Blog
Try This Easy Marissa Cooper-Coded Outfit for Summer
- As Y2K style continues to trend, we’re turning to The O.C.‘s Marissa Cooper for our outfit inspiration.
- The cutest Coop-coded look is an easy one to formulate—you just need a denim mini skirt, tee, and ballet flats.
While I generally appreciate Summer Roberts’ tastes more than Marissa Cooper’s (hiiiii cutie Seth Cohen), there’s something to be said for the blonde’s ability to throw together a California cool outfit.
With her Chanel tote slung over her shoulder, The O.C.‘s OG female protagonist could turn any simple T-shirt and miniskirt combo into a look. Today, as Y2K style rages, It Girls far and wide are taking her styling advice to heart, stepping out one after another with perfect outfits they complete via a denim micro mini, basic tee, and ballet flat.
Ahead, discover everything there is to know about summer 2025’s favorite Marissa Cooper-coded outfit formula—plus some of our favorite picks to help you build a similar look.
@annelauremais/Instagram
The Formula
As our embrace of all things Y2K fashion and beauty continues (we’re back in a place of body glitter now), it’s no surprise that some of our favorite trends are combining in spectacular ways. It really clicked when we saw Bella Hadid show off her red mesh flats, raw hemmed mini, and white tee on a recent yacht outing: California, here we are.
@kirasutherland/Instagram
The graphic tee and ballet flat have already engrained themselves back into our closets. Now, we’re seeing a return of the denim skirt, shorter than ever albeit a little less low-waisted. While the tops obviously don’t have to be tees and the skirt doesn’t have to be denim to make this look work, if you’re really looking to match that early aughts SoCal energy… they should be.
@bellahadid/Instagram
And the flats? The flats are a must.
@_imanirandolph/Instagram
Marissa Cooper’s Style
Back in 2023, The O.C.‘s costume designer Alexandra Welker chatted with British Vogue about the show’s era-defining style.
“The big thing we did on The O.C., which 20 years ago was really novel, is what people now call ‘high-low shopping,’ we’d mix a designer bag with flip flops from Target,” she explained. “That was both a way to make my television budget work and was how I was dressing at the time. I had a particular soft spot for Marc Jacobs and Chanel. We mixed that with a ton of vintage: pieces from mall stores like PacSun, Guess, and Bebe.”
She also noted that Mischa Barton was often dressed in pointy flats because she’s tall; the shape helped with camera framing. Now that we have 0.5 zoom cameras on our phones, this isn’t an issue at all—you can go pointy, rounded, strap or no strap and still capture your outfit perfectly via mirror selfie.
The Best Ballet Flats and Denim Mini Skirts to Shop
Keep scrolling for some of our favorite denim minis and ballet flats to round out all of your Marissa Cooper-inspired outfits this summer. I’m assuming you already have some favorite tees to pair with them, and if not? Maybe a cute boy will move in next door and you can borrow one.
