Summer Roberts is one of the most adorable characters on television. For four seasons on teen drama The O.C., she is a good friend to Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton), a loving girlfriend to Seth Cohen (Adam Brody), and a stylish California girl who always has the best clothes.
But since this is the early to mid-2000s that we're talking about, there are some outfits of Summer's that are kind of horrifying, along with some things that we wouldn't mind having in our closets today. Let's take a look at this character's best and worst outfits on The O.C.
Best: Summer's Cute Preppy Sweater
One of Summer's best outfits on The O.C. is this really cute preppy sweater. Many of us have seen a similar style before (and probably even worn it), so it's familiar, and sometimes that's a comforting fashion choice.
Although Summer does wear a lot of girly clothing, from fancy dresses to frilly tank tops that she pairs with jeans, she also has her preppy moments, and this is one of her greatest ones. It looks like something that a teen girl should wear since it's not too intense.
Worst: These Tracksuits Are Pretty Bad
The 2000s was the time of The Tracksuit. Whether you spent a lot of money at Juicy or not, you were probably wearing at least some version of these outfits. But that doesn't mean that it was fashionable, of course.
Whenever Summer wore a tracksuit on The O.C., it was a faux pas and she would have been better to choose literally anything else from her (probably massive) closet. The fact that she wore a light yellow or pink, green and white striped tracksuit doesn't help matters, either. These colors aren't flattering. As Jerry says on Seinfeld, sweatpants mean that you've given up, and Summer definitely didn't want to portray that kind of lazy attitude.
Best: Summer's Beautiful Wedding Dress
Fans always knew that Summer Roberts and Seth Cohen were meant to be. It wasn't a question of if they would get married but when. Fans had to wait until the series finale to finally see these two walk down the aisle, but thankfully, they got the happy ending that they deserved. And Summer's gorgeous wedding dress is one of her best outfits on the show.
This is a fairly classic style and could still be worn today, which is the hallmark of a good wedding dress decision. It's just flared enough but doesn't have such a big ballgown-style skirt that Summer gets lost in it.
Worst: Yellow And Red Don't Actually Go Together
Sure, yellow and red might be primary colors, but that doesn't mean that they look good together. In this case, they really don't, and Summer's yellow tank top and red sweatpants are seriously awkward.
There are so many other workout clothes that she could have picked out. Even an all-black outfit would have been better here. She might have found that boring, but the red and yellow are way too much together.
Best: Summer's Strapless Dress
This strapless dress is another one of Summer's best outfits on The O.C. She has the confident personality that is required to pull it off, and it's super flattering. The bow on the back is also really cool.
This dress totally has the vibe of a wedding dress and wouldn't look out of place if Summer was walking down the aisle toward her one true love Seth.... but of course that would have to wait until the final episode of the series.
Worst: These T-Shirts Are Awkward
While there are tons of t-shirt designs out there that are cute or funny or creative, the t-shirts that Summer is wearing in both of these photos don't suit her very well. They seem too young and immature for this character, who usually attempts to dress like she's a much older, sophisticated person.
Summer would look better in a preppy striped polo shirt or maybe some plain black, grey, and white t-shirts that she could pair with nice jeans or some cute patterned skirts.
Best: This Colorful Dress
Okay, at first glance, this colorful dress that Summer wore on The O.C. seems very intense and too bold for most people. That's exactly why it works for her.
This character is brave and goes after what she wants. She speaks her mind and is definitely spunky, and no one else on the show could pull off this courageous dress in quite the same way.
Worst: Say No To White Pants And A Hot Pink Tank Top
It's really hard to believe that Summer Roberts, who is stylish and generally makes great decisions when she's going through her closet and getting ready in the morning, would think that it was a good idea to pair white pants with a hot pink tank top.
But, somehow, she made this style decision, and it's one of the worst outfits that she wears on The O.C. The scarf that she has wrapped around her hair makes it even worse. Maybe the grossed-out expression on her face is because she realized that she made a fashion mistake? (Okay, probably not...)
Best: Summer's Pretty Dress
This is the kind of outfit that Summer Roberts looks best in. It's pretty, elegant, and sophisticated, and it doesn't look like she's trying too hard but like she put in the exact right amount of effort.
Summer looks cute and confident and like she's ready to give someone a piece of her mind, so it's the perfect outfit for her. It also proves that simple is best when putting together an outfit since she only has a purse over one arm and she isn't wearing too many conflicting accessories.
Worst: This Roomy College Sweatshirt Isn't Her Style
Sure, it's a rite of passage to get a huge sweatshirt from the college or university that you're going to attend and wear it basically everywhere. You want to show off to everyone that you got into a great school and your future looks bright.
But Summer Roberts isn't just any old TV character. Nope. She's incredibly fashionable and even when she wears truly bad outfits, fans know that she tried to look good and put some effort in. Well, that can't be said of this roomy grey sweatshirt that she's wearing here. It looks too big for her (and not in a good, cozy way), and it's just not her style.