Rugged/Refined: The Summer Wind: Part 2

Summer done right
Phineas Cole by Paul Stuart
Image: The Sartorialist

Despite the aforementioned steamy annoyances, the main aspect of summer that chaps my ass is the style - both in the havoc it wreaks on my personal wardrobe and the extreme casualness that creeps out of every pore of society. The options in my closet are whittled down to a few basics based on the heat and each article has the potential to be uncomfortable in one way or another - either in breathability or style. I find clothing as a daily outburst of creativity. Color and fabric combinations coupled with layering usually allow me to express a uniqueness which may otherwise be left unreleased. When I look different I feel good, so the onset of heat not only causes physical discomfort but it robs me of personality.


Looks warm I'm sure he's wearing shorts and flip flops below.* *sarcasm

Between the time Frank belted out such classics as Summer Wind and the current summer selections of Eminem and Katie Perry, not only did the cultural taste in music decline but the clothing aesthetic did as well. Looking back at vintage photos I get lost in a time when a barbecue was a venue for a tie and a stroll in the park might call for a suit and hat. Many of my peers today would scoff at the idea, considering it stuffy and insane to dress for such informal events. But to me it just proves laziness and ignorance. Baggy cargo shorts and a graphic tee are no more comfortable than seersucker, madras or linen - as with most things in my generation, the sloppy look is merely an excuse. Even in the throws of summer, from New York to Vegas, D.C. to Palm Springs you'd find the Rat Pack era's men trolling about in trim suits. And in their leisure they looked cool and comfortable in lightweight dress slacks and duotoned camp shirts.

It is generally accepted that women present themselves better in all of the seasons, but summer is truly their time to shine. Whisping by in vibrant color, strappy sandals and sun kissed skin. They look so cool and comfortable, getting our hearts aflutter while also highlighting our poor appearance in comparison. The summer staples of a man's wardrobe are like the default settings on a new computer. They are programmed to a level of comfort that is easily adopted by the masses. However, until they are tweaked to fit the individual owner, each will never be used to its fullest potential. Having the build of an Ethiopian marathoner I have never been one for the default T-shirt and shorts, thus revealing my scrawny limbs. This attire is a net that has trapped most of man kind along with my omni-present foe, the mandal. In certain situations shorts may suffice (never sandals) but I don't feel that they show adequate respect when in social settings. And as an aside, when did flip flops become work appropriate footwear for either gender?

God I love New York!
Woman consistently bring their A game.
Image: The Sartorialist

As I sat waiting for a slice at the local deli a few nights back, a couple pushing a stroller came charging through the door followed by a pair of frothy chums from the bar up the block. All three gents were drowning in oversized, untucked polos and enlarged cargo shorts, the squeaking of their flip-flops announcing their arrival (seriously, that sound irritates me like no other). They may as well have been waddling monks cloaked in ambiguity. Take the baby and (stylishly dressed) wife out the picture and all three could be lumped into the same fratastic category except for the obvious disparity of age worn in their faces. The father's clothes did not command the slightest bit of respect or attention to set him apart from his post collegiate pizza cravers, but rather evoked a childish naivete.

Kennedy wore shorts BUT...he wards off
the American tourist look by keeping it traditional.
Trim khaki shorts and an OCBD
Photo: Time

Growing up I never understood why my dad's wardrobe didn't mirror my own. While I freely swooned around the yard in Looney Tunes T's, a Cal Ripken hat and shorts bearing the dirt of the nearest curb or hill, he constantly looked "dressed up" to me, even in his most casual state. Where were his shorts and sneakers? Why did he lounge in his suit after work? "Dad - come on, relax!" I thought. What I saw juxtaposed to my grass stains as formal, he saw as a refined Kennedy cool that would have hovered over 1950's Hyannis Port. Khakis, Docksides, button downs and polos weren't "dressy" to him but a way of maintaining style outside of his standard suit and tie. He was a man. I was a child. And we each dressed the part.

I'll never understand why most men dress like boys in the summer. I find that I mostly stand alone in my opinions on appropriate dress in general, but during the summer especially so. My friends will overtly roll their eyes at my theories, championing their stance that comfort prevails in the grips of the heat and all propriety should be sacrificed for the mild relief that comes with shortened hems and thonged sandals.

