How to Style Flip-Flops? Let Us Count the Ways
They work for almost any context if you style them right
Reported by Harper's Bazaar.
Summer sandal season has a new frontrunner, and it's not the fisherman sandal or the espadrille — it's the flip-flop. Specifically, the lean, '90s-inflected thong sandal that has quietly migrated from poolside afterthought to legitimate warm-weather wardrobe anchor. According to Harper's Bazaar, the style is now as appropriate for an elegant city dinner as it is for a beach vacation, and the styling possibilities are wider than most people are giving them credit for.
The case for a classic black pair is strong — Ancient Greek Sandals and The Row make some of the most-wanted versions right now — but color is equally in play. Butter yellow, cherry red, and bright green flip-flops function as the easiest color injection a summer wardrobe can get, no outfit overhaul required. Add croc-embossed or jelly variations into the mix and suddenly there's real texture and dimension happening at the shoe level.
The Formula That Actually Works
The most compelling flip-flop outfits share one quality: intentional contrast. Tailored separates — a crisp button-down, structured trousers — read sharper, not sloppier, against a slim thong sandal. A white shirt and straight-leg denim get a genuinely cool update when flip-flops replace the predictable sneaker or mule. Even a floral-print skirt that might tip formal gets instantly recalibrated when grounded with a ribbed tank and flat sandals. The logic holds across categories: polos and long shorts with a canvas tote, a matching crochet set in deep green, a gingham capri look with a delicate headscarf. The sandal doesn't compete — it resolves.
For those already deep in vacation-packing mode, the formula is simple: linen trousers, a white bikini, a nautical necklace, and colorful jelly flip-flops that lean fully into the fun rather than apologizing for it. Summer dressing at its most effortless rarely needs more than that. A Dôen dress in bright blue with cream flip-flops and a raffia bag is essentially the platonic ideal of the category — statement piece, neutral shoe, tactile accessory. Done.
The flip-flop's return isn't nostalgia for nostalgia's sake — it's a practical correction to years of over-complicated summer footwear, and the best outfits prove it can hold its own in almost any context.
Read the original at Harper's Bazaar.
