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Affordable Summer Style Essentials – 2012

May 29, 2012 By Joe | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Also, we take your privacy rights seriously. Head here to learn more.

The best thing about summer?  Fall is next.  Heat can be awfully limiting, and the Northern Hemisphere has a lonnnnnng, sweaty way to go until we get back to layering, football, and tweed.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t look at least a few degrees cooler than you feel.  Affordable and good looking tools to keep you outfitted during the hottest months of 2012 are as follows:
.

The Shirt Weight Blazer: Zara – $99.90
Size shown: 40. Size up if you're in between.

The less lining the better.  A+ if there’s no lining at all.  These are the sport coats and blazers that are barely more than a shirt, cut and stitched with lapels, vents, sleeve buttons, and all the other stuff we’re used to on our jackets.  The Macy’s brand INC used to have more than a few available, but so far this year… nothin’.  Your best alternative is Zara.  This one has a micro gingham pattern, there’s no lining, and only a hint of any padding in the shoulders.  Functional cuffs and side vents.  Does a $100 seem like a lot for so little blazer?  Not when you can wear it in 100 degrees of (dry) heat.  Zara runs small, so size up if you’re in between.  A 38 on my frame came up real short in the tail and tight in the chest.  The 40 seen here will need a bit of tailoring at the sides, but not much.

 

Going Grey… instead of Khaki: GAP Tailored Fit – $44 – $60 | J. Crew Linen Suit – $430
Shades. There are many.

This is hardly an “essential” but instead something to just keep in mind.  When it gets hot, most reach for pants or summer suits that would match most Best Buy Employee’s dockers.  And that standard khaki color is great.  But consider a cooler grey.  At $430, that J. Crew suit is a big investment, but holy hell is it something else.

 

Driving Mocs: Polo RL Telly – $89 | Roderick Driver – $79 – $99
Penny & Boat influenced.

Drivers aren’t the most elegant shoes in the world, but their foundation is in utility.  That grip piece on the back heel is for keeping your feet stable while driving.  You can find drivers that are plain, have penny loafer straps, ribbons, or like these, have rawhide laces and a boat shoe look.  As comfortable as slippers but a notch above sneakers when it comes to formality.

 

The Tough Vacation Duffel: Frost River – $140 | L.E.C. – $98.00* ($140)
Both good looking, but ready for anything.

You want it to not only get you to a place with a beach, you want it to not look all that out of place on the beach.  Or in the woods, up in the mountains, etc…  A real smooth/city looking piece of luggage is great, but it’s this time of year that you just might need something that can do multiple jobs.  You’ll need the expiring-today code & pin HONOR and 4288 to get the lower price on the LEC trip duffel.  Ships free too.  Frost River bag is made in the USA.

 

All business sunglasses:  Calibrate – $69.50
Ship and return free through Nordstrom

Wayfarers and large aviators are all well and good, but if you’re headed somewhere important, you don’t want to look like you’re about ready to hop a flight to Cabo, or, hop on a fighter jet and pilot it.  You need something that’s a little more serious.  Wire rims with plastic ear pieces walk that line perfectly.

 

Knot Cufflinks with some color:  $4.99 and up
Barely noticeable.

If it’s too hot to touch your seat belt buckle, then it’s too hot to be lugging around chunks of metal at your wrists.  Skip the heavy metal and instead go with lighter knot cufflinks.  You get to still use your french cuff shirts and they’ll inject a little color too.  You can find sets for ultra cheap if you’re willing to go with an unknown seller from ebay, or, Macy’s carries some sets as does Jos. A Bank.  Something called “Cuffs & Co” sell a wide variety of colors and two-toned knots for $5 with free shipping on Amazon.

 

The Lighter than Chino Shorts: Merona Shorts in Seersucker + Chambray – $24.99
Your butt will thank you for the extra breeze.

Hooray for the standard chino short.  We all got a pair.  But when it’s so hot enough that cats morph into sloths, you linger in front of the freezer every time you open it, and your ass crack becomes a perspiration aqueduct, then you’ll want to get even lighter in weight.  Look for linen, actual seersucker (not just the stripes), or chambray.

 

The Flight Dial Casual Watch: Stuhrling – $97.99 | Citizen – $131.25
Black and orange aren't a requirement.

Not to be worn with your summer suits.  These are for the hikes that get so hot you don’t know who smells worse, you or the dog.  Or for cutting the grass with a beer in your hand.  Review of the Stuhrling here, and the Citizen here.  Three word update on the Stuhrling:  It’s doing fine.  And feel free to replace the band with something lighter, or, keep an eye out for lighter color combos all together.  That one is pretty… severe looking for this time of year?

 

The Dark + Simple Silk Knit Striped Tie:  The Tie Bar – $15.00
Dressed up fabric, dressed down construction.

