Shown here at two price points, a summer ensemble that wears layers and pants and still feels comfortable, effortless and purposeful. The kind of look you can rock for Sunday brunch, iced coffee, or a casual patio dinner without a second thought.
Knit button-downs have been the king of warm-weather style in recent years. They can lean toward the boho-hippy style with loose, sometimes transparent fabrics, or super preppy with nautical trim or stripes. This one takes a different route, with its textured space tint.
Space dyeing is a yarn dyeing technique in which a single strand is dyed with multiple colors at intervals, creating a multitonal, variegated or marbled effect in the final fabric. The effect here seems casual but refined. Pair it with flowy pleated pants and loafers and it also works great as a dressier summer look.
The Timex Standard at $54 is the budget anchor of this outfit and gets the job done, but if you’re ready to spenda $675 Hamilton Khaki Field lives in the same visual neighborhood, with a cream dial, leather/fabric strap, vintage field watch DNA, and Swiss movement. Same look, different commitment.
Many guys come in late spring and freeze. They find shorts too casual or worry about their legs, jeans are too hot and heavy, and they don’t know what “summer pants” means in practice. This set answers that with a pattern: lightweight linen and cotton pants as an alternative to shorts, a tank top as a base layer for real warmth, and an open-knit polo shirt as what makes it look like a set instead of pajamas.
Open knit polos, baggy pants, and Birkenstocks are having a sustained moment in men’s fashion right now, but none of them are new. The Arizona sandal has been around since the ’70s. Pleated or relaxed pants have replaced slim fits as the default garment in recent years. Textured knit polos are the dominant summer top at J.Crew, Todd Snyder, Buck Mason, A&F, and basically every menswear brand. Buy any of these parts and they will continue to work for you for years.
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