It’s pretty much summer time here in SoCal!  And for most guys, that means resorting to a simple t-shirt and shorts.  Now there’s nothing wrong with that, but this weather doesn’t mean you have to only stick with that!  In this post, we’re gonna show you how to break out your blazers and suits and look cool and classy this summer!  I even wear the same shoes in each outfit to show just how diverse these shoes are.  Big thanks to Banana Republic for putting them on sale so I can buy them!

1.  Just Chillin

A cotton khaki blazer is an essential for menswear!  The light construction and lack of lining makes it ideal for hot weather.  Light browns, combined with blues, make a great color palette for summer.  In this outfit, I combine the blazer with a striped tee to keep the casual energy going.

Overall, this outfit makes it ideal for just about anything lowkey.  The double breasted jacket gives it an edge and gives you a cool place to store your items.

Check out that purple lined pocket square!  People say that your pocket square needs to take the existing colors of the outfit, but I believe that it can be a stand alone item, if its minimalistic.  On another note, check out the patch pockets on the jacket!  Easy for slipping your shades or wallet into!

While I love to hem pants, jeans should be left at their length.  This gives you the option of rolling them up!  Cuffs are definitely cool.

Thrifted Striped Shirt, Khaki DB from Suit Supply, Jeans from Pacsun, Thrifted Pocketsquare

2.  The Casual Three Piece

How do you keep a three piece casual?  Make all the pieces separate!  What makes this outfit work is that even though each piece is different, they all have a summer tone.  For example, the grey vest is very muted; it can be worn with the mauve blazer or just by itself!

Going with a three piece is awesome, because its basically like having an interchangeable wardrobe.  Wear just the vest during the day and then put on the jacket once its night!  Wearing the three piece sans tie and with “sockless” monkstraps  will turn this from boardroom corporate to night out with the guys.  Even if you’re going out for a drink at a milkshake bar, catching a jazz concert, or even just a movie, you deserve to look freakin’ fly.

You all know how much I love patterns right?  Check this bad boy:  Windowpane on plaid, on microstripes.  Its an outfit that gets better the closer you get to it!

Check out that fit!  What’s awesome is that this blazer isn’t expensive.  You can pick it up at H&M for $70!  It’s often hard to find a great windowpane blazer in a modern style for less than $1000!   Some people will bag on H&M, but I love it.

Instead of white linen blend pants, these are actually twill jeans I got at Forever 21 years ago.  I got them tapered and hemmed a bit, and they work fantastically.  You can’t tell from the picture, but it adds another texture (and pattern) to the mix.  They’re diverse and can be dressed up like in this outfit or dressed down!  You can literally buy white jeans anywhere.  Just make sure they fit well!  That’s the trick to pulling them off.

Mauve windowpane jacket from H&M, Microstripe Spread Collar Shirt from Uniqlo,

Thrifted Plaid Vest, White Twill Jeans from Forever 21  

3.  Suiting Up

Lightweight white suits are the best for summer.  Just remember not all suits are made of wool or heavy weight fabrics!  Menswear has thought of everything and men always love comfort, so just look around: there are perfectly comfortable and breathable suits to be found!  This suit is no exception.

While not exactly white (more like off white), most guys would wear this with blues.  To break the mold, I decided to go a bit preppy and wear a salmon shirt.  Instead of a striped chambray tie (frequented by J. Crew manniquins), I went with a vintage Armani tie that I got from my dad.  It’s a bit whimsical and adds some huge patterns to an otherwise color blocked outfit.

Yes, those are slices of kiwi on my my tie.  Nothing says tropical tailoring like some fruit right?  I echoed the kiwi print with this awesome pocket square my best friend gave me for my birthday!  While the colors are bright, the dark blue lining works with the dark colors of tie.

Now, you don’t need to go sockless everytime!  If you’ve got light socks with a great pattern, you can definitely wear them in summer!

Can’t you tell how diverse these shoes are?

Suit from Zara, Salmon Shirt from H&M, Kiwi Heirloom Armani Tie, Pocket Square from Scotch and Soda

Conclusion

With these outfits (or ones like them) you’ll definitely keep and look cool in the summer.  Either way, this weather is no excuse not to get sprezzy!  Keep your blazer on for a change!  Each of these looks were hard tested and used for the entire day.  Don’t worry: if I can survive the heat comfortably in these clothes, so can you!

So which outfit is more your style?  Do you have any great suit ideas for summer time?  Let us know by commenting below!

Always a pleasure,

Ethan W.

Photography by Jon Hwang and Ethan W.