Springtime Shopping

By Dominic Mariani

Most men love the transition from winter to spring
wardrobes. 
Firstly, because it no longer takes 20 minutes to
dress for the outdoors. We can now tuck away the
turtlenecks. And stash away the sweaters and woolens
for next year. Put away coats, scarves, gloves and
rubber snow boots.
It’s time to break out the shorts, t-shirts and light
footwear.
A variety of polo shirts are a must. The shirts are a
product of French tennis player Rene Lacoste who first
popularized them. Until 1950 the shirt was only
available in white. Now they are available in an array
of colors, fabrics and shapes – and prices. Personally
I avoid alligators or any other animals on my polos.
A good Sea Island cotton one will cost you, but you’ll
never feel leaner or meaner. Polos can be tucked in or
worn outside the pants to hide a winter gut that is
still a work-in-progress for the upcoming beach
season. The Fairfield Clothiers offers silk polos that
are dazzling.
Short-sleeve or long-sleeve linen shirts are an
elegant touch for cooler evenings. T-shirts shouldn’t
advertise or make any statement. I’ve got a black
Cuervo tee that I was given free at a bar one summer.
I like the beer, but can’t wait for the shirt to fray
and wear out. And again the Fairfield Clothiers offer
stunning cotton/cashmere blend shirts in long sleeves.
O-ring belts accompany jeans, cotton pants and shorts
nicely. Seersucker and linen shorts are a cool
addition for the season. Khakis shorts and whites are
a must because they go with just about any color. You
can almost dress blindfolded.
There’s a big demand for designers jeans these days.
But good old dark, blue Levis are still the best
choice. And no prewashed or stonewashed models either.
With jeans tradition is the better part of valor. Let
them fade naturally.
The Fairfield Clothiers Naresh Masukhani is excited
about his new Keithmoor line of jeans and casual
slacks. The pants are available in jean weave denim,
luxury blends and linen blends. There is a Japanese
ring spun denim with a bio-stone finish that offers a
luxurious stretch and feel.
Also new is Nanomax, a wash-and-wear micro wool fiber
that is extremely elastic. The Loro Piano
wash-and-wear storm system line of trousers for
golfers is water repellent and features pockets for
golf balls and score cards and a tee loop.
For footwear my pick is Italian walking shoes which
are a cross between a casual shoe and a sneaker. They
usually come with an almost indestructible hard rubber
soles. My shoemaker said they wouldn’t take taps and
assured me they would last quasi-forever and he was
right. I’ve had the same pair for over five years now.
Socks are optional.
Whatever you do NEVER wear socks with sandals. It
screams strictly German tourist.
You can check out Naresh’s line of crocodile and hemp
sandals on his Web site at www.suityourself.com. The
site offers blow-up photos of all the footwear that
are the closest thing to holding them in your hands. 
The site also offers driver slip-on loafers in a
crocodile/calf blend as well as ostrich loafers.
Sandals and flip-flops are a matter of preference. I
have a pair of casual sandals and a fancier pair for
special events. I have flip-flops at the front door,
the back door, a pair for house and a pair with flat
soles for the beach.
Sunglasses or transitional glasses are another
interesting choice. I have sunglasses everywhere: in
the car, with my gardening tools, on my porch for
grilling. I’m told aviators are hot these days, so are
wrap-arounds.
Lightweight jackets and suits offer myriad selections
in high-grade wool, cotton, linen, poplin and
seersucker. A blue linen blazer is almost a must. It
can be worn with just about any color slacks or jeans
and any style shirt. Wearing the blazer with shorts is
a bit too Nantucket for my taste, but if you dig it,
go for it.
And the Clothiers offers cotton/linen blend sweaters
for those cool spring evenings.
Wide-brimmed straw hats or Panamas are my choice for
the sunshine, Baseball caps are ubiquitous, but again
stay away from advertising unless you get paid.