Great summer styles for men

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner so I thought I’d pull together some great summer styles for men. I wanted to show a variety of looks that can take guys from casual to evening. Since there is a misconception that Washington men have no place to shop, all of the clothes I selected can be purchased from Washington area stores.

Look 1: Street Style

The street style casual look is not going away anytime soon. This season, why not lighting up the look? Pastels and lighter colors look great on men and these lighter colors are perfect for the summertime. Lighter colors don’t absorb heat as much as darker shades especially black which is ideal, as the season turns much warmer.

On Donnell, I chose a salmon shade of denim by Joe’s Jeans. The lighter color in the pastel family is a great choice for summer. Notice that the jeans are not ripped. Although the ripped jean look continues to be a popular choice they are often banned for a night out at the club. By not been ripped along with the lighter shape make these a great option for a night out on the town. I paired the jeans with a bold print tee from Scotch and Soda. Bold prints are another great trend for the season. To finish the look, I added a lightweight jacket from Laboroitorie. This fun jacket is a little retro and a great final touch. All of these clothes are available at Stitched. Stitched is located at MGM in National Harbor.

Watches are a great accessory that guys can incorporate with any outfit. A funky watch is a great addition to a street style look. This Meistersinger Urban Day Date automatic watch is unique in that it is a single hand watch.

Look 2: Updated Casual

The updated casual look is an ideal choice for a great date night look. On Paul, I chose a lightweight linen blazer. An unconstructed blazer in cotton or linen is a great warm weather jacket for when the evenings may have a little chill. To keep the look neutral, I went with an off white 5 pocket pant. While the pants look like a light denim, they are actually linen, a lighter fabric ideal for summer. Keeping with the bold print trend, I added the bold print shirt to give the neutral look some pizzazz.

Accessories for guys can not only complete a fantastic look for great summer styles but they can be functional as well. Sunglasses protect from eyes from harmful UV rays but also look great in the process. A round pair of sunnies is a great look this season. The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date with its red dial adds a little pop of color to this overall neutral look. All of the clothes on Paul are available at Billy Reid in Georgetown.

Look 3: Office chic

When we think of office, we always think of navy, gray and charcoal suits if you already have these colors and want to branch out a bit more try a blazer/slack combination for the office. It’s a bit more informal but you’re still in a jacket and tie and business attire appropriate.

I predict patterns will continue to be big into summer. Look for it in shirting and as well as in tailored looks and for those a little bolder try a bit of pattern mixing. On Tony, I played with subtle pattern on pattern by Incorporating the pastel pink in the tie and the pocket square with this great plaid blazer. Bright colors are also a key trend for the season. This look is from Ike Behar also located in Georgetown. The Grand Seiko 9S 20^th Anniversary GMT is an ideal and great looking business watch.

Look 4: The Event Look

Often times, special occasions such as cocktail parties and weddings still require guys to wear a suit. You can still keep it light by using fabrics like cotton, linen and even some lightweight wools. Again play with patterns and textures. In keeping with the trends, I opted for bold prints and colors. Here I chose a windowpane suit with an orange paisley tie. This look is from Paul Stuart from their CityCenterDC and was created through their CustomLab made to measure program.

Here are a couple of secrets if you have trouble fitting in suits. Some brands and stores offers suiting as separates so you can get a better fit with minimal tailoring. Also consider a made to measure option, which you can get a suit really designed for your body. What’s nice is there are options in all price points from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand and the delivery times have gotten even shorter. The typical made to measure suit can take about 3 -4 weeks but can be completed as fast as 1 week.

For my watch, I like a watch to look like watch but connected watches can add a bit of convenience with enhanced technology. I’m wearing the Frederique Constant Classics Horological Smart Watch. It has some great features like activity tracking, sleep monitoring, dynamic coaching and worldtimer.

Check out my talk on great summer styles for men from my appearance on Great Day Washington.

Watches for great summer styles courtesy of Little Treasury Jewelers.