Warm Weather Dressing Tips

In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to…clothes!

Hopefully it’s warming into spring where you live and it’s time to discuss the well-dressed man’s spring and summer wardrobe. As spring approaches ditch those flannels, corduroys, and heavy cashmeres and cottons. Break out fabrics like gabardine and lighter twills, cashmeres, and corduroys. Lighten up your color palette a bit (think pastels, light   gray, ivory, or tan). As the weather continues to warm up, cool down with tropical weight wools, linens, still lighter cottons, cashmeres, and silks. These fabrics feel cooler against the skin and will keep you feeling and looking great in late spring and summer.

It’s considered proper to wait until Easter to wear white and off-white tailored clothing, and fabrics like silks, linens, and seersuckers. White buck or spectator shoes have traditionally been relegated to this date as well. But as we discussed last month, let the weather determine your attire first instead of adhering to a particular set of rules dictating what clothing to wear when.

Helpful Hints about Spring and Summer Dressing: Silk doesn’t always breathe as well as cotton or linen- try a blend with cotton or rayon. If you don’t like wrinkles try the same with linen.

1. Fabrics:
   1. Tropical wool
   2. Linen (if you don’t like wrinkles try a blend)
   3. Silk (if it doesn’t breathe well enough for you, again try a blend)
   4. Cotton e.g., seersucker

2. Colors:
   1. White and Off-Whites
   2. Beige/ Light Earth Tones
   3. Pastels
   4. Hot accent colors for this season:

                                                               i.      Tangerine

                                                             ii.      Purple

                                                            iii.      Terra Cotta

                                                           iv.      Lime

3. Grooming:
   1. Hair:

                                                               i.      Shorter- get it cut more frequently

2. Sunscreen:

                                                               i.      Wear it. No one wants melanoma when they’re 50.

3. Feet:

                                                               i.      Gussy them up, particularly if you choose to wear shorts and swimsuits often.

                                                             ii.      Consider regular pedicures

4. Golf Attire:
   1. Mercerized cotton is dressier and more comfortable for hotter days on the course.
   2. Pique for cooler days,
   3. Generally neither work for the office for business casual

5. Shorts
   1. Use your own judgment
   2. If no one else is wearing them it’s a good indication that it was a bad idea

6. Sandals:
   1. Again, use good judgment
   2. Keep feet looking good
   3. Socks? NEVER!

7. Bathing Suit:
   1. Don’t even think about Speedos
   2. Wear longer and more flattering trunks- think mid-thigh
   3. Not to your knees unless you’re in a gang or ride a surfboard.