Simple Man Summer
part four of the menswear deep dive - warm weather edition
Dressing for summer is annoying. Personally it is not my strongest season wardrobe-wise. But I’m giving it a menswear go so you lot can suffer a little less in your search for a good ole fit in high temps. Here’s hoping this also means I won’t be subjected to so many teeny tiny pairs of shorts this year. Paul Mescal you will pay for your crimes against mens fashion.
If you are not Paul Mescal, please continue to read. If you are Monsieur Mescal (though highly unlikely) please take a minute to reflect on that particular outfit choice. Then handwrite me an apology letter. Thank you.
Anyway… it’s almost the season that requires you do your favourite thing: The Bare Minimum™️.1 And this time it’s in the wardrobe department! This is where you clap and cheer like a sitcom audience. Thank you, thank you. If only we could all go shopping together and I could brutally say no to every single one of your suggestions.2 A dream day out for you I’m sure.
Yes, all the men you are about to see are likely considered generically very handsome blah blah whatever. Look at the clothes. These are base ideas for clothing onto which you can add anything else you find that you actually like. This isn’t the only way to approach what to wear this summer of course. It’s more of a helping hand if you’re feeling lost about where to start. And if you already have a solid start, consider this potential inspiration for pieces or looks that could develop your existing wardrobe. It should be fun, it should be flirty, it should be light. Just like summer.
I have split the bases into three niche style categories. Each one has its references and, further on, some shoppable links if you feel like treating yourself and/or getting a head start on your simply stylish summer.
Simple European Film Man
He’s charming, he’s suave, and he’s friendly with the locals.
Cappuccinos on the terrace, aperitivo by the sea, making your signature pasta from scratch for your guests while wearing the apron you brought from home—must protect the garms of course. This look is a gentleman from the movies that your grandma still has on VHS.
It’s sleek and classic and needn’t be determined by your wealth or age despite its historical context. It’s very easily achievable because it doesn’t require brands, logos or complicated silhouettes. It’ll keep you looking put together even when you’ve hardly tried. What’s not to love about that.
His list of staples:
linen button downs in white & black, short sleeve and long sleeve
linen/cotton straight leg trousers
merino wool fine knit in navy, white or black
cotton shirts in muted colours like salmon pink, peach, mint, cornflower blue, light yellow
bermuda shorts, wide or regular in navy, black, cream, white
black leather belt
shoes: classic black loafer, if any trainer: a white/cream converse type, a sandal with interesting detail
His go-to brands:
Adret - by appointment only in their London store, which I finally realised after watching the stop motion short film on their site three times.
Vintage Armani
United Colours of Benetton
Zegna
His icons:
If you want to dig deeper into this niche yourself, these are the stylish figures I recommend you look at.
Giorgio Armani
Alain Delon
Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
Tom Selleck (maybe the only man whose short-shorts I will forgive)
Simple Trendy Boyfriend Man
He’s laidback, he’s patient, and he’s busy every night this week.
He kind of knows what’s going on in the world of men’s fashion, but not overly bothered about how it affects his outfits, though it always finds its way into the wardrobe eventually. His friends want to know where he got this and that, to which he gives every detail and a full review. No gatekeeping here because the clothes can be switched up and styled in so many ways that they’ll all wear the same t-shirt without realising.
There’s a slouch and slight mess to this look. It’s not super refined but it doesn’t feel chaotic either. Just comfy and lived in. Sort of like it was the first thing you did today and the last thing on your mind. And before you say anything, yes there are shorts in here that could be considered evocative of the Mescal signature BUT they’re a little different. The public is less likely to fear getting flashed with one gust of east coast wind around these shorts.
His list of staples:
textured loose jumper
sports brand lifestyle-section shorts
white ankle socks
baseball-style cap
loose cotton short sleeve tee, vintage wash style in a few colours
terry towelling shorts
cotton/linen blend casual wide leg trousers in darker colours or pinstripe
loose-fit khakis
shoes: suede birkenstock Boston clog, converse, wallabees, fashion trainers (asics, salomon etc)
His go-to brands:
Uniqlo
Vintage J Crew
Gap
Nike
His icons:
If you want to dig deeper into this niche yourself, these are the stylish figures I recommend you look at.
JFK jr (street style)
Jacob Elordi
Frank Ocean
Josh Harnett (90s)
Simple 2000s Tabloid Celeb Man
He’s silly, he’s outgoing, and he’s always invited to the after party.
It’s a little bit rockstar, a little bit sports star, a lot off duty. It’s the braver of the three because it calls for no fucks given this summer. So maybe it’s out of your comfort zone but if it intrigues you in the slightest start by slowly adding in a long cargo short in a simple colour here and a shorter-than-usual tee there.
There are R&B influences in this look of fitted tanks contrasting oversized pants and a heavy Y2K feel in a non-trendy way. It’s more that you dare to enjoy wearing exactly what you want when the sun is out. You may also dream of being on the front page of every paper for your most recent scandal.
His list of staples:
flip flops
cargo shorts
tank tops in a few colours
boxy/cropped tees
high v-neck short sleeve
low waist baggy jeans
low waist drawstring cargo-style trousers
a sarong
big watch
sunglasses - styles: wraparound, aviator or sport
His go-to brands:
Maharishi
Oakley
eBay for rare vintage tees
90s-00s Abercrombie & Fitch
His icons:
If you want to dig deeper into this niche yourself, these are the stylish figures I recommend you look at.
David Beckham (00s height of career w/ posh spice)
Colin Farrell
Pharrell
Lenny Kravitz
You do not have to limit your summer style to one simple man. You could blend anything from any of them and find the result is a much better representation of where you want to set your summer style. In fact, I recommend this approach to guarantee you feel like yourself in your fits.
If you do prefer one simple man style in particular, test out ways your current wardrobe can create this then browse for anything you might be missing. But beyond that do not hesitate to go rogue if you find an absolutely gut-pulling gem of a piece. That’s the point. It should be an amalgamation. Just keep in mind that, obviously, in summer less should be exactly that.3 You don’t want to be sweating under a heavy reproduction of a WWI flight jacket, as sick as it might be, so find your balance of fun and function and save yourself the deodorant expense.4
For your convenience, I hunted down some non-affiliated selects for the simple niches three if you’re suddenly inspired to refresh your closet offerings right this minute…