Hot days call for smarter fabric choices. Here's your guide to the silhouettes that actually keep you cool and looking good doing it.
Summer dressing has one real job: keep you comfortable without sacrificing an ounce of style. And if there's one thing we've learned after years of making fair trade clothing, it's that the fabric does most of the heavy lifting.
Synthetic fabrics trap heat. Linen and cotton breathe. It's that simple and that important when the temperature climbs and you're living your actual life, not just standing still in an air-conditioned studio.
This summer, we're spotlighting the tops that make the most of our natural fiber fabrics and are go-to's with shorts, skirts and loose fit summer pants. From breezy tanks to the camp shirt that's been quietly having a moment (again), here's how to build a summer top wardrobe that feels as good as it looks.
Why Natural Fibers? A Quick Case for Cotton and Linen
Before we get into the good stuff, let's talk fabric — because it's the foundation of every great summer top.
Cotton is naturally breathable, softens with every wash, and holds color beautifully. Our organic cotton is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, which is better for the farmers who grow it, the artisans who work with it, and the people who wear it.
Linen is made from flax fibers and is one of the oldest textiles in the world. It's highly absorbent, dries quickly, and gets softer and more relaxed with wear. Yes, it wrinkles — and honestly, that's part of the charm. A little linen rumple signals I am unbothered and intentional, which is exactly the summer vibe.
Linen-cotton blends give you the best of both: linen's breathability with cotton's softness and drape. Our blue stripe linen-cotton blend has become one of our most beloved fabrics for exactly this reason.
The Camp Shirt: The One Top to Rule Summer
If there's a single silhouette having a full-on moment right now, it's the camp shirt. Short sleeves, button-front, notched collar, boxy fit — it's relaxed without being sloppy, graphic without being loud, and it pairs with literally everything.
Our Camp Shirt comes in cotton twill that gives it just enough structure while still feeling light and easy. The Sunny Floral version has a retro graphic print that works with cutoffs or a chic skirt. The Navy Floral leans botanical and bold. The Teal Floral is for the person who wants a statement without screaming it.
How to wear it: Button it up over a linen tank and and our blue polka dot summer shorts for an easy pulled-together look. Or wear it open over a swimsuit on the way to the beach. It genuinely does both.
XS–3X including plus sizes, available in select styles.
The Perfect Cotton Tank: Your Summer Anchor
Every great summer wardrobe needs a reliable tank — one that works underneath a camp shirt, tucked into a linen skirt, or worn solo with your favorite jeans. The Neko Tank and Sadie Tank in 100% cotton and fun prints is exactly that piece.
Clean lines, adjustable straps, and that easy flared fit that skims rather than clings. It's the kind of top you reach for first when you don't know what to wear, and suddenly you have an outfit.
The cotton tank with a scoop neckline and subtle high-low hem is another favorite — cut in a teal linen cotton blend that looks polished in a way that takes zero effort.
How to wear it: Tuck into a midi skirt for weekend market runs, or layer under an open Benji button-front for evenings when the temperature drops just enough to need one more layer.
The Oversized Button-Down: The Effortless Layer
There's a reason the oversized button-down never goes out of style — it's because it never really needs to. The Mae Oversized Button-Down Top in our blue stripe linen-cotton is the kind of piece that earns permanent closet real estate.
Hip-length and generously cut, it's equally at home layered open over a tank or worn on its own with wide-leg trousers. The thin blue stripe gives it a polished finish that makes it feel intentional rather than thrown on — even when it very much was thrown on.
How to wear it: Open over the Neko Tank and Emmy Pant in Cerulean for a tonal summer set. Or belted loosely over a linen skirt when you want something a little more defined.
The Wrap Top: A Silhouette That Always Works
Wrap tops have been a staple for good reason — the adjustable tie means a custom fit, and the open V-neckline keeps things cool while feeling a little elevated. The Wren Wrap Top in blue stripe linen-cotton is our newest take on the style, with a slightly cropped silhouette and careful fit refinement that makes it feel fresh rather than classic-for-classic's-sake.