Cotton, madras, bright colors, big bold stripes… all well and good this time of year.  But if you’re wearing lighter colors because of the heat, consider a dressed up (thanks to the silk) but still summer appropriate (thanks to the texture), dark knit tie.  Should look summery but not clownish with everything from light grey wool to khaki chino.  Navy or black with thin white stripes is the easiest play.

 

Trim, Lined, non elastic waist band trunks: L.E.C. – $35.00* ($50)
*Use code HONOR and pin 4288. Free shipping too.

90% of the American (and Canadian) male population wears one of two kinds of swimsuits:  The super long board shorts that leave your junk wandering like a hobo with an unlimited Amtrack pass, or poofy elastic wasite band trunks that look more like a diaper than anything else.  These take the best of each of those two designs, and combine them.  They show a little leg but are no where near a speedo, they keep your leg and waist lines slim with their straight cuts and no elastic, and there’s a mesh liner.  A real nice price of $35.00 too.

 

Suede Bucks and Saddles: 1901 Logan, Carson, and Saddle Up – $99.95
Reviews have been real positive on these.

Like light pants and colorful chinos, bucks and summer go hand and hand… and foot.  Go crazy on the colors and you’ll be stuck with a 3 month shoe.  Keep it a little more subtle like the tan, greys, and brown shown here, and you can wear these whenever you want.  Also worth a look: The on-sale for $66+ with tons of colors/sizes CK Felix.

 

The Deep Blue Gingham Cotton Pocket Square: TheTieBar -$8 | 5th&B – $30 (sold out)
Goes with it all (except for gingham shirts & ties)

It’s your ticket to tieless.  Grey wool, khaki chino, linen, whatever suit you’re wearing, if you want to go tieless at this time of year, adding a pocket square in a bold but controlled pattern like this will help you look a little less like a certain world leader who shuns neckwear.  5th & Brannen is sold out of the splurge (and as silly as it sounds, it’s one of the nicest pieces of cotton you’ll get your hands on) so the backup cheap buy can be had at TheTieBar in navy or royal blue for $8.

 

A white polo or two:  Banana Republic Luxe Touch – $26.70 w/ BREXTEND
For the annoyingly hot days.

Many of us gravitate towards darker colors when it comes to polos.  But on those days when it’s not just hot, but blistering, this-is-stupid hot, a charcoal or navy polo won’t help even with the short sleeves.  A white t-shirt looks like (or actually is) underwear.  You want something that won’t absorb the sun’s rays, yet looks decent in a number of situations.  White polos are the answer.  Have at least one on hand if your area sees triple digits.

 

The Drink:  Magellan Gin – $37.99  and Soda
Or, just Magellan and ice works too.

A good gin and tonic will never go out of style, but a gin and soda is crisper and more refreshing.  Unless you’re going hog wild with a bottle of Q tonic water or something, chances are your tonic is going to leave you with a syrupy after taste.  Club soda lets the gin’s ingredients take center stage, which is something worth doing when you’ve got a gin like this.  Infused with iris root and flower, it has a naturally blue hue to it.  Real good on the rocks with a twist, but if you want to cut it and pace yourself, some soda will do.

 

The Music – Funk:  Sly & the Family Stone Greatest Hits – $9.82

It’s summer.  The sun is out.  Shelve the angry and contemplative stuff for a bit and roll the windows down.  Sing a Simple Song.  Soul, funk, rock & roll with some strut, whatever.  Just keep it moving in the right direction.

 

The Lighting:  Stringed Globe Lights for the yard – $12.99/string of 25
Awfully hard not to like these.

Consider them running lights for your house boat with a foundation.  Over do it and it might look like you’re about to throw a kegger, so don’t go completely crazy.  Perfect for backyard gatherings and quiet meals outdoors.  You can find these things at Target, Cost Plus, and lots of other places, but be warned:  They’re pretty fragile.  So be careful when you’re hanging them up.  String a ton together and you might blow a fuse on the strands every once in awhile.  Extra fuses come contained in the plugs on most of these and they’re easy to replace

Additions, alternatives, and your defense of summer as a great season for style, if you have one, can go below.

Filed Under: Accessories, Clothing, Shoes, Watches Tagged With: Blazer, blazers under $100, bucks, Calibrate, Citizen, Driving Loafers, Gin, J. Crew, linen, music, Pocket Square, style essentials, Suede, summer style essentials, Sunglasses, Zara

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Comments

  1. Alex says

    May 29, 2012 at 6:14 AM

    I love my 1901 bucks- the tan ones are  in Rack stores for 34.95, not a lot of them, but I snagged a pair and they had at least one pair in every size.

  2. dougwake says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:06 AM

    The L.E.C. swim trunks are the best I’ve ever owned. Originally ordered the off-white color, and just bought the blue chambray (not pictured above) as well. Can’t recommend highly enough. One word of warning- while they are lined, the inner mesh lines the shorts, it is not an under-brief lining. Given that they are fairly form fitting, I wouldn’t worry about dangling out like the short-shorts gym guy from Seinfeld, but don’t expect too much in the way of support.

