Summer provides plenty of opportunities for you to look your best. Whether your summer plans include weddings, backyard barbecue’s, or patio bars you want to choose the right outfit for every occasion.
This summer, follow these five fashion tips to look great despite the heat.
Choose Breathable, Synthetic Fabrics
The cotton shirts and sweaters that keep you warm during winter don’t work well for summer fashion. Unfortunately, cotton holds moisture. If you wear a cotton shirt on a hot day, you can expect the material to absorb your sweat within hours.
For summer, you want to choose breathable, synthetic fabrics that wick away moisture to keep you dry and cool.
Southern Scholar Socks are made from our signature blend of materials that includes Viscose Rayon, 32s/1 Polyester, Nylon, and Spandex. The blend gives our socks the perfect amount of stretch and breathability, without absorbing or holding onto moisture from your feet.
When selecting shirts, pants, and other items for your summer outfits, avoid heavy, natural fabrics. You will look better and feel far more comfortable when you choose clothing made from a blend of synthetic materials such as Polyester, Rayon, Nylon, Spandex, and Lycra. There is a reason new menswear brands such as Mizzen + Main are entirely focused on creating better blends of synthetic fibers to keep you cool and comfortable. Speaking of Mizzen + Main, if you haven't added a few of their shirts to your closet, we recommend that you do!
Wear a Lightweight Blazer Made From the Right Fabric
The right blazer can add the finishing touch to a summer outfit. Some men push their blazers to the back of their closets during summer. Many of them will only wear blazers when they know that they will spend all of their time in air conditioning.
We recommend sporting lightweight blazers that are unstructured and unlined and crafted with material blends containing linen, cotton, silk, and even super lightweight wool.
Some of the best summer blazers come from designers like Brooks Brothers, Bonobos, and J. Crew.
When choosing a blazer for summer, look for more vibrant colors within the patterns to help you ad a little pop to your outfit and make you stand out. You don’t have to wear a traditional navy or charcoal jacket. Summer’s casual nature gives you a chance to wear patterns such as glen plaid, gingham, and madras as well as simple textures. Aim for lighter greys, blues, and reds within your jacket and it's pattern.
Button-Down Shirts for the Summer Season
Just the idea of wearing a button-down shirt during the summer season can make some men start to sweat. When you button a shirt up to your neck, you don’t leave much room for the airflow that you need to stay cool on hot days.
You can stay comfortable by following a few tips.
First, choose colors that reflect heat. Wear lighter colored shirts rather than dark colors that will absorb the sun’s heat.
Second, we recommend going without a tie whenever possible and adding a pocket square to your blazer to keep your look classy and professional
Finally, choose a shirt made from synthetic fiber blends designed for performance. As mentioned above, some of our favorite performance dress shirts come from Mizzen + Main, Twillory, and State & Liberty. Most of the shirts from these companies have proprietary fabric blends that wick moisture away from your body, resist wrinkling, and stretch with your movements to keep you comfortable on a hot day.
If you’re disappointed in most of the dress shirts that you find in stores, visit these companies for better alternatives.
Get a Summer Haircut That Doesn’t Need Much Maintenance
If you spent a lot of time getting your hair to the length you like, we don’t insist defaulting to a basic buzz or crew cut. However, you can consider taking a bit off of the sides and getting your hair trimmed more often to keep it lighter and thinner on top to look sharp while staying cool this summer.
You can always turn to your favorite celebrities for hairstyle inspiration.
Brad Pitt, for example, looks awesome with short but messy tousled hair. As long as you wear a nice outfit and have plenty of confidence, you can get away with a bit of shaggy style. Don’t forget some product to hold it in place throughout the day, though!
Justin Timberlake takes a more styled approach with a low fade and side part. This cut keeps hair off of your neck, so you can enjoy every summer breeze while letting you keep plenty of hair on top of your head.
You can find plenty of summer cut ideas from sites like GQ, Man of Himself, and Esquire.
Add Color Without Adding Weight
You don’t want to wear drab outfits during summer. Then again, you don’t want to wear unnecessary clothes that can add weight and layers to your outfit.
Instead, add color to your outfits without adding weight.
Easy ways to accomplish this include:
- Pocket squares that lend a hint of color to your shirt or jacket.
- Fabric belts.
- Watches with lighter color bands
- Vibrant socks that bring your shoes and pants to life.
A touch of color can dramatically alter your outfit. Experiment with different colors and patterns to find a look that you love.
If you ever have questions about choosing the right socks for your summer outfits, you can always contact us to learn more about style and etiquette. Our experts love giving personalized advice to men who appreciate style enough to buy the world’s best socks!