Building up a wardrobe for the first time — or overhauling an established one — generally happens in waves. Each season brings a new selection of clothing items. The scarves and heavier outerwear take a backseat to lighter, airier items. Depending on the locale and personal style, some lighter colors might match the turn towards warmer months as well.
Transitioning between seasons can be tricky. It’s never as simple as keeping all the same indoor wear and taking that outdoors with you. Seasonal changes are a great time to expand, taking your menswear options to the next level. Here are some key tips for how to make the next big refresh to your style as the summer months draw closer.
WHICH CLOTHING ITEMS SHOULD BE STORED AS WINTER TURNS TO SPRING?
There’s no better time to organize your wardrobe than during the transitional seasons. This spring, set aside time to go through all of the clothes and accessories that won’t be appropriate for the upcoming sunlight, heat, and humidity.
You’ll want to clean, fold, and store winter clothing items like:
- Wool sweaters
- Fleece vests
- Nylon jackets
- Tweed topcoats
- Gloves
- Scarves
- Wool socks
WHICH WINTER ITEMS CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO YOUR SUMMER WARDROBE?
Summer months aren’t always just sweltering heat. You’ll want to keep light raincoats, track jackets, and light vests around. Items that can be easily folded and taken along in a backpack or suitcase just in case of a rainy day or cooler-than-expected evening are great.
An airy knit blazer is the perfect item to wear year-round, so keep these on hangers. If this business casual style is part of your look, there’s no reason to leave it behind in the winter months. Consider adding new knit blazers in brighter, lighter colors to expand your wardrobe options in the summer.
And, of course, you’d be best served by some high-quality cotton blend socks. Breathable materials are crucial for making it through a long summer day.
THREE SIMPLE TIPS TO FOLLOW WHEN TRANSITIONING TO SUMMER FASHION
Everybody’s different, but most of us can rely on these three simple, crucial tips for updating our wardrobes for the summer:
1. LIGHTEN UP YOUR COLORS
Color choices do not apply universally. Everybody has a different aesthetic and looks best by applying their personal color theories when coordinating outfits. Getting advice from a menswear professional is a great way to figure out which colors look great on you.
But in a more general sense, you’ll be looking at lighter colors. Whites, lavenders, pinks, light blues, yellows, all colors that reflect light rather than absorb it. It’s great for comfort, and it provides a fantastic opportunity to show off a new side of your personal style.
2. BREATHABLE, LIGHTWEIGHT FABRICS ARE A MUST
Going with the lighter colors, you’ll also want to lean on different materials for the most part. This doesn’t mean ditching materials like wool altogether, though! Thinner, tropical wool is perfect for summer. Lighter linens are perfectly appropriate.
Summer tweed looks heavy, but has higher cotton content that makes it much more breathable than one might assume. And speaking of cotton, chambray is a great alternative to denim for the hottest summer days.
3. ROTATE IN MORE LOW-PROFILE FOOTWEAR
You’re going to wear more short-sleeved shirts and shorts over pants. Consider applying the same logic to your footwear. Low-profile sneakers instead of high-tops. Espadrilles look great and are incredibly comfortable. And yes, you can bring out the loafers that served you so well in the winter. They’ll look great even with a pair of all-day shorts.
ASK A FASHION EXPERT FOR ADVICE ON UPDATING YOUR PERSONAL STYLE FOR SUMMER
Building your winter wardrobe was all about layers. You had plenty of options, all looking great as you switched from indoor to outdoor modes. But the summer is a different situation altogether. You’ll spend most of your day in a single outfit, and each piece of clothing has to count. In the summer, there is a such thing as being overdressed.
So how can you pin down what your refreshed, seasonal aesthetic is going to be? Consider reaching out to the menswear professionals at Family Britches. We can help you decide which clothing items match your existing wardrobe. We can give you advice on color matching.
You can visit our physical locations in Chappaqua, NY, and New Canaan, CT, where one of our clothing professionals will be happy to pass along some advice. Or, you can simply reach out to us directly. We would be delighted to help you build — or refresh — an enduring summer wardrobe.
