The summer is a great time of year: it stays light out longer, the temperature is consistently nice, and everyone just seems a bit more lively. The one flaw with the summer though is that your options of what to wear aren't as extensive as they are in the fall and winter.
For instance, a black jacket is going to look great in the fall, winter, and, even spring, but in the summer it's not going to be something you want to wear unless absolutely necessary.
So, in today's post I'm going to show you my top 6 favorite outfits to wear during the summer. These outfits most likely won't be what you're use to seeing people wear. One huge thing you'll probably notice is that I don't wear shorts.
I've never liked wearing shorts, but if you're more inclined to do so during the summer and want to emulate any of these styles, feel free to swap out whatever I'm wearing for shorts.
But my overall summer style is centered around retaining a lot of the formality and class of traditionally professional attire and adding a splash of summer. I do this primarily through the use of colors and lighter fabrics.
Also, one quick thing to note before I get into the post is that I bought the majority of these pieces from Macy's at a fair price. I'm going to be estimating the price of each outfit for you incase you want to replicate the look.
I'm sure you'll be able to immediately get what I'm saying when you see the outfits. So let's get right into it!
Outfit I:
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Alfani Medium Grey Linen-Blend Shirt and Levi Dark Blue Denim Jeans with Ralph Lauren Polo Black Drivers Loafers and a Black Leather Band Kenneth Cole New York Watch
(Cost of Outfit $240)
Nothing quite says warmer weather than wearing linen or a linen-blend. Linen is a super light fabric which makes it incredibly breathable.
Therefore, if you're a guy who sweats a lot in the summer like I do, linen is going to help prevent sweat stains which is a major plus.
I can't wear materials like cotton or polyester-- especially not polyester which tends to absorb heat-- in the summer because I just get way too uncomfortable.
This outfit here is one of my darker summer looks. I like to stick with lighter colors because those tend to be even more breathable, but I also love darker colors hence this look.
I love the shade of medium grey in the shirt. It's the perfect in-between color and can be worn well with either light or dark colors.
In this outfit, I went with a pair of dark blue denim to give it a bit of a rugged, nonchalant essence. I've always found jeans to be a bit more rugged than chinos or khakis.
I'm also wearing a pair of Ralph Lauren black driving loafers, which are awesome for casual/business casual attire. I definitely wouldn't wear them with a full suit, but for any other outfit they look amazing.
And, I finish off the look with a black leather band watch from Kenneth Cole. The black leather band matching with the black loafers, of course.
Overall, I think this is a great outfit for the summer because it's breathable, classic, and still retains a bit of formality with the darker colors.
Outfit II:
White Plaid Casual Waistcoat from Zara's over a White Cotton V-neck T-Shirt and a pair of Khaki Pants with a pair of Ralph Lauren Polo Brown Leather Sneakers and a Gold Colored Stainless Steal Watch from Tommy Hilfiger. Also, wearing a pair of Opium Blue-Lensed Aviator Sunglasses
(Cost of outfit: $300?)
A good portion of this outfit I bought while in India last year, so it's hard for me to estimate the cost of the outfit.
I'm actually not even sure if you can get these sunglasses in the U.S. If anyone knows of a place that sells them, please let me know because I would definitely like to buy another pair or two.
Actually, this was an outfit I picked-up from my wife's uncle who definitely had his own cool sense of style.
He was-- and I'm sure still is-- apt to wear a t-shirt and waistcoat with a pair of camouflage pants, which is a bit too out there for me, so in reinterpreting his outfit for my own style, I replaced the camo with something more classic.
I also wear a t-shirt and vest with other colored chino pants and jeans, but there's something about this white and khaki color combo that has me wearing this outfit more than any other. It's just a great combo and matched with the brown leather sneakers, it's such a great look.
Because my watch collection is limited, instead of wearing a brown leather band watch, which I probably would if I had one, I decided to go with a gold bracelet watch. In my opinion, gold looks very nice with khaki and helps further the look by adding a bit of sparkle.
Overall, I love the t-shirt and waistcoat look. I always go with a v-neck although a crew-neck would look just as good. Also, wearing a pair of shorts with this outfit would totally work. Aviators are optional, but I think they add a bit of style to the look.
Outfit III:
Nautica Lavender Linen Shirt with Goodfellow Paris Green Chinos and a pair of Ralph Lauren Polo Brown Leather Sneakers with a Blue Leather Band Kenneth Cole New York Watch. Also, wearing a pair of Tortious Shell Blue/Silver Club Master Sunglasses.
(Cost for outfit: $250)
There's just something that I love about this color combo. Recently, I've been wearing blue with green a lot, but I actually like the light purple with green even more. Unlike the shirt from the first outfit, this one is 100% linen which makes it even more breathable and comfortable.
While I think the entire outfit is on-point, I think the center piece for this one is the club masters.
I'm actually a big fan of these shades because they don't seem as common as aviators tend to be. I bought this particular pair from Amazon, so I'm not sure the brand but I think club masters tend to all look very similar.
This blue pair with silver lenses goes perfectly with my blue leather band watch and my green chinos.