Overall, I agree that I find it much harder to be stylish and simultaneously comfortable in the warmer months. The severity of the heat adds a complexity to a wardrobe that can send one begging for shorts and an ironicly worded tee. Seeking out wearable pieces becomes difficult as a fourth dimension needs to be considered beyond fit, fabric and design… that of absorption. Many of my shirts, especially in a blue hue, become unwearable as "pit stains" are an embarrassing inevitability. Pants can easily become suffocating boa constrictors of fabric wrapped around my legs making stairs a chore. There are also the waterfalls of sweat the creep down my backside, creating two-toned salt lines that mark a sweaty seat. I fret over the sockless look for fear that my pristine leather will be marred by puddles of perspiration and the flatulent sound of skin rubbing against leather. Sure, life would be easier in the everyman summer uniform, and yes, I often resort to summer wear in the comfort of my own home, but easy rarely ever translates to success in life. Maybe I'm just overly insecure but my physical plagues are offset by the internal confidence I gain by looking presentable in public.

Milan, June 2010
Image: Tommy Ton for GQ

There are many other wonderful sites that can give you better advice than I on how to approach a summer wardrobe (See Prepedemic or The Style Blogger). For me it means a few simple rules:

Seriously - lose the flip-flips!
Image: Tommy Ton for GQ

• Avoid denim when temps reach 80+.
• Favor lighter fabrics - cotton, seersucker, linen
• When blazing hot embrace white shirts, they hide the sweat stains and provide a great base for color.
• Utilize color - pants, ribbon belts, watchbands, ties, socks
• Let silk ties rest and embrace other fabrics like cotton and seersucker.
• Boat shoes, driving mocs, classic sneaks - YES, anything that shows your feet - NO!
• Try loafer socks - all the cool of the sockless look, less of the stink and irritation. (Johnston & Murphy, GoldToe)
• Stock up on powder - for the foot and body (Clubman, Gold Bond)
• Give the cuffs an extra roll - both shirt and pants
• Leaving an extra button undone is fine, an extra three is not
• When thinking polo shirt, think snug trim fit
• Sungalsses should remain classic - aviators or tortoise shell rims. Leave Gucci on the Jersey Shore
• Lose the baggy cargo shorts - look for trim flat fronts that hem above the knee, and don't be afraid of color
• Swim trunks should be trim and cropped as well. Baggy surf trunks are yesterday's news and unflattering, making you look short and paunchy
• Increased sweat means less wears between washing - leave room in the budget for increased trips to the laundromat and dry cleaners
• When in doubt, think Clooney on the Amalfi coast, not Larry David in Miami

Summer tie options: The heat is no excuse to not knot up.
chambray, silk knit, large cotton gingham.

Lose the silk:
Seersucker, cotton madras and small cotton ginham.

When dressing during the summer months I really only have one thing in mind - Italy. I often wonder how the Italian men can remain so effortlessly stylish throughout the warmer months without any signs of discomfort? My daily blog roll features countless images of Italian men stalking along the coast or through a bustling Mediterranean city in jacket and tie, not a bead of sweat in site. Their colorful palette enhances the summery background and they are at perfect ease in their surroundings. No one does summer better than the Italians and I wish I knew their secret.

Trim cuffed linen pants, sockless suede loafers - Ottimo!
Image: The Sartorialist via Prepidemic

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that their approach to beating the heat does not mirror my own (loitering about my local grocery store's frozen food isle). Perhaps, for them, its a dry heat or they are born with the innate ability to control their core temperature through their less hustled lifestyle. For all I know its part of the sprezzatura tool kit that makes them the envy of the sartorial world - Lapo, Lino and Luca! These guys throw up a big middle finger to the uninspired masses... and I love them for it.


Lapo Elkann It helps when your grandfather is Gianni Agnelli. Images: The Sartorialist via Prepidemic

Lino Ieluzzi
I wish I was an older Italian guy.
Images: The Sartorialist via Prepidemic

Makes it look effortless.

Luca Rubinacci
Again, a slight advantage working for your father's tailoring house!
Images: The Sartorialist via Prepidemic

With no escape from the onslaught of summer, the only thing I can do is channel my inner Italian and try to embrace the weather, using it to experiment with mixing traditional looks and European flair (and I'm not talking capri pants and racer sneaks). As the Spring/Summer 2011 shows conclude in Milan and new styles are introduced at Pitti Uomo in Florence, I will continually look for inspiration from those roaming The Boot, trying to extract their casual cool. As for external relief, my trusty window fan, a few Red Stripes and the thoughts of those chilly Autumn winds in the not too distant future should hold me over.