Summer Statement
Tired of wearing the same summer uniform week after week? Here are four easy ways to punch up your style while beating the heat through the dog days of summer.
Summertime can be a sartorial conundrum. While fall and winter allow for thoughtful layering with with rich textures of tweed, waxed cotton, and wool, the warmer months call for single layers of lighter weight fabrics, which can get boring really fast. While we certainly believe that well cut summer essentials in classic colors hold their own (like cotton trousers, shorts, and polos), sometimes you just want to take it up a notch. When that’s the case, a colorful, trendy, and/or unique piece can breathe life into the monotony.
Here are a few suggestions for revitalizing your summer swagger.
Colorful Kicks
There are plenty of brands making comfortable and stylish shoes with brightly colored soles (many which include a selection of uniquely colored laces as well). If you haven’t gotten around to picking up a pair, now is the time. Cole Haan’s LunarGrand Long Wingtips are a perfect option. Offered in numerous colorways, the LunarGrands offer supreme style and all-day comfort.
Buy: LunarGrand Long Wingtip, by Cole Haan
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Floral Shirt
Solids, chambrays, and plaids are classic shirting fabrics for a reason – they almost always look good. But wearing them every day gets a little predictable. So why not go for a short-sleeved floral shirt?
The first key is to find something that fits trim and close to your body. The second key is what to wear it with. Unless you want to look like you bought your floral shirt from a beachside gift shop in Miami, avoid cargo shorts and flip flops. Rather, pair the shirt with tailored chinos and sneakers.
Buy: Wallflower Trim Fit Short Sleeved Shirt, by 7 Diamonds
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Checked Blazer
The easiest way to dress up a casual look is to throw on a blazer. But you don’t have to be all stodgy by sticking with navy. Think of the warmer months as an opportunity to wear something a little funky. Throw on a checked blazer to add interest to an otherwise basic outfit of light, neutral tones like beige, gray, and white.
Pictured here, this bold, made in USA blazer from Todd Snyder dresses you up with a trim silhouette and a punchy pattern while the neutral tones and fresh white kicks keep things casual and sporty.
Buy: Checked Blazer, from Todd Snyder
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Desert Boots with Shorts
While the goto choice of footwear with shorts is generally a pair of sneakers or boat shoes, we think crepe-sole suede chukkas (often referred to as “desert boots”) are a great choice as well. Popularized in the 1950s by UK shoe company C. & J. Clark (known today as Clarks), these boots were originally commissioned to Cairo cobblers by South African soldiers whose old-military issue boots had failed them out on the desert terrain. If they’re good enough for soldiers in the desert, they’re good enough for your trek down the pier.
Buy: Clarks Original Desert Boot, by Clarks
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