit that effortless finishing touch.
Shells are back — and they’re fun
No summer edit would be complete without a little jewellery.
This season, we’re embracing shell earrings, not necessarily in the overtly beachy way we might once have associated with them, but as playful little accents that bring a sense of holiday spirit to everyday outfits.
They look particularly good with pulled-back hair, bare shoulders and simple dresses. Wear them with the satin dress for something more glamorous, or with the linen shirt and balloon jeans for a more relaxed weekend look.
Sometimes an accessory doesn’t need to be precious or complicated. It simply needs to make you smile.
The short-sleeved knit we didn’t know we needed
Summer evenings are not always warm, and air conditioning has a way of making a lightweight layer surprisingly useful.
Enter the light beige short-sleeved knit sweater.
This is the kind of understated piece that earns its place in a wardrobe because it works with almost everything. The soft beige tone is endlessly wearable, while the short sleeves make it feel lighter and more seasonal than a traditional sweater.
Try it tucked into the striped trousers, worn with the pink jeans or draped casually over the shoulders of the slip dress.
It is simple, but that’s precisely the point.
Stripes, trousers and a little bit of fun
We’re also loving the idea of straight striped trousers for summer.
There is something effortlessly chic about a good striped trouser. It gives you the visual interest of a print while retaining the ease of a neutral.
And then… pink denim
Because summer is also about having a little fun.
The pink balloon-style jeans are perhaps the most playful piece in our edit. With their rounded, relaxed silhouette and pretty pink colour, they are anything but conventional and that’s exactly why we love them.
Keep everything else simple: a white or beige tee, the buttery yellow linen shirt, or even the zebra-print blouse if you’re feeling bold.
And don’t be afraid to add the lime-green kitten heels.
In fact, we’d encourage it.
The summer formula
What makes this Mango edit work is that the pieces don’t exist in isolation. They can all move around the wardrobe and create entirely different looks.
The brown satin dress is your evening statement. The striped slip dress is your effortless day-to-night option. The buttery yellow linen shirt brings softness and colour, while the zebra-print and striped blouses give everyday dressing a little more personality.
The striped trousers provide an elegant alternative to denim, while the pink balloon jeans are there for the days when you want your outfit to have a sense of humour.
Then come the finishing touches: the braided shoulder bag, shell earrings and those irresistible kitten heels, particularly the lime green pair.
It feels like a very Mango summer, polished but not precious, feminine without being overly sweet, and with just enough colour and print to keep things interesting.
And perhaps that’s the best thing about summer dressing: there are no rules quite as important as wearing something that makes you feel good.
Selected Mango pieces referenced in this edit are available through Superbalist and Mango South Africa, subject to current stock and size availability.
