Subdued Summer

Summer is certainly the best time for a man to play with color in his wardrobe. Pastel hues, brightly colored madras, and all manner of jaunty prints and patterns come into there own when the sun is full and the temperatures high. But what about the man who is simply not inclined to all that foppish tomfoolery? For that matter, even the most dandy among us can't wear pink, canary yellow, kelly green and Nantucket red all the time. Fortunately, the tried and true staid alternative is also one of the most stylish:

Navy and white will always do the trick. Seen here are the gossamer jacket I mentioned before, navy and white striped shirt with white club collar (Brooks Brothers, $5.49), navy silk tie with white pin dots (Bert Pulitzer, 1980s vintage, $1.99) and a pocket square made from a cut out piece of an old shirt. Only tow colors at play here, but enough variety of texture, pattern, and scale to keep the eye interested.

Below, some new favorite khaki trousers in 55%silk/45% cotton with double forward pleats, a style that is rapidly replacing flat front as my personal favorite (Polo, $4.99), held up with English made Trafalgar braces ($2.99). I sense a return of early 1990s nostalgia coming on in fashion. Much of it will be awful, as so many "fashion" things are. But I think the good points will include pleated, fuller cut pants, braces, and double breasted jackets. So much better for the man who may be carrying an extra pound or two lately. All that tight and skinny was doing nothing for me. Time for clothes to fit again. The turquoise, dark blue shirts, large shoulder pads, and navy-suit-with-yellow-tie thing will hopefully miss the return bus. We'll see.

Dressing for Summer is fun, but it doesn't always have to be extreme. Navy and white with khaki and brown leather, rendered in soft cuts and light fabrics, does the trick nicely.



p.s. on the feet: brown tassel loafers and pale pink socks. C'mon, I had to work some pink into this somehow, right?