How to Dress for Tomato Season

Welcome to (almost) August, the slow, sultry, seductive end of summer. For those of us not governed by the Gregorian calendar, you might know it as “tomato season,” the time of year when Earth’s most luscious and savory fruit achieves ripeness. Just this morning, I plucked seven cherry tomatoes from my garden and tossed them into an egg scramble. Did you feel at peace reading that sentence? I hope so.

Early Girl, Brandy Boy, Beefsteak, Tigerella, Campari, Heirloom, Oxheart; tomato varieties have names that are evocative and vivid, each promising a small culinary vignette in which to indulge. This makes tomato season the perfect inspiration for basically everything, including your sartorial choices.

(Note: halfway through creating this mood board, I learned that “tomato girl summer” is a micro-trend on TikTok. Sigh. But the “tomato girl” aesthetic is too clean, too coastal, and too “quiet luxury” for my liking, so I’m taking it in a different direction. What I’m going to give you is a bit crunchier and more corporeal. I want you to imagine wearing these items and accessories on your sticky sweaty body, cooling off in front of your fan, or eating leftover BBQ chicken hovering above the kitchen sink.)

Dress like a tomato. Dress inspired by a tomato. Dress for a tomato. Here are ways to do it.

It’s important to note that tomato season has a distinct color palette. The colors of late summer are thick, heavy, and hot. I imagine sunburned skin, juicy ripe tomatoes, and coveted shady dark green havens. Everything feels very alive, though not in the zippy ways it does in April. Tomato season is about a slow and syrupy aliveness, and the saturated colors that represent that to me are mustardy and marigold yellows, deep and luscious greens, and carnelian reds.

Now let’s get to the accessories.

A big hat is an obvious choice for late summer, but a necessary one, too. The bigger the brim the better in my opinion. Get one so big people don’t know if you’re taking a little nap in there or not.

Reasonable: This bright red straw hat from San Diego Hat Company. ($79)

Splurge: A dramatically large option from Eric Javits. ($560)

Something about the so-hot-it’s-melted quality of enamel on copper calls to me in late summer. The alloyed textures, shapes, and colors remind me of makeup melting off my face.

Reasonable: Wow! Look at these yellow and red dangly earrings I found on Etsy, like little peppers for your ears! ($42)

Splurge: Mmm, this bracelet reminds me of cherry tomatoes and mozzarella, a perfect combination. ($240)

A key accessory during tomato season is the rattan bag or woven basket or whatever you can use to collect tomatoes. Even if you won’t literally be collecting tomatoes, the idea is to look as if you could at any moment. Imagine a few early girls on the vine poking out of your bag as you march through the city streets.

Reasonable: If my memory serves me correctly, every mom in 1996 had this bag. You can buy it from Walmart! ($31.99)

Splurge: This Bembien rattan tote! ($290)

When you aren’t eating tomatoes this tomato season, dangle them from your ears. Yes. Hang these little fruits from your lobes. It’s delightful. It screams summer and whimsy and all the fanciful things we aren’t supposed to fully indulge in because we are adults who work desk jobs. Boo. Wear tomato earrings.

Reasonable: Cherry tomatoes dipped in resin! ($21.59)

Splurge: These Kate Spade tomato bunches earrings! ($128)

As I’ve said earlier, this is a very alive time of year. Nature is very in your face. The skies open up with rain. The grasses grow tall. You need good ankle-length galoshes to romp through the world.

Reasonable: These are yellow gardening clogs with chickens and hens on them. I repeat these are yellow gardening clogs with chickens and hens on them! ($14.99)

Splurge: These Mackenzie Childs ankle rain boots remind me of a fairy tale, secret garden. ($178)

Lean fully into the haziness of the season with green sunglasses. This is not a time for clarity! It’s a time for skewed perceptions and chasing faraway dreams!!

Reasonable: Yum these Glassy glasses remind me of chic safety wear! ($23)

Splurge: Moscot green sunnies! ($340)

Short nails for the rest of the summer, folks. This is the season to get dirty, lounge in the grass, open pistachios from the shell, and dig through the sand to stake an umbrella. The grime and grit in the thick air won’t allow for long claws.

Reasonable: Any cheap nail polish at the drug store or that you already own and is in your house.

Splurge: Do not buy fancy nail polish or get a manicure during tomato season!

Stripes and florals scream chaotic summer opulence to me. It’s a little bit preppy. A little bit country. And somehow reminds me of an Italian market, specifically the tomato sauce and pasta aisle. It just does!

Reasonable: A mod scarf to fasten around your head and pretend like you’re vacationing on the French Riviera. It’s OK if you’re just at the community pool. ($19)

Splurge: $180 for four napkins? Stupid! But indulgent and splendid at the same time and that sort of tension makes life (and four expensive napkins) worth living!

Indulge, indulge, indulge in prints of your favorite animal. No, not leopard or zebra pattern. I mean I want to see the full beast in its entire grotesque beauty stamped all over whatever you are wearing. You’re an animal wearing animals in this heat.

Reasonable: Dog blouse! Dog blouse! Get your beautiful button-down dog blouse! ($46.98)

Splurge: Mmm, yes a giraffe and zebra scarf to wrap around your head when the nape of your neck gets too hot. Please! ($99)