Much like the above outfits, this one would look great with shorts, especially the brown leather sneakers. I feel driving loafers look kind of off when worn with shorts, but sneakers and shorts are a perfect combo (just not for me!)
Also, I think this outfit is extremely versatile. It would look just as good with an aqua blue/white shirt and a pair of tan/brown pants.
I know, at least with me, interchangeability is key when it comes to creating outfits, so I tend to go with this combo more often with the above outfit.
Overall, this look is a winner and one that you could easily replicate.
Outfit IV:
Bright Orange Short Kurta and a pair of Goodfellow Off-White Chinos with a pair of Ralph Lauren Polo Tan Driving Loafers and a Gold Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch by Tommy Hilfiger. Also, wearing a pair of Black Club Master Sunglasses with Orange Lenses.
(Cost of outfit: $300?)
Such as with outfit two, it is nearly impossible to for me to come up with an accurate estimation because some of these pieces were bought in India.
This is an outfit you're definitely not going to see very often in the U.S. But it's very popular over in India; in fact if I were in India I would probably blend in...well sort of.
This outfit was meant for the warm weather though. It's very fun and lively. I love the shade of orange, which normally I wouldn't be a fan of. I also love the subtle design on the shirt.
I think it looks best when worn with a light pair of pants. I also really like how it looks with tan and navy pants, but off-white is definitely my favorite color to match it with.
In terms of the shoes, I feel like the tan goes perfectly with the bright orange. If you wanted to wear a pair of tan or navy blue pants, I think it would look good if you wore a pair of black loafers.
As for the watch though, I think gold looks best with the orange and tan, but if I had on my black loafers, I'd probably wear a black leather band watch.
The orange lenses on the club masters kind of ties the look together. As with any outfit, the sunglasses are optional and only serve to enhance the look. That is, you won't look any less stylish without them.
Overall, I think this outfit is super stylish; a bit more flashy than any other outfit on this list, but flashy in a good way. More people from the U.S should really start wearing it more especially during the summer. I don't think it would look very appropriate in the winter though.
Outfit V:
Nautica White Linen Shirt with Goodfellow Off-White Chinos with a pair of Byford Navy Blue slip-ons with a Blue Leather Band Kenneth Cole New York Watch.
(Cost of outfit: $150)
This is perhaps my favorite outfit to wear during the summer. I love the bright white color of the shirt matched with the off-white in the pants.
The shoes and watch in this outfit are easily changeable. You could wear pretty much any color to give the outfit an added boost. I wouldn't wear white shoes though. At least for me, that would be too much white.
Nor would I wear a bright white pair of Chinos because I feel that would be far too bright of an outfit.
I think this is the perfect combo for a beach party though. It's just super casual and feels great. Of course, the one downside to wearing all white is that you have to be very careful when eating.
For example, if you're going to an Italian beach party where they'll be servicing Italian food, I definitely wouldn't wear all white. In that case, I would probably go with outfit one or three.
Another thing I love about wearing all white is that it is almost certainly going to make you stand-out. I hardly ever seen people wearing white on white, so if you do, you're going to get attention similar to how people who wear all black get noticed.
As you may remember from my in defense of white post, white is an incredibly calming color, which makes it vibe extremely well with the ambiance of the summer.
Overall, I think this is one of my favorite outfits for the summer. It's just so classy. Only one outfit beats it, and that is the next one.
Outfit VI:
Ralph Lauren Pink Linen Sport's Coat over a Nautica White Linen Shirt and a pair of Goodfellow's Off-White Chinos with a pair of Ralph Lauren Polo Tan Driving Loafers and a Gold Stainless Steel Tommy Hilfiger Bracelet Watch. Also, Wearing a Dark Brown Belt.
(Cost of outfit: $350)
I've tried many different combinations with my pink sport's coat and this is by far my favorite. This outfit is essentially a more enhanced version of outfit five. I'm still wearing the same shirt and chinos, but I've switched to wearing a pair of tan driving loafers, changed to a gold bracelet watch, tucked-in the shirt, put on a belt, and threw on a sport's coat.
Even though the coat is linen, it's still not very comfortable to wear in the high temperatures, so if you are going to a beach party, it could be more of an entrance piece.
I also have a matching pink waistcoat which looks amazing under the coat, and would be perfect in situations that are too hot to wear the coat.
While I think this outfit looks best with tan loafers, you could also wear brown or even blue, but I definitely wouldn't go with black.
This outfit is so on-point because it's mellow and black isn't really a mellow color.
Stick with your light colors here.
You probably could even swap out the shirt with a light blue, purple or yellow.
Regardless, this outfit for me is as close to perfect as I can get during the summer, so when I wear it, it's exactly as shown.
Overall, I think if something really works, you shouldn't mess around with it. For that reason, I think this outfit is perfect as is. A classic summer look that's bound to get you noticed!
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There you have it: my top 6 summer outfits. All of these outfits are interchangeable, and I've worn each one several different ways. These 6 outfits are my favorite combinations of each.
What do you guys think though? Is there anything you'd like to try out for yourself? Is there anything you definitely wouldn't try? Let me know what you think in the comments!
And as always, if you have any questions or concerns, shoot me an email at tnpersona@gmail.com.
-Ryan S.
Great outfits Ryan
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