Light layers

If you feel like all you can wear in the summer is a t-shirt and shorts combination, think again. Take some time to befriend three cooling materials this season.

Universal Works

Bakers Overshirt in ecru

Margaret Howell

Cotton jersey stripe t-shirt (similar)

Jigsaw

Italian Seersucker trousers

Birkenstock

Arizona Birko-Flor Nubuck Stone

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Guys, we cannot just be restricted to the t-shirt and shorts combinations in summer… can we? It can sometimes feel that way which is why I always vouch for winter dressing over summer due to the variety it brings. But by learning more about the properties of certain materials, there’s more than just the dad at the seaside outfit on offer.

Poplin, seersucker and linen will be your best friends in the warmer months. They give you the ability to add more to your ensemble and leave you feeling more put together. I think our European neighbours have learnt this quicker than us, with guys pulling off that sprezzatura flair quicker than you can remember the Italian word for ice cream. Men in Italy are able to pull together all the summer friendly materials and look bloody good doing it.

I mentioned poplin in last week’s blog post and I’m hero-ing it again with this ecru bakers overshirt by Universal Works. The horn buttons against the ecru won me over. Not forgetting how good it looks when crumpled. I think in summer we should embrace the imperfections and stop getting hot under the collar (eh eh) if things aren’t perfect.

Matching new with old, I reintroduced this two-year old shirt from Margaret Howell. Their MHL range is a good way of buying into the brand and it’s still holding up just as well as when I first bought it.

If there’s a pair of trousers I’d happily buy again for the rest of my life it’d be my Jigsaw trousers that I can’t speak more highly of. I’ve harped on about them so much on the blog that I’ll simply leave a link here and that’s that.

People told me that breaking in Birkenstocks would take quite a while, but I’ve honestly had no issue with these (other than the awkward tan lines they bring with them) and have found them more than apt to see me through 10,000 step plus days.

And what would a good summer outfit be without a pair of sunglasses? There is nothing I regret more when I forget my sunglasses as I leave the house. I’ve been keeping these frames from Cutler and Gross close by and inside my tote bag when leaving the house and a pair I’m determined not to sit on anytime soon.

On a contextual note, I took these photos with Brittany in Barcelona and this particular place felt like the inside of an oven, so my apologies for my ‘glow’. Long may this summer weather continue and if you have some more summer menswear knowledge that guys could benefit from, please do let me know.jbicon

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Photography by Brittany Bathgate

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