subject: Low-cost Summer Style Fixes [print this page] To the extremely fashion-conscious man, a new season would mean a radically new set of clothes to keep up with the latest styles from the runway. A practical guy, on the other hand, knows that small tweaks and minor modifications are the only requirements to get your existing closet ready for the summer. These options require a minimal investment (if any) to prepare you for a whole-new season.
Rolled Up Rollover
Even small steps like rolling up can make your wardrobe seem new and fresh again for the season. Most guys own an extensive collection of shirts and neckties for work. You can easily reuse this - it's great for cooler summer evenings - by rolling up the sleeves and losing the tie. For an even more casual twist, wear a solid white tee or tank under the shirt and don't button it up. It creates a whole new look using the same shirt.
Previous seasons' styles are still useful, even when they've been proclaimed outdated by the fashion magazines. Do you remember the plaid and check trends from the last couple of winters? If they're not too thick, they're prime candidates for wearing rolled up and with a plain tee underneath.
Most everything worn on your limbs will look great when rolled up in the heat. Roll up your jeans a couple of times to show some ankle, and then throw on a straw fedora for a beachy hipster look. Take an old (preferably unlined) blazer and bunch the sleeves up on your forearm for a vacationing Euro vibe. Not only is rolling up a stylish (and cheap) move, it also keeps you cool now that the mercury's rising.
Buy the Basics
When buying new clothes, thinner basic pieces in linen, cotton and other lighter fabrics should be your first priority. Forget about all those earmarked 'trend' pieces for now; there's a very good chance that the fashion magazine editors will have forgotten them by next season too.
Tees, shirts and pants are the best investments for your closet right now, especially since they're about the only comfortable things you could wear. If you insist on wearing the heftier fabrics of yester-season, it's very likely that you'll be sweating your pants off by midmorning. Linen, cotton and their respective blends are good choices for the season because they let your skin breathe while wicking away some of your sweat.
If you have some cash left over, try buying a thin layering piece or two like a cardigan or a spring jacket. There are some cool nights, even in summer, and it's best to be prepared. Otherwise, accessories like eye-catching belts and showstopper neckties add drama to your outfit without adding any weight.
The Right Stuff
You wouldn't want to wear thin cotton alone during winter, just like how heavy tweeds are unwise for summer. There are appropriate fabrics for each season, and they're the best things to buy if you plan to add to your wardrobe in the coming months.
Instead of denim, for example, you may want to try on khakis or linen blend pants to get you through the warmer months. Both fabrics create less friction on the skin, meaning you're less discomfited when Mother Nature turns up the heat. You'll find that either kind is about as versatile as jeans. The only difference is that brighter colors are better suited for either fabric of pant because of the contrast that they'd provide.
Leathers also tend to have a hard time during high summer, when the humidity and the heat can wreak havoc on the material. Swap out your leather shoes and bags for their (usually cheaper) canvas counterparts, which can better withstand the heat, moisture and dust. Even better, canvas accessories look just as appropriate for the vacationer as they are for the nine-to-fiver. What more could one want?
A whole new wardrobe isn't the answer to finding great summer style. Once you learn to maximize the closet you already own and learn to wisely add to it, your summer clothes will be fashionable whether it's 2010 or 2060.
