Style Scenario: Lightweight, Laid Back Summer (nothing over $50)

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. Whether it’s post beach day, an early morning with the Sunday paper, or just chilling on the back porch after work, keeping things simple, light, and comfortable can be the right play during the dog days. Here’s one way to do just that.

The Shirt: Amazon Goodthreads Men’s Long-Sleeve Lightweight Slub Henley – $7-18. The key here is “lightweight.” You don’t want some heavy thing with shorts. The slub texture here helps airflow and there’s a slight marl to the fabric, which makes for some nice visual interest. Keeps the sun off your arms if you spent too much of the day up to your waist in the waves throwing a frisbee around. Sunblock guys. Use it.

The Shorts: Goodfellow & Co. 8″ Pull-On Drawstring Shorts – $14.99. I picked up two pair of these shorts on a trip to Target back in May, they became my new go-to, and then they DISAPPEARED ENTIRELY from the store the next time I went. And they never showed up online either. Until now. Six color options. 97% cotton, 3% spandex moves well, and they’re a flattering fit without being too tight or too billowy. They’re a relaxed look obviously, but they don’t go full-frump like a terry sweatshort would. They nailed these. A warning: some have reported that sizes can run a little big? A size small is what I went with for 5’9″/160, so yeah, if you’re shorter/thinner than that, they could be a bit too big. Plus, there could be good sized jumps between sizes. That’s Goodfellow sizing inconsistencies for you.

The Watch: Timex x Todd Snyder Men’s Military-Inspired 40mm Watch – $49.40 $62 ($138). Under $50 and now… on Amazon? Used to be hard to get these for a long time. Most often you had to go direct through Todd Snyder (because it’s a collab), and then they trickled down to Nordstrom Rack on occasion. Now, they’re on Uncle Jeff’s Internet Emporium for just under fifty. UPDATE: Awww c’mon now. They just jumped to $62. Well, still. A steal. Bummer though. Stupid Amazon pricing robots.

The Sunglasses: A.J. Morgan Castro Round Sunglasses – $13. Absolutely dirt cheap, with some classy-looking gold accents. Recently picked up a pair, and they wear much nicer than you’d expect at their price point.

The Beer: Dogfish Head Sunday Feels “Beermosa” Sour – $15ish/6pk. I’m definitely a sour beer guy in the summer (and all of the other times), but this is a really cool flavor profile. Inspired by brunch libations, the peaches, grapes and citrus fruit give you the beer version of a delicious Sunday mimosa.

The Skincare: Eucerin Lightweight Lotion with SPF 30 – $8. In the summer, I like my daily lotion to have a little SPF in it. This lightweight option doesn’t glob on your skin and lasts all day.

The Shoes: Soludos Men’s Dali Canvas Espadrille Slipper – $40ish. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but espadrilles should really be something in your summer shoe lineup. They’re like wearing house slippers outdoors, and the rope sole means far less foot funk when you go sockless. Win-win-win.

About the Author: Ryan N. is a professional web developer for (and alum from) the University of Delaware, who keeps a close shave as to not be confused with his strongly-bearded twin brother. He plays guitar and drums, loves going to concerts with his wife, and loves being a dad.