Available also in a bold black and white floral in a linen/viscose blend — the kind of print that looks like you tried harder than you did.
How to wear it: With high-waisted linen pants and sandals for a warm-weather dinner.
Dolman & Kaftan Tops: Easy, Relaxed, Still Intentional
Some silhouettes just understand summer. The dolman sleeve and the kaftan both work on the same principle: generous, flowing shapes that let air move, never cling, and somehow manage to look more considered than anything tight ever could.
Our Riley V-Neck Dolman Top comes in hand screen-printed cotton in Emerald and French Lilac. The vintage dolman sleeves drop wide from the shoulder for that breezy, forgiving fit, while the slightly cropped length and v-neckline keep it from reading as oversized. It's easy to style without trying too hard — and it goes up to size 3X.
How to wear it: Over high-rise denim for a casual summer day, or tucked loosely into wide-leg linen trousers for something a little more deliberate.
Then there's the Darcey Kaftan Top which is exactly the top that makes every ordinary day feel like it might take you somewhere interesting. A hip-length kaftan silhouette in silky viscose dobby, hand-printed with a tiger motif by our partner Aavaran (the same Udaipur-based producer known for their indigo dyeing and zero-waste ethos).
How to wear it: Over white linen pants for a vacation-ready look, or with denim when you want the top to do all the work. It genuinely does.
Sleeveless Styles: No Sleeves, No Problem
Sleeveless tops are must-have of any summer wardrobe and they're not all created equal. Here are three that go well beyond "basic."
The Chloe Top in Black Textured Check is the sleeveless top for people who think black is boring until they see the right black. Lightweight and lined, with a fine textured check weave, a button-front, and a waist-to-hip length that hits in just the right place. It reads polished in a way that most sleeveless tops don't — pair it with the blue stripe linen pants for an effortlessly coordinated summer work look, or with denim when you want something a little more casual.
The Ruched Top in Pear Waves Jersey is a different kind of sleeveless entirely. Slightly cropped, with ruching along the sides that adds shape while the jersey gives it stretch — this is the top that makes a simple pair of jeans feel like a real outfit. The Pear Waves print is light, fun, and unexpectedly happy in the best possible way. Available XS–3X.
How to wear it: With the Isla skirt for a head-to-toe print moment, or tucked into high-rise denim with sandals for an easy everyday look.
And finally, the Millie Muscle Tee in Fern Beats Blue — the organic cotton jersey tank that earns its keep all summer long. 95% organic cotton with just enough spandex (5%) to give it stretch without losing shape. Wide shoulder straps, a crew neck, a curved hem, and a bold Fern Beats Blue print that's bold enough to wear alone and easy enough to layer under everything else. Wear it tucked, tied, or untucked — it works all three ways.
How to wear it: Under the open Mae button-down for an easy layered look, or on its own with a linen midi skirt when the heat won't let you add another layer.
The Care Conversation (Because These Tops Are Worth Taking Care Of)
Natural fibers reward a little attention. Our woven cottons and linen blends are hand-printed, sometimes indigo-dyed, sometimes hand-embroidered — which means they're made with care, and they deserve the same in return.
Our official recommendation: Hand wash in cool water. Line or flat dry. Steam or iron when needed (and skip the dryer entirely). The more handmade detail, the more we'd urge the hand wash approach.
For organic cotton jersey knits: Machine wash cold on a delicate cycle with gentle detergent. Same deal — no dryer.
A little care goes a long way. These are clothes that are meant to last, not to be replaced every season.
Shop the Summer Top Collection
The full tops collection — tanks, camp shirts, button-downs, wrap tops, dolman styles, and more — is available now at matatraders.com/collections/tops.
Every piece is fair trade, made by our longstanding artisan partners, and designed to be worn on repeat from June through September (and honestly beyond).
Because the best summer top isn't the trendiest one. It's the one you're still reaching for in August.
Looking for the perfect summer bottom to pair with any of these? Shop our linen pants, linen skirts, and shorts — all made from the same natural fibers you can feel good about.