  3. Jessy says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:20 AM

    Already got a white polo, a blue gingham pocket square (in light blue, but close enough), the exact same knit tie, grey chinos and grey bucks. I’m almost ready ! 

    I just need a light blazer, some swim trunks and I’m good to go.

  4. Greg_S says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:25 AM

    Ugh $100 for that blazer? I really hope INC brings theirs back. They got down to about $15.

  5. Mike N says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:29 AM

    perspiration aqueduct… hobo with an unlimited amtrak pass… nice work this morning Joe. Good chuckle. Love that jcrew suit. Need to pick up a new pair of seersucker shorts.

  6. Stevengeary627 says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:32 AM

    Nordstrom rack? I’ll definitely check that out

  7. paulr says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:49 AM

    Any GAP coupons still alive this morning? Didn’t realize they still had the glen plaid pants in my size last week because of the web site defaulting to the “Tall” tab.

  8. Marshall Lilly says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:52 AM

    A bit of unsolicited advice on the knot cufflinks in case you’ve never warn them before, and that is that you can’t really put these on after you’ve put your shirt on.  When I got my first set a few months ago, I attempted to put them on when I was rushing to get out the door and found that I couldn’t do that with one hand and had to grab a different pair.  I have to sit down before I put the shirt on and use both hands to get the knots through the cuffs.

  9. Chris Hillman says

    May 29, 2012 at 8:07 AM

    Say, the link to those globe lights doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Is it just me? Anyone? Bueller? 

  10. Joe says

    May 29, 2012 at 8:38 AM

    Link is working for me, points you towards the sets they have at Target.  Mixed reviews online, but I haven’t had much trouble with mine (blew a few fuses inside the light strings, but it’s easy to replace those and they come with extras.)

  11. BenR says

    May 29, 2012 at 9:17 AM

    FWIW – Nordstrom Rack stock varies widely from store to store.

  12. Nicholas Crawford says

    May 29, 2012 at 12:03 PM

    IKEA even has solar powered light strings, available in stores only.

  13. Bryan Hoang says

    May 29, 2012 at 12:57 PM

    Any thoughts on these Merona Slip-ons? I saw them while searching for the canvas lace-ups

    http://www.target.com/p/Men-s-Merona-Ellsworth-Slip-on-Brown/-/A-13823367 

  14. iamdanielfuhrer says

    May 29, 2012 at 1:55 PM

    I purchased these as well, however the no mesh liner killed it for me, I couldnt really sit down with out my…ahem…junk peeking, so they have to be returned. Great look and all but is not very functional.

  15. Chris Hillman says

    May 29, 2012 at 2:46 PM

     It’s working now, thanks.

  16. Jack Guthrey says

    May 29, 2012 at 3:28 PM

    Instead of the Land’s End trunks, I recommend Katin’s Watermen. They fit similarly, have good color options, are built to last and are made in America. 

    I picked some up in St. Augustine last year as I was looking to replace my Hibiscus adorned baggy frat-boy trunks. I couldn’t be happier.

    http://www.katinsurf.com/kman-apparel-c-6.html?page=1&sort=20a 

  17. jahsoul says

    May 29, 2012 at 7:35 PM

    LOL…not Sly and the Family Stone Greatest Hits. I actually have the album on vinyl. I need to put it on… *humming Everybody is a Star*

  18. AlwaysBeenTim says

    May 29, 2012 at 8:44 PM

    Those look perfect and the price is great for Made in USA trunks! Thanks!

  19. dougwake says

    May 30, 2012 at 6:48 AM

     As Tom Petty once said, freeballin’…

  20. Joseph Park says

    May 30, 2012 at 4:53 PM

    damn
    zara is opening a store in sd soon, but that leaves me outta luck on buying a lightweight blazer

  21. Johdus says

    May 30, 2012 at 9:53 PM

    Just tried on that Zara SC. It’s pretty great. 

  22. AIrey1507 says

    June 1, 2012 at 9:54 AM

    Where is the Banana Republic white striped polo that’s shown in the picture?  It links to a solid luxe polo and I can’t find the striped elsewhere on the website.

  23. yoyorobbo says

    June 11, 2012 at 1:41 PM

    Heads-up. fellas: those Merona tailored shorts (seersucker, red, etc) are now on-sale; Only $5 off, but still. I *almost* broke down earlier today and bought a few pair. I have more slim-fit or straight-fit shorts than I really need already (mostly Original Penguin – Whitfield, IIRC), but these Target offerings are pretty darn nice for $20. Truth be told, I only paid $25 for the Penguin shorts, thanks to the local discounters (Marshalls, TJMaxx, etc). Anyway, thought y’all might like to know, if you were waiting for a little deal on these Merona ones.

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