I’m Confident That These 5 Anti-Denim Trends Will Quietly Replace My Jeans This Summer

After more than eight years of living in New York City, I’ve learned that warm weather here doesn’t ease in—it fakes you out. There’s a brief stretch of “fake spring,” with a few teasing days of spring temperatures, and then suddenly, it’s full-blown summer—no transition, no adjustment period, just heat and humidity hitting all at once.

For years, I made the same mistake: investing in a spring wardrobe I barely had time to wear instead of preparing for NYC’s long summer. But in 2026, I’m changing that. I’m building my summer wardrobe now—and it starts with rethinking my bottoms.