Did we miss something warm-weather specific that should have made this list? Send those tips into: joe@dappered.com.
For many of us, warm weather style just isn’t as tempting as the tweed, boots, and flannel of fall. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of seriously drool-worthy gear that’s just landed. Fresher fabrics, lighter shades, crisper looks. Note: Since these are new arrivals, prices will be higher than what you normally see on Dappered. It can take some time for sales and promos to bring costs down. But we’ll keep an eye out for those.
Hard to get more summertime-versatile than a light gray tropical wool suit. Especially in a pair of separates (you get to pick the individual size of the jacket and trouser separately) like these. Patch pockets on the jacket are a perfect choice. Summer is, by nature, more casual than the other three seasons (because it’s too darn hot). So patch pockets on the suit absolutely work. Yet it looks like a stand alone blazer when broken up and worn with a different pair of chinos or trousers (as shown on the sold-separately pair of cream colored trousers). Jacket is just half lined in the back. Tropical wool is lightweight and extra breathable. Not bad for five hundred bucks.
Those are a lot of fun. Hard not to love suede in the summer, and the Vans “authentic” deck-style sneaker is iconic. Green or blue suede uppers, full grain leather collars, and waffle-rubber outsoles. (Note that the off-white colored pair shown above are canvas, not suede.)
Nowhere in men’s style is the continued, irritating bifurcation into cheap vs luxury (and little middle ground) more evident than sunglasses. Proof is that $125 is now considered the high side of “mid-priced.” Crazy, right? But these look dynamite. And while Huckberry’s house eyewear brand Walden has had a tendency to drop precipitously in price as the sunnier months fall off the calendar… these might have a “stickier” price than normal. Because again, they look awesome. Sizing could run on the medium to smaller size though: Lens Width: 50 mm, Bridge Width: 22 mm, Temple (Arm) Length: 145 mm.
For those who love the old-school-cool/golden age of Hollywood look. 100% mercerized cotton. Ivory, black, or a muted “cilantro” green. Do note that these are dry clean only.
Doesn’t appear to be a US available model yet. Fingers crossed these make it to the U.S.A. at some point. It’s like they mashed up the old Bambino Vintage-style and Small Seconds and then sized it down to the new 38.4mm diameter option. Brilliant. Hat tip to Monochrome who has a breakdown and also says that these will list in Europe for 265 Euros. That works out to $285ish USD.
Sleek. Suede. Affordable. Even ships and returns for free via Nordstrom. Just featured here.
Too hot for jeans, but still want a little texture and substance? These are a strong possibility. Think of these as the more affordable option when compared to big brother (mainline) Banana Republic’s linen/cotton traveler pants. 54% flax (linen), 45% cotton, 1% elastane.
Swimwear is expensive. Especially this new “hybrid” category every brand and retailer has tried to jump in on. Full disclosure: You often get what you pay for when it comes to swim. But if you don’t want to splurge on one of the more expensive pairs of swim/hike/workout/do-everything “hybrid” shorts, then these could (key word: could) be worth a shot. They don’t say what kind of liner they have, but they are lined. Expect old-school mesh instead of the new (and preferred by most) boxer brief style more expensive pairs are coming with.
Strap Shown: “Griege” NATO Matte – $28 on the O.G. Invicta Automatic Diver – $75ish
Summer means water and sweat. Leather watch straps don’t really excel in those conditions. Swapping out a leather strap for a NATO is often the way to go. Even stainless steel bracelets can get a little too shiny in the summer sun. Solution? A NATO strap, once again. And while there are much cheaper straps out there, Crown & Buckle’s Supreme series continues to reign (wait for it) supreme. The hardware, the colors, the stripes, and the classic seatbelt-style fabric with its ever so slight sheen or the newer, matte textured option all combine to make for one terrific watch strap.
The legends. Barely there construction, super-airy hopsack wool fabric, and made in multiple fit templates. Full review here if you’d like it. Drops under $300 during a (somewhat rare) 30% off sale.
Abercrombie & Fitch has somehow been kicking tail in the jeans department lately (it’s been one of the highlights of their recent resurrection story). So… wondering if that success might carry over to shorts too. These “all day” shorts might be the perfect mid point between performance fabric and timeless cotton chino. 69% Cotton, 27% Nylon, 4% Elastane. (They claim they’re stretchy/breathable/wicking.) 7″ or 9″ inseams. “Soft elastic comfort stretch waistband.”… o rly? Looks pretty normal, which is nice. Will go on sale on occasion.
