Summer Rosters are Built in the Spring

so get to work girl

Apr 29, 2026

Anyone who has spent any time online has heard about winter arcs and how Summer bodies are made in the Winter. I am ill-equipped to tackle the issue of a Summer body, because despite wanting to believe that all bodies are summer bodies, and I do think that’s true for everyone else, I have joked about eating undercooked chicken to make sure I’m snatched in all of my bikini pics in a couple of months. I have, however, spent a lot of time discussing the art of keeping a roster (#womeninmalefields) since everyone I know is getting out of relationships and situationships and making Summer plans. A good guy, or girl, rotation doesn’t just happen; it takes some orchestration, it’s a delicate balancing act, but women are nothing if not good at multitasking. In the spirit of delayed gratification, put the work in now and reap the benefits throughout the Summer months.

The Great Breakup Wave of 2026

Everyone is breaking up; it’s an epidemic. From celebrities to friends to neighbours and the girl who cried next to me in hot yoga (I hope she had some electrolytes, with the sweat and tears, she was seriously dehydrated by the end of class), everyone is shedding relationship weight in time for hot girl summer. Whether these breakups are happening in the spirit of Spring Cleaning, consideration ahead of Olivia Rodrigo’s new album or the knowledge that heartbreak is better than Ozempic, or just [un]lucky timing, they are rampant, and the single population is skyrocketing. In Brazil, we have a saying, se organisar direitinho, todo mundo transa, which roughly translates to: if we organise the logistics, everyone gets laid. This is the sentiment I’m bringing into the Summer 2026. This is the year of fun, but having fun does take a little bit of work.

Summer Roster Considerations

As you’re building out the roster, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind. Where people sometimes go wrong is looking for the guys with a boat or a holiday home. Remember, he is NOT your boyfriend, you’re not travelling together, he’s not the main event of the Summer, he’s a tasty side dish. If you’ve taken shit from an emotionally unavailable man with a beach house all winter long and told yourself, and the girls, that you were taking one for the team, I hate to break it to you, but you were lying to yourself. Consider logistics, though it might not seem sexy, it will save you from having to spend an hour on the tube or an exorbitant amount on an Uber to see your sneaky link who lives across the city. Spread your roster members across neighbourhoods and industries. The guy who can get you tickets to Wimbledon or to see Lorde at All Points East should be getting prime calendar time. The chef who works antisocial hours is great for freelancers who are available at random hours during the week, and the corporate slave is the backbone of a post-happy-hour Thursday hook-up. It’s a delicate ecosystem, but understanding how all the different moving parts work together will guarantee your roster's success.

Work Hard Play Hard

Now onto the business of actually assembling your Summer dream team. Where are you meeting these people?! Anywhere and everywhere. For everyone moaning about the state of modern dating and how you can’t meet a decent man nowadays, let me tell you, it’s not all bad out here, and he doesn’t have to be that decent. I’m not saying that summertime gives you a free pass to date evidently horrible people, but this isn’t the future father of your children; he’s a shoulder to sit on at a music festival. Feel free to scour the apps, but remember that longer, sunny days make for the perfect setting to meet someone in the wild. Whether you’re emboldened by too many ellie’s martinis or your local pub’s two-for-one Aperol Spritz deal, make eyes at the bartender, flirt with the table next to you, and go to the second location. Meet your friends at happy hour and make rounds at Leadenhall Market, share a cigarette with a stranger at Café Kick, rekindle your friendship with the bouncer at Maggie’s, go to the housewarming, your friend’s choir concert, the salsa class, join the run club (or just the pub after), say yes to everything.

Finally, the Do’s and Don’ts of Rostermaxxing

Do:

Remember your place in the food chain. Chances are, if you have a roster, you’re probably in a roster, and that’s okay! Embrace the Brazilian mantra: se organisar direitinho, todo mundo transa.
Have fun! Dating is meant to be fun, and meeting new people opens your world up to so much! Whether it’s a new wine bar, sport, film, whatever. I believe that new experiences are enriching (and bad dates make for great stories).
Keep the group chat entertained. Trading stories and debriefing with your single friends is half the fun, and I can guarantee that your friends in relationships will be happy to be included, whether they’re living vicariously through you or thanking their lucky stars they got the last chopper out of ‘Nam.
Stay safe. Physically and emotionally. Wrap it up and don’t catch feelings.

Don’t:

Go back to lovers of Summers past. I know it can be tempting to go through your archived chats to try to revive an old fling, but remember it ended for a reason. Keep the good memories and move on.
Make them central characters. Remember, casual flings are great plot devices, but don’t go ditching your friends for a man.
“short-term open to long” — know what you want and stick to your guns.
Date the nice guy, save him for cuffing season when you'll all behave.