With summer well and truly underway you may still find yourself with a little shopping to do if you are going to catch up with the men’s fashion now featuring in high street shops like House of Fraser. Summer 2011 has brought quite a mixed bag of men’s fashion, and the depth of choice out there this season must surely be welcomed as a liberating chance to find clothes that are both ‘now’, and actually suit your body type. Here we’ll take a brief look at some of the men’s fashion essentials for this summer.
With the American preppy look making a big comeback on the fashion runways this year, the boat shoe has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. The boat shoe is a flexible bit of footwear, that can be worn sockless with tailored shorts, or equally comfortably combined with some preppy chinos.
If you are plumping for preppy, the summer sweater is a must have item, and just how bold you want to go colour-wise is up to you. Colourful knitwear is at the core of the layered preppy look, and a good summer sweater will work with both chinos and shorts. In the British summer, a summer sweater is above all a practical addition to your wardrobe, when you occasionally end up braving the elements when the weather changes quickly, threatening your barbecue.
The chambray shirt is a trend with legs, that started appearing in fashion shows as early as Spring 2010. Truly a men’s fashion essential that looks set to be with us for a good while to come, many people are expanding their ownership of chambray shirts to cover different bases, from casual loose fit to tight fitting, tailored dressing up pieces. The choice of chambray shirts out there makes this a flexible fashion item, and if you shop around a bit you are sure to find a cut that perfectly suits your build.
The espadrille is the runaway success story in shoes this year, never mind this summer. Lightweight canvas uppers provide a shoe that rivals the plimsoll for easy-on versatility, and provides a bit more protection when out and about in town than the distinctly ‘dad’ looking sandal. Fitting well with both jeans and chinos, the espadrille has the versatility to go with looks from preppy casual to guitar god.
The bomber jacket has resurfaced in the wake of continued interest in military inspired looks. Like the aviator jacket that made a big comeback in both women and men’s fashion last autumn, the bomber jacket provides both style and substance, providing proper protection from the elements that can see you right through the winter. With every major designer in men’s fashion featuring at least one take on the bomber jacket in their summer collections, the bomber is arguably the prime mover in men’s jackets this summer.