That’s either a perfectly fresh color-scheme for summer (sea-glass green accents & just enough off white to keep them from looking too stark)… or they’re hip-as-hell mall walkers. Why not both?
Listen. If you’re on team #thunderthighs (my hand is raised) then nothin’ beats the original straight fit of these almost-as-good-as-lululemon performance pants. But if you’re a true slim fit, Target now has an option for you too. Albeit in far less colors.
Full review here. Four different color schemes. Designed and assembled in Los Angeles. Automatic Miyota 9075 GMT movement. Reasonable price. And all sorts of good looks that accomplish the difficult task of being unique while still super handsome. 39.5mm in diameter with a 40.5mm bezel that extends just enough over the case. Lug-to-lug size is 46.6 mm. Nicely slim at 11.8mm thick. On the fly adjustable clasp. 20mm lug width with a bracelet that tapers to 16mm at the clasp. Quick release springbars on the bracelet make for easy strap swap outs. If you like to travel and travel light, this watch can be a hell of a companion while out on the road, in the skies, on the water, or all of the above.
Let’s say you’ve got some big event coming up, and you’ve assembled a lightweight look that’s also still dressed up. Maybe it’s a tropical wool suit or it’s a performance pants + lightweight blazer combo. And then you put on your standard dress oxfords and you think they just look… heavy. Overly formal with the rest of the outfit. So what’s the answer? Derbies. They’re still very much dress shoes, but with open lacing instead of closed oxford style lacing, they look right at home with the slightly more casual dressed-up looks of summer. Follow all that? All good if you don’t, you don’t care, and you’re like “This dude is madder than a sack of toads.” But if you do sorta follow, then think of derbies as the tieless-suit of the shoe world. It’s still a dressed up choice. They’re just a small step below.
Fabric is a wrinkle resistant, 95% Wool & 5% Elastane fabric from Italy’s Lanificio T.G. di Fabio. Nice. That’s quite a bit of stretch woven in. All season weight. Half canvas construction. 100% Bemberg Cupro lined. Summer is travel season. And if you need to get somewhere and look good while doing it, a travel suit built for the haul would be a good call.
That looks… wonderfully self aware: “You got like the same clothes, kinda talk the same, like basically the same guy.”
Hopes are high with these. They’re new and part of J. Crew’s ever expanding “performance” line. Fabric is 67% cotton/28% polyamide/5% elastane. Here’s to hoping they truly do stretch and wick and breathe.
Full review here. Yes they look plain at a glance, but the materials and construction and versatility are what make these a bestseller over at Huckberry. Got a 4.5/5 stars from our shoe expert, Adam. And to put it as he put it, succinctly: “cooler than camp mocs, better than Sperrys.” Pretty much sums them up. Three colors of suede and a leather option to choose from. Made in Italy.
That’s how one makes a “summer” hoodie. Gone is the heavy french terry sweatshirt fabric. In comes a lighter weight, lightly slubbed jersey (think t-shirt) fabric. No bulky front kangaroo pocket either. That also keeps things lighter and slimmer for the less-is-more season.
Check out that texture. Puckered seersucker to help with airflow, a half lined back, and made in a dark navy shade instead of the usual white and blue pinstripes that can look a little silly depending on the circumstances. 97% cotton / 3% spandex. Sold in chest sizes (36 – 46, regular and tall templates) instead of the less precise “alpha” sizing of small/medium/large.
Sunski has been making solid quality sunglasses for less than a hundred bucks for a while now. They know what they’re doing. And while these are creeping up on a Benjamin, they’re still far less than some designer brand. Plus they sure look the part.
Because sometimes you just want a short sleeve button up in cool cotton poplin. That big floral option would look extra good with a Detroit Tigers hat. And a Ferrari.
Perhaps a wedding or fancy warm weather party splurge. Grenadine = that distinctive texture that’s both subtle and eye catching. This new line of neckties from Spier are made on an old wooden jacquard loom, and have some hand-made/finished details that should help them look and drape like a luxury tie. Solids, stripes, and a few patterns.
Spanish suede uppers and appear to be at least partially leather lined. A lot of German Athletic Trainer (aka the GAT) style sneakers (with that “W” overlay on the toe) can look a little lightweight. These look like they have some “oomph” to their soles.
