Confidence and Body Neutrality in the Summer: Why Summer Dressing Can Feel Hard (And How We Can Show Up Anyway)
An honest take on body image, dressing for the heat and learning to feel good in your skin.
BY maia simmons ★ July 13, 2025
Photo Credit: Maia Simmons
Ever open your drawer, pull out a pair of shorts and think, “Yeah… not today”? Same.
Summer is hyped up to be this glowing, carefree, feel-good season — sunshine, pool days, popsicles and the buzz of long-awaited freedom. And yes, there’s so much joy in it. School is out, adventures are in and there’s something healing about catching up with friends you haven’t seen since finals. But while the vibes are high, the temperatures are even higher. And that means fewer layers, more skin — and for many of us, a lot more mental noise.
Where Did My Layers Go?
Fall? Iconic. Trench coats, chunky knits, cozy scarves – layering is practically a love language. Winter? Brutal, sure, but at least we get to bundle up. Spring? A sweet spot for denim jackets and light sweaters. But summer? Summer skips the preamble and dives straight into crop tops, swimsuits and sleeveless everything. Suddenly, getting dressed becomes less about what you want to wear and more about what you feel brave enough to.
The Case for Body Neutrality
Unlike body positivity, which urges you to love your body no matter its shape, body neutrality takes a different path. It invites us to take our bodies off the pedestal entirely. As researcher Paolo Mancin describes in his 2024 study of TikTok’s #bodyneutrality movement, this approach centers on a radical but liberating idea: your body is not a project to be fixed or celebrated. It’s just your body – and that’s enough.
In Mancin’s words, body neutrality is “more realistic, mindful and flexible” than body positivity; it encourages a shift in focus from how our bodies look to what they do. On TikTok, creators are embracing this mindset, normalizing a wider range of body types and pushing back against beauty as a benchmark for value, treating clothing as a tool for self-expression, not a reward for self-love.
That last point resonates in the summertime, because let’s face it: when you’re not feeling your best, bare arms or visible belly rolls might not feel empowering. Body neutrality reminds us that we don’t have to adore every inch of ourselves to get dressed, go outside and feel okay in our own skin.
What if My Brain Isn’t on Board?
Totally valid. Even if you believe in body neutrality, that little voice in your head (you know the one) can still chime in with: “You can’t wear that;” “Everyone’s looking;” “You’ll feel better if you just skip the mirror today.”
Here’s the thing – intrusive thoughts are not your truth. They’re cognitive distortions. According to research from the University of St. Augustine, unhelpful thinking patterns — like all-or-nothing thinking, emotional reasoning or overgeneralizing — can hijack your inner dialogue and make it hard to see yourself clearly.
Take this example: you try on a tank top and don’t love how your arms look. If your brain jumps straight to: “I look gross, I can’t go out like this,” that’s not reality, it’s catastrophizing. And the good news? These patterns aren’t permanent. With awareness and practice, you can retrain your brain to speak to you with more balance, curiosity and kindness.
You Don’t Need to “Fix” Yourself to Wear Shorts
Here’s the truth: just because it’s hot outside doesn’t mean your body confidence automatically heats up to match. And not feeling 100% every time you get dressed? That’s not a flaw. That’s just human nature.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that summer is for bodies that are “ready.” Ready for the beach. Ready for the bikini. Ready to be seen. As if there's a deadline for confidence. A finish line you have to cross before you can "earn" your place in the sun.
But there’s no finish line. There’s no prep checklist. There’s just your body – living, breathing, deserving. Always.
You don’t have to love every inch of yourself to wear what’s comfortable. You don’t need permission. You don’t need to shrink, tone, tan or transform. You just need to exist and dress for the weather like everybody else.
Okay, So What Can We Actually Do?
We can start with this: Be kind to yourself.
1. Wear what feels like you
Not what looks best on Instagram. Not what you think you should be wearing. Some days it’s a crop top and jean cutoffs. Other days, it’s an oversized tee and biker shorts. Both are valid. Both are beautiful. Both are summer.
2. Ease into exposure
Try fabrics that feel breezy but not revealing, like a soft linen button-up or a flowy midi dress. You don’t have to dive into minimal clothing if it doesn’t feel good yet (or ever). You get to choose your pace.
3. Add joy to your outfit
Whether it’s a colorful scrunchie, your favorite sunglasses or those earrings that make you feel like you, small touches can ground you when you’re feeling unsure.
4. Protect your comfort, not your insecurity
Wearing what makes you feel safe is different from hiding out of fear. If a trend doesn’t feel like your vibe, skip it — but, also don’t let self-doubt stop you from trying something that does.
Here’s What I Hope You Remember
Your body is not a problem to be solved. It is not “too much” or “not enough.” It has carried you through exams, stress, joy, heartbreak, growth and every long walk home. It is worthy — today, right now, without conditions.
So the next time it’s hot outside, and you're standing in front of the mirror trying to decide what to wear, ask yourself this: “What would I wear if I wasn’t worried about how I looked, just how I felt?”
You deserve to be comfortable, feel the sun on your shoulders and breathe easy in the heat. You deserve to be seen. You deserve to have a summer that’s not ruled by insecurity but by freedom.
Not confidence in the “I love every inch of myself” way, just confidence in the “I’m showing up anyway” way.
And that? That’s powerful.
Need a Takeaway? Here’s Yours
You don’t have to wait until you feel confident to be confident. Wear the tank. Rock the messy bun. Take the pic. This summer isn’t about changing your body. It’s about realizing that your body never needed to be changed in the first place.
You got this. Really.