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Summer. Vacations, weddings, outdoor fun all are ready to unleash themselves on the season. If you’ve been keeping up with your resolutions – you remember, hitting the gym, taking care of your finances, uncluttering your life – then this is the reward. Three months of endless happy hours, moonlit strolls on the beach, and the occasional visit from a friend or relative. Or if nothing else, at least a visit from a relative. Yep, good times. Each season, Be Better Guys offers up Five Easy Pieces, a quick guide to supplementing your wardrobe without overhauling your closet. These recommendations, along with those from the previous seasons, will give you the basis of a functional wardrobe, spiced up with some stylish pieces thrown in. Here are our suggestions to make sure your look is hotter than July this summer.
Summer-weight suit: Just because the weather’s warm doesn’t mean you won’t have to pull on a suit and tie. The key is not to sweat to death while trying to look sharp. Getting a suit in tropical-weight wool, cotton, or linen gives you a go-to item to wear when the occasion calls for something more formal than shorts and sandals, like a day at the office, for example. Try the light construction of a linen two-button suit from Emile Lafaurie at Sean, $550; for a bit more traditional shape, Banana Republic has a three-button wool and linen suit, $540, without the fitted vest; and finally, Nautica has a classic poplin cotton two-button suit, $350. The best part is that since they are season-specific, all of them will be on deep discount by July 4 th. So, if your buddy’s wedding’s not until later in the summer, hold off until the sales hit and you’ll be sharp without spending a load of cash. Stylish and thrifty. Your parents'll be so proud! Knit tie: With a tropical-weight suit, you’ll want a tie to match. The return of knit ties gives you a modern-looking option that accompanies the more casual nature of summer suits. Joseph Abboud has a red, pink, and tan Repp stripe number that looks serious, yet is perfect for you poplin suit, $44.95 on sale at Blue Fly; J Crew breaks out the wide-stripe, horizontal red and blue knit tie, $49.50; big-time Ralph Lauren weighs in with a skinny aqua blue tie, $66.99 on sale online.
Board shorts: A clothing need for that other extreme of the season, vacation. Lounging near a body of water (ocean, lake, inflatable pool) assumes you might actually get in. Wearing something comfortable and cool enough to hang around in, but ready for action when called upon, is a must. Besides, very few people not named Michael Phelps look good in Speedos. Big wave surfer Laird Hamilton gets into the clothing game with his own Wonderwall line, with nothing over $9.98 (ala Venus Williams, Stephon Marbury, and Ben Wallace). Plaid board shorts, $9.98, at Steve & Barry’s; Quiksilver has its Card Shark shorts, $46.00 at REI; and Osklen, a Brazilian company, makes ultra sharp and stylish board shorts, like the white with black and gold teardrops, $120. Flip-Flops: You need something to wear at the beach or the pool with those board shorts so your feet don't fry on blazing concrete and sand. Rubber thong sandals are an ideal beach accessory, if not necessity. Just don’t wear them to work or with a suit, for the love of . . . flip-flops are not for work, people! Reef is the king of flip-flops, with the molded EVA footbed and anatomical arch support. Try their Phantom 2476 with a black and white plaid strap, $21.99 at Sandal Superstore online; Champion’s C9 Blake Sport Thong Sandal has a gel footbed for comfort and Lycra strap so as not to damage your tender toes, $11.99 at Target; or go to any drugstore or wholesale shop and get a pair for as cheap as $1.49. Chances are they only need to make it through the summer, so why spend too much money? Travel Kit: For a trip to Barbados or for an across–town “away game,” a travel kit is a must-have. Also know as a Dopp kit, it’s the perfect organizer for all of your toiletries, from razors to toe nail clippers (remember, it’s summer and visible nasty toenails are foul). While travel kits are available at any department store, luggage shop, or men’s accessories store, what you want is something durable (leather or canvas) with space enough for the few essentials men need. The original Dopp is simple and utilitarian, available for $35.00 from Amazon; aMENity, a high-end grooming products company, has a classic black leather travel kit that says "I am here," $150.00; Mulholland Brothers makes phenomenal luggage leather goods and their flat shave kit is a nice complement to any luggage, at $95.00. If you catch your suit on sale, you could get all of these items combined for under $500. Add this stuff to this year's Spring suggestions and you have everything you need to be a Better Guy for a restful vacation, weekend jaunt, or visit to the local Y. Don't forget you sun screen. |