“Midweight” tees are having a bit of a style-moment. And that’s confusing to those of us who wear t-shirts to keep light and cool, BUT… it makes plenty of sense as more casual fare has dominated in the post-pandemic world. People want casual stuff that doesn’t look basic. And thus, making a mid-weight t-shirt out of a slightly textured pique knit instead of the standard smooth jersey knit seems like a smart bit of design work.
Three-quarters of a grand for a Timex! What a time to be alive. But look, they sure are making a strong case for the right buyer. Titanium case and bracelet means it’ll be noticeably lighter weight than stainless steel. Bead-blasted matte finish keeps the shine away. Japanese automatic movement with an extra 24-hour hand to help you track an extra time zone. Extra strap with quick release pins (which the bracelet also has). Could have done without the extra bright splash of color on the topside of the crown, but that’s what The James Brand will do here and there (make something mostly muted, and then drop in a pop of color). Could see the price being a turnoff for enough that these (*gasp*) MAY end up on sale at some point? Either on Huckberry or via a promo code over at Timex direct. Pure speculation on my part.
These pants are king. They also cost a flippin’ king’s ransom. Not cheap. But they’re the best. The warpstreme fabric is breathable, flexible, and there’s a gusset in the crotch for extra-ease of movement. The ABC trousers look great with everything from a t-shirt and sneakers to a dress shirt, blazer, and cap toe oxfords. They also have a new fit template with more room in the glutes and thighs than before. For perspective: my 5’10″/185 used to be a 32×30 in the classic fit. I’m now a 32×32 in their (new) slim fit. I can confirm that they have put a little more space in the glutes and thighs across their different fits. Also, the lengths seem to (maybe?) have changed a little too. A 32″ length doesn’t puddle around my ankles like it used to, but that might be because having to switch to their slim fit (as the new classic fit is too generous for my frame) makes the pants ride a little higher on my hips. Got all that? I hate to do the first person thing (me me me!) but I hope that helps a little.
The colors are, officially: “Sail/Hemp/Gum Light Brown/Fir.” And those look perfect for year-round, but summer especially.
These are the new, upgraded, premium versions of the wildly successful Halfday Garment duffels which show up every once in a while on Bespoke Post. This is the design which is part duffel, part garment bag, where it unzips so you can lay out a suit and roll it up and around other gear as to hopefully minimize wrinkles in transit. Exterior is a water- and abrasion-resistant 1680D Ballistic Nylon. Garment compartment holds of up to a 50R jacket (or dresses). Duffel compartment holds 3+ days’ worth of clothes. Shoe compartments fit up to size 13. Back trolly sleeve, exterior padded laptop sleeve, and they’ve even built in an interior pocket for neckties. Sold through Bespoke Post’s shop.
Classic casual rugged (and seasonal) menswear. Henleys are more interesting than a t-shirt, but nowhere near as polished as a polo. And these have that unmistakable, summery-texture thanks to the linen in the blend.
Summer means woven belts. And these stretch for comfort, in case you hit the bbq’d ribs a little too hard and need to digest slowly or risk the meat sweats.
Less of a new arrival and more of a summer standard. Because when the temperature rises, neckties often take a break. And a surefire way to make a suit-with-no-tie outfit look more balanced/less blank, is to put a pocket square in your jacket’s chest pocket. A pocket square with a white linen base and contrasting border is, frankly, perfect this time of year. Just a little texture and brightness thanks to the linen, and a bit of color thanks to the border. Five options available over at The Tie Bar, with a super subtle (and super cool) white on white option too.
Both are often on sale, so their prices will fluctuate quite a bit. Just gotta be patient and play the game. It does appear that J. Crew has a true hit on their hands with their new Tech Oxford Cloth line. Oxford is one of those fabrics that can play really well in summer thanks to it’s lighter colors and texture, but classic oxford cloth is sometimes a bit heavy. A teched out cotton/poly/stretch version made specifically for this time of year seems to be quite a good bet.
Not as versatile as the old, out of production 1978. But great looking all the same. And dashes of color are certainly on trend right now.
98% cotton, 2% spandex. Lots of warm-weather-ready colors. Proof that if done with just a little bit of intention, even dressing suuuuper casually can still look good.
