Summer Staples

Houston fashion expert spotlights top fashion trends for summer 2025

The RealReal's head of fashion dishes on the top trends for summer style.

Photo courtesy of Inclan Studio/Facebook

Summer may still be over a month away, but Houstonians already feel a seasonal shift in both temperatures and new styles. Layered sweatshirts and cute booties are being tucked away and replaced by lightweight fabrics, sandals, and a softer, breezier color palette.

One of the Houston stores staying on trend for warmer weather is The RealReal, a marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods. The brand quietly opened its first Houston location in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development late last year, and Noelle Sciacca, head of fashion at The RealReal, offers a peek into the top trends to watch. Sciacca has a unique perspective of what's heating up in fashion because she has insider access to what customers are searching for and actually buying.

Although it is always nice to add a couple of new pieces to our wardrobes each season, Sciacca also firmly believes in maintaining personal style.

"In the age of TikTok, the rapid turnover of trends can feel overwhelming. While it's exciting to anticipate what's new and next, I'm a strong believer in the power of personal style — and the value of re-wearing pieces that make you feel confident, regardless of current trends."

CultureMap (CM): What are the top three trends you're seeing emerge for Summer 2025?

Noelle Sciacca (NS): The modern bohemian aesthetic experienced a major resurgence last year — and all signs indicate that the trend is here to stay for Summer 2025. Key pieces that channel vintage inspiration while feeling fresh and current include the peasant blouse, which has seen a 78 percent year-over-year increase in searches on The RealReal. Tassel and fringe details are also making a strong comeback, with searches up 69 percent, while leather cord necklaces — evocative of laid-back '70s style — have surged by an impressive 193 percent since last year.

Inclan Studio peasant blouse Houston-based Inclán Studio offers several types of peasant blouses and summer styles.Photo courtesy of Inclán Studio.

CM: We've noticed shorts are getting a bit longer this season. What silhouettes or styles are you seeing trending in that space?

NS: While micro-mini shorts have made frequent appearances on runways in recent seasons, they're often less practical for everyday wear. In response, we're seeing a growing interest in longer, tailored shorts that transition seamlessly into office settings and wider, knee-length denim styles that offer comfort and ease for running errands. These more versatile silhouettes strike a balance between trend and functionality, making them a smart addition to any summer wardrobe.

SloanHall jorts Find longer short silhouettes, including this style from Lutz Huelle, at Autry Park's Sloan/Hall. Photo courtesy of Sloan/Hall/Instagram

CM: Layered looks dominated the runways this season, even for summer. How can people embrace the trend while staying cool and comfortable in a city like Houston, where the heat can be intense?

NS: This summer, whether staying in Houston or escaping to a tropical destination, layering remains practical and effortlessly stylish. The key to staying cool — both in temperature and appearance — is choosing loose-fitting silhouettes crafted from lightweight fabrics. Embrace the modern bohemian trend, which continues to dominate both runway collections and street style, by pairing sheer peasant blouses with minimalist bra tops and low-slung wide-leg pants. Layer delicate lace-cropped jackets over flowing maxi dresses for an elevated touch.

Christy Lynn sheer blouse with denim Houston designer Christy Lynn offers several barely there silk tops and a new denim line perfect for warm weather.Photo courtesy of Christy Lynn

CM: Is there an "It bag" for Summer 2025?

NS: Originally released in 2005, the Chloé Paddington quickly achieved It-Bag status, frequently spotted on the arms of early-2000s style icons such as Paris and Nicky Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, and Sienna Miller. Recently reintroduced on the brand's Spring/Summer 2025 runway, the Paddington has sparked a renewed surge in demand. Miu Miu has emerged as a powerhouse in the handbag space, producing styles that have quickly developed cult followings. On The RealReal, sales of Miu Miu bags have increased by 60 percent year over year, with searches for the Arcadie style alone soaring by 365%.

MiuMiu Arcadie bag One of Miu Miu's most iconic styles, the Arcadie, is available at Saks Fifth Avenue in The Galleria.Photo courtesy of Miu Miu.

smell ya later

5 Houston boutiques for sourcing niche perfumes for scent lovers

Courtesy of Baroque & Bloom

From rare finds to centuries-old perfume houses, Houston’s niche fragrance shops offer scents as distinctive as the people who wear them.

Like a signature style or favorite piece of jewelry, a distinctive perfume can be instantly recognizable and linked to the person wearing it. For those who don't want to smell like the same designer fragrances found in malls across the country, Houston offers several options for something more personal and unexpected.

These boutiques aren't places to grab a bottle and go. They turn fragrance shopping into an entire experience. From trying perfumes that can't be found anywhere else in the city to wearing a scent from centuries-old perfume houses or creating a one-of-a-kind blend, here are the best places to find niche perfumes in Houston.

Baroque & Bloom
With over 1,500 niche fragrances in its Post Oak boutique, Baroque & Bloom by Scent Split offers one of the country's largest specialty fragrance retail collections in a physical store. Shoppers can expect to find exclusive and rare fragrances available only in Houston because of the boutique's relationships with perfume houses worldwide. Ahead of holiday shopping, look for the latest drops from brands including Sikelia and Sasva, both U.S. exclusives at Baroque & Bloom.

House of Creed
This European perfume house has been making fragrances and serving royalty since the 1700s. It is one of the few places in Houston where perfumistas can find all-natural scents made with iris, one of the world's most expensive ingredients. To extract the most refined scent from the plant, Creed ages the iris roots, which it sources from Tuscany and France, for up to eight years. Across its lineup of exclusive fragrances, which each take months to produce, six contain iris, including Millésime Impérial, Queen of Silk, Green Irish Tweed, Fleurissimo, and Iris Debonair, the brand’s latest release.

Krigler
This century-old perfume house began with a scent created for Albert Krigler's soon-to-be bride as an engagement gift in the 1800s and has since turned into a coveted brand with only 15 boutiques worldwide. Its fragrances have been worn by everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio and Jacqueline Onassis to Ernest Hemingway. Houstonians can find the cozy Krigler boutique inside the Four Seasons Hotel, where if an off-the-shelf bottle won't do, a custom scent can be created for a starting price of $50,000.

Kuhl Linscomb
Housed within one of its five interconnected bungalows in Upper Kirby, Kuhl Linscomb offers a variety of hard-to-find fragrances. Customers can shop for brands including Lubin, one of the oldest French perfume houses dating back to 1798; Fiele, a small botanical-focused fragrance house; and Fischerund, so obscure that finding a bottle in the wild is the ultimate discovery.

Le Labo
Santal 33 may have put Le Labo on the mainstream map, but the "slow perfumery" that focuses on small-batch fragrances and minimalism has plenty of scents that deserve a cult following of their own. The Le Labo Montrose boutique is the place to try out Another 13, The Matcha 26, and The Noir 29. Every year, the brand also releases a new addition to its City Exclusives collection, available in the city that inspired it, which creates a frenzy among fragrance devotees. For those willing to cash in their airline miles, the latest drop is Shiu 25, available only in Beijing.

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