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For your casual wardrobe, try to avoid the traditional "khaki" color, which can look, what I call, a little too suburban. Instead, opt for gray (light or dark), blue (a bright blue is great), dark jeans and navy.
For dress trousers and suits, stick with a medium to dark gray and navy. A black suit will never go out of style, but a blue suit is a bit more modern and looks fabulous with white, red, yellow, orange, lavender... you name it, you can wear it with navy!
Shorts are not my friend. Finding shorts that are comfortable, flattering and don't make you look dumpy can be hard, but here are a few other tips to keep in mind for your summer wardrobe.
WOMEN
* Metallic Bag and or Sandals - Metallics are ideal because they go with all of the neutrals (black, brown, navy, tan, white, off-white), but they also work great with prints. If you have a printed skirt or dress, just pair it with a metallic heel or sandal!
A metallic bag means you'll never have to change your handbag when transitioning to fall. This makes life so much easier. It also means you'll never have to fear being too matchy, matchy (which can happen if you're wearing a orange dress and you have an orange bag!).
* "Stylized" White T-Shirt - What I mean by "stylized" is something more than just a v or crewneck t-shirt. A white tee that has rusching (gathering) at the sides, one with a fun sleeve, or one with an interesting hemline, will be your go-to for summer. Summer outfits are usually very simple so the few pieces that we do have should be fabulous!
MEN
* Colored Shorts - Just like women, colored shorts are an easy way to make simple, neutral tees (or polos) pop! Every man has a white, gray or navy polo, which would look great with a pair of colored shorts. You don't have to pick something wild or super preppy, but try tangerine, red, yellow or light purple.
* Belt NOT Matching Your Shoes - Ideally, a man's belt should be in the same color family as his shoes (brown shoes, brown belt), but the summer is when we can bend that rule.
Most men opt for a brown belt for the summer, but belts can change the vibe and feel of an outfit in an instant. I recommend a woven canvas belt for the summer. Opt for one in a fun color, which will make plain t-shirts, polos and khakis really pop! (Here's an example of a canvas belt from another blog post.)
If you're not sure about the mismatch idea, then opt for a softer and more casual color like gray. There are lots of gray gym shoes and gray belts, which look smashing with shorts, tees, polos and yes, even sport coats!
* Rubber Flip Flops - A flip flop is fine, but rubber ones need to stay at the beach and pool.
The shoe always, always, always, set the tone of an outfit and nothing makes you look more like a college kid (and fashion-newbie) than rubber flip flops. Personally, I don't want to run into my financial advisor, hair stylist or whoever wearing rubber flip flops on the city streets!
If you're looking for a new pair for the beach, then check out Ecoalf, which pays fisherman to pick up garbage in the ocean. Ecoalf then reuses the plastic, rubber and nylon to make very stylish bags, puffy coats, gym shoes, and yes, flip flops! Affordable, stylish and sustainable - now that's a win-win :)
Summer fashion can be tricky, but the key is to stay cool by keeping the clothes to a minimum, but to up the "style factor" of each piece -- colored canvas belt for men, a stylized t-shirt for women or colored shorts for either gender.
What's your summer fashion go-to? How do you keep cool in the heat? I'd love to hear your style questions and comments!
Few things have changed as much in men's fashion like wearing brown shoes... with everything.
I picked up a GQ Style Manual a few years ago that had a great quote from designer Domenico Vacca about wearing brown shoes (and nobody does men's fashion better than the Italians).
“Many Americans have this idea that if you put on a dress shoe, it has to be black. But Italians - and I myself, especially - very rarely wear black shoes, except for very formal occasions like weddings and funerals. I’m almost always in brown shoes, because they just work with everything.”
A quick modern update (that any man can do), is to opt for brown shoes.
What shade of brown?
My favorite is anything in a carmel-like color (exactly like the brogues in the picture shown above). A lace-up shoe is dressy and can "up" your casual look, while slip-ons and loafers are best in very casual settings.
Yes, men don't wear as many pinstripe suits or blue shirts with the white collar and cuffs (unless you want to look like Gordon Gekko), but the brown shoe is here to stay. It's versatile, timeless, and it makes getting dressed sooo easy.
Pssst - If you really want to push the fashion envelope, then try wearing brown shoes with black as well. Again, what color? The lighter the better so we can see (and appreciate!) the juxtaposition.
Do you wear brown shoes with navy and gray? What's your go-to pair of shoes? Let me know your favorites in the comment section below!
