by DANNY KING & KENNY KING
Summer is often the time where people are forced to dress more casually because of the blazing temperatures – which can be a dilemma for style-conscious guys. We love the fall and winter months because, in layering our clothes, we’re able to showcase our style and put fantastic combinations together. Spring is good, too, because it’s still cool enough to wear layers (at least the breeze usually is) and bright, new colors can be showcased. Summer can sometimes be difficult, though, because we don’t want to necessarily dress more casually than other seasons, but the weather makes it near impossible to dress in a more formal manner. As much as we hate to admit it, the functionality of our clothing, in the summertime, can often dictate whether or not we dress stylishly.
Sure, there will be times where you’re headed up north, it’s 100+ degrees outside and 90% humidity in the air, and you’ve become the designated car packer. Go ahead and wear those shorts and your favorite high school T-shirt. More often, though, it’s in the 80s or 90s (yeah, and 90% humidity), and you’re at work. You’re at work and you don’t want to wear a suit. We get it. It’s hot outside and you don’t want to feel stuffy, but you don’t want to look like you just hopped off your surf board, either. We’re here to help.
Go Sockless. Dress this look up with wingtips or monk-straps or dress it down with a more casual canvas or boat shoe. Either way, the sockless look isn’t just a fashion statement; it’s also totally functional. Heavy socks often trap in heat and make you feel warmer than you need to be. Scared of the sweat factor? A little baby powder first thing in the morning (in the shoe, or on your feet) can go a long way.
Get your collar checked. Many times when a guy feels restricted with his shirt collar buttoned, his tie isn’t to blame—he’s wearing the wrong size collar. Make sure you can get one finger in between your shirt and neck comfortably. If your collar fits you this way you’ll, often times, forget about your tie (if you’re wearing one) and you’ll stay much cooler. There’s also nothing wrong with losing the tie, occasionally. If you’re going tie-less with a jacket, we recommend making sure just the top button of your shirt is unbuttoned. It looks cleaner and more put together than two undone (don’t undo three, just don’t). Plus, your collar will look a lot better with your jacket as well. If you’re wearing a full suit, we think you should be wearing a tie as well. Some would disagree, but we’re allowed to have style opinions, right? The tie-less look should be reserved for piecing out your suit (read on).
Embrace piecing. When we say, “piecing” we’re talking about taking pieces of your suits and wearing them with different items of your wardrobe. Some of our favorite ways to piece out in the summer are with lightweight, colorful chinos or trousers, light cardigan sweaters, or simply by making sure the suit combination looks put-together even without the jacket. There’s no rule against wearing a full suit in the summer, but as we previously mentioned, many guys stay away from this for the heat’s sake. You will be able to stay cool when it’s not outside, and make your suits much more versatile in the way you wear them – which makes you cool in the “thumbs up” sort of way.
Wear lightweight, breathable fabrics. This sounds obvious, but it can be easily overlooked. In purchasing clothing, stay away from real heavy wools in suits and trousers, and heavy cotton dress shirts. What’s great in the winter doesn’t always translate into the warmer months. There’s nothing wrong with having fall/winter (tweed, heavier wool) suits, and spring/summer (cotton, lighter wool) ones, specifically. To get the most bang for your buck, though, you’ll want to find a balance in the weight of the wool. A clothier or a knowledgeable men’s store employee will be helpful with this. With shirts, you’ll be able to tell almost immediately. If it feels heavy, it probably is and won’t breathe well. That being said, lighter weight shirts wrinkle more easily so make sure you’re ironing accordingly.
In the summer months, function doesn’t always need to trump style or fashion. In fact, summer is one of the most fun seasons in which to dress. With all of the great colors and wardrobe options available, it’d be a shame to waste three months of the year sitting on a patio wearing board shorts and a bro-tank. There’s a time and a place for everything and dressing well in the summertime is not an exception.
DANNY KING and KENNY KING are owners of King Brothers Clothiers.
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