subject: Solving Men's Summer Style Dilemmas [print this page] When it comes to fashion, summer is rarely all flowers and sunshine. It's a time that's fraught with problems for the style-conscious man who wants to make a statement, but would prefer to do so without sweating off a kilo. Addressing these issues requires a mix of practical sense and hard-won experience with your closet. Here are a couple of the roadblocks you're likely to meet, as well as the easiest ways to work around them.
Funky Feet
Sweat is as much a part of summer as scantily clad teenagers and beach vacations. It's a normal part of life, yes, but it's a ticking faux pas bomb just waiting to blow up all in your face. If you've ever attended a three-hour long midday summer wedding in formal shoes, you know the kind of podiatric problem being discussed.
Canvas is the quickest and easiest solution to this problem, especially now that they come in myriad designs. Canvas gives your feet more ventilation than leather, while being easy to clean at the same time. That gives you license to wear them without socks, just as much as the fact that sockless is meant to be the way they're worn. Use foot sprays or medicated soaps if the problem still persists.
Leather isn't a very smart idea on warmer days, first and foremost because the material doesn't breathe. Your feet are literally stuck in there for the whole event, and all that heat and sweat won't be going anywhere. Dark, damp and warm - an apt description of the in-shoe conditions - is also the perfect combination for mold growth.
Sock-free shoes are still possible with leather pairs, although it's not something that you should turn into a habit. Keep your feet in there for an hour or two at most, and then give your shoes a thorough airing out with shoe trees afterward.
Rolling Rules
Necktie undone, top buttons open and sleeves rolled up: it's a look that many men have done and countless more will do after them. With guys' fashion so strictly governed by rules, the situation begs the question. Is there a 'right' way to roll up your sleeves?
There are multiple ways to roll up your sleeves, and you choose the ideal one like you chose that unusual striped necktie or patterned linen blend socks. In short, you pick the technique that you felt like following.
A man in a hurry would probably just push his sleeves up and let the fabric bunch up somewhere on his arm. Slightly more elegant than that method is one that involves folding your cuffs out and then pulling on them until the end of the fabric fold is near your elbow. It's rakish, but it definitely gets the job done.
The neatest way is, of course, the classic style of rolling the sleeve a cuff width up at a time until you reach your elbow. A more modern (yet just as simple) routine is to open the cuff and the pull it all the way up until the crease is around your elbows. Roll about one and a half to two inches of cuff up to just above your elbow. It's a reinforced roll-up technique that has a bit of rakish to it to boot.
Hat Head
For men, there are fashion statements, and then there are the FASHION STATEMENTS. A hat, while very comfortable, is usually thought to fall into the second category. Even if it was valid, it shouldn't stop you from using one very summery accessory.
Trilbies and fedoras (especially ones made of beach-friendly materials like straw) always make a comeback during summer. Expect to see more of the same style next summer, and the next summer after that. In short, don't feel bad about shelling out ten to twenty bucks, since you'll likely be wearing the hat for at least a couple of years.
Hats can already make quite a statement, so you'll want to wear it with a basic outfit that has discreet colors and graphics. Keep the focus on the hat, maintain a laid back vibe and lose the socks. You'll be all ready for summer.
