Style Scenario: Mid Summer, Sharply Suited

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. So it’s summer, and you gotta go somewhere in a suit. Maybe it’s a big date. Maybe it’s a wedding. Maybe it’s work. But you don’t want to suffocate in a stuffy charcoal number, and the standard silk tie seems off in the heat. Here’s one way to keep it cool but still suited up during the hot months.

The Suit: Spier & Mackay Steel Blue Slim or Contemporary Fit Suit – $305ish USD. Steel Blue. Or do you mean… blue steel? Kidding. A medium blue suit looks terrific in the dead of summer. Sun up or sun down. Currently $399 CAD through Spier & Mackay. If they don’t have your size, you do have other options (try the marina blue from JCF).

The Sunglasses: Suncloud “Motorway” – $59.95. A nice balance between quality and affordability. Plus the updated, sleek club-master style is extremely well executed on these. Different than a standard aviator, but not so retro that you look like you’re trying to be Don Draper.

The Watch: Orient Producer Automatic (discontinued). Why feature a discontinued watch? Because that square case, those blue hands, and that crisp white, textured dial, makes it the perfect watch for this outfit. And some of you may have one. And if Orient is reading this, pleeeeaaaaase bring the Producer back. It’s interesting without shouting. Other options here would be Christopher Ward’s Slimline Square, or, to get back to the round case watches, the dark brown band Skagen Holst.

The Shirt: Nordstrom Smartcare Herringbone Dress Shirt – $45.90 ($69.50). The ideal would be Ledbury’s fine twill mid-spread dress shirt, with it’s lowered second button, but those are expensive as hell, and currently not on sale. The Nordstrom should do just fine. Plus, the Nordstrom version is on sale, and you get a very slight herringbone visual texture with it.

The Collar Stays: Alloy Collar Stays – $9.95. Go ahead and put a slight bend in these things, and your collar won’t pancake out under your lapels.

The Shoes: B.R. Wyatt in Burgundy Italian Leather – $98. They were recently going for $59, but $98 is already a deal (they originally launched at $168 full retail). And they should drop in price in the future with more codes and promos. Meanwhile, if you’re concerned about looking like a wayward 4th of July Parade participant (red/white/blue color scheme going on with this outfit…) don’t be. The blue has plenty of grey tones to it, and the shoes are anything but a true red. Each shade is just off center enough to compliment each other, without looking hyper patriotic.

The Belt: B.R. Liam Belt in Burgundy Italian Leather – $59.50. A perfect match and on sale often.

The Card Case: Suitsupply Suede and Leather Card Case – $39. One of the many advantages of wearing a suit jacket, sportcoat, or blazer, is that you have more pockets available in order to spread out your every day carry. And when in a suit, strongly consider slimming down from a regular billfold to a card case. Tuck it in an interior jacket pocket. Cash then goes in your pants pocket. Case ships and returns free since it’s Suitsupply.

The Money Clip: Boconi ‘Bryant’ Leather Magnetic Money Clip – $35. Carry cash. It’s classy. Service people love it for tips. And it allows for a quick escape if you need/want to leave a restaurant or bar in a hurry.

The Socks: Nordstrom Wool Blend Socks in Navy – $7.90 ($12.50). No, you will not be sent to style purgatory for *gasp* wearing socks in the summer. It’s actually a good idea during the hottest dog days. As long as the socks you’re choosing are a lightweight wool blend, they’ll help you avoid blisters by keeping your feet dry and comfortable.