Unlined, unstructured, but still summer suit worthy. They’re basically slippers. Blake construction. Made in Portugal. Also available in brown, tan, or gray suede.
Part of their unconstructed “unsuit” line that also does stand-alone blazers. Glen check pattern on a blue base that depending on which photo you’re looking at, either leans subtle (above) or WOW THAT’S BLUE.
Wow, if you squint those look like lululemon. They even have similar looking snaps on the rear pockets. No personal experience, and one has to assume there’s no way they’d feel or wear the same, but for twenty bucks they could be worth a shot. Available in either 8″ or 10″ inseams. Almost 5/5 stars with 200+ ratings. They’re called “hybrid” tech chinos shorts, but it certainly doesn’t look like these would have a liner in them for swimming. They just appear to be performance fabric based shorts made to look like standard chino shorts.
Super smart for the warmer seasons. A lighter gray to reflect the heat of the sun’s rays, and an Italian tropical wool specifically woven for warmer conditions. Nice work BR. Sold as separates too. So you get to pick the size of the jacket, and the size/length of the trousers. No nested pairs here, where you’re stuck with a jacket/trouser pair that can’t be broken up. Drops to $455 during a (rare-ish) 30% off sale.
They’re brilliant. So much so that Huckberry is running low on sizes. They get everything right that so many other brands get wrong about “hybrid” swim/hike/workout “adventure” shorts. They’re just as good in the water as they are out. They’re comfortable, they stretch, they’ve got a waist that cinches securely if you so choose, and they’re lined in a super soft performance “DryWetDry” boxer brief style liner (see the teal pair above with the leg rolled up) which is micro perforated, not meshy and itchy like old-school swim trunks. Lots of colors and a few patterns. Personally bought the “charcoal dot” shown above and a size medium fits my 5’10″/185lb normally size 32 waist in most pants and shorts frame perfectly. Available in either 5″ or 7″ inseam. That’s the 7″ option shown above.
For those living the sweet Loafer Life, and want to invest. Our shoe guy Adam LOVES Grant Stone. He’s super impressed with their materials and construction quality for the price. The price isn’t cheap, no doubt. But for the shoe lovers who want something relaxed yet still REALLY nice for the warm weather, these might be it.
WMP is one of those rare inexpensive brands that doesn’t feel like trash in your hands or on your face. They’re designed in Arizona (made in China of course), and whoever puts the ideas down on paper knows how to take a few stylistic risks without going overboard. Sold/shipped by Amazon.
For those that like to (or have to) dress up in Spring and Summer, nothing beats tropical wool trousers. They look great with a sharp shirt and lightweight sportcoat, and they’re downright old-school cool with a polo and loafers (or simple sneakers if you want to get a little more contemporary).
Full review here. Does everything and looks great as it does all the things. GMT function but has the body and bezel of a dive watch. Dive bezel for quick timekeeping jobs. 200m water resistance. Made in Japan Miyota 9075 automatic movement. 41mm diameter, 46mm lug-to-lug, 12.2mm case thickness + 2.4mm dome crystal, 20mm lug width. Should be easy to wear by most. Has some nice (but not overwhelming) wrist presence.
100% linen, so expect them to be extra breezy… and that they’ll wrinkle. But that’s what linen does. Multiple inseam lengths to choose from.
LIAM. … Think of these as super-fancy Nike Killshots, minus any logos on the sides. They’re “imported” and the construction says they’re cemented. So… even though they’re leather lined and appear to use pretty nice materials… this one falls firmly under the “waiting on a significant sale” category. “MAMA.”
Organic cotton, button down collar (so the points don’t curl/go drifting as the day wears on) and a handful of colors to pick from. Particularly partial to the heathered, almost chambray-looking options shown above.
Full review here. Ships and returns for free via Huckberry. Restocked and ready to go for another season. And again, it’s worth noting that Huckberry is (so far?) the only US based retailer to get their hands on these things. Which is huge. It used to be that you had to order them from England or the EU, which meant mega outbound shipping AND possible return shipping charges. No longer thanks to Huckberry.
Hopsack wool. Silk/Wool and linen blends. Look for stuff that says spring/summer weight and has less lining. Sizes are already starting to sell out. Great stuff, but Spier’s goods can move super fast.
Did we miss something warm-weather specific that should have made this list? Send those tips into: joe@dappered.com.
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