The great thing about men’s fashion these days is that there is so much to choose from. Whereas fashion was once the domain of women – men were expected to dress in the same way without thinking about it – male style is all the rage these days. In fact, there is so much to choose from it can be difficult deciding upon an outfit!
Each of us gets our inspiration from a different place or person. You may have seen someone on the street wearing a set-up you liked, or perhaps a celebrity photograph gave you an idea of a jacket you like. TV, film and sports stars all endorse fashion brands these days, and with great success.
So, how do you decide what to wear, and what looks good this year? As we said, the choice is vast, so let’s talk first about the smart-casual look that is all the rage.
Smart Casual is In
Source: Pinterest
There are a few ways to look at the smart-casual style. One is to stick to the old, traditional method: wear a good, well-fitting pair of jeans, a classy t-shirt or polo shirt, and a blazer or single-breasted jacket. This is the classic look, and it works. But, and we’re not condemning what is a timeless look, don’t you want to be a bit different?
One way of going smart-casual and looking the part is to don a linen suit. This is the perfect summer style, one that is also timeless and not over-fussy, and there are some truly excellent suits out there that are not expensive such as those on dobell.co.uk. We suggest a neutral colour – grey and light brown are very much in vogue at the moment – and leave the waistcoat out. That’s for a more formal look.
Also, for the true smart-casual style, overlook the standard rule of doing up your jacket buttons, it looks far less formal. One last thing about the linen suit: don’t roll the sleeves up, Miami Vice is extremely dated!
The Summer Look
Source: Twitter
There was once a time when a man would not dare to be seen wearing shorts in public unless he was playing a sport! Not so now, as the knee-length summer short is a must-have garment for any discerning man’s wardrobe. The only problem is this – do you go for colour or monochrome? Or do you go patterned or plain?
This depends on your personal choice, of course, but we reckon there are a few rules to consider. First, if you’re heading to the beach – and as this is the UK, that’s not going to be too often – then anything goes. Bright colors, garish patterns, anything you want is acceptable on the beach (like these). If you’re going out on the town, to the pub or even to the shops, we reckon you should go monochrome.
In fact the monochrome look is very much in, and you can check here for advice on how to carry it off along with more men’s fashion inspiration, but it makes a welcome change from the bright colors that you will undoubtedly be confronted with everywhere on a reasonably warm day. Grey and white look great together, and make for a cool combination.
The Detail Touches
Source: Lookastic
No outfit is complete without paying attention to a few details. Sunglasses, for example: these are a necessity in bright sunlight, especially when driving, and you can find some truly stylish designs these days at surprisingly affordable prices. You want to match them to your outfit though and one of the most versatile colours to choose for summer is black or a brown tortoise. It depends if you prefer a cooler or warmer palette for clothing.
Then there’s shoes, one of the most difficult of all items to choose and match. If you’re looking for a less formal style, we suggest you check out deck shoes. These are stylish and comfortable, cheap and very wearable, yet also unpretentious. Great with a pair of jeans or shorts – and equally so with lightweight chinos (examples here) and a linen suit – you should invest in a good pair for summer, as there’s always a call for light and airy shoes. Espadrilles are great in the heat too, especially with shorts.
There is so much to write about men’s fashion inspiration that we could go on for pages, but we reckon we’ve given you some great ideas to play with. Remember, keep it simple and stick to timeless style – there’s a reason it’s timeless – and you really can’t go wrong, so why not have a look around and add some new touches to your wardrobe.
