Men’s Summer Style Tips

Setting yourself apart from others is thinking about the areas that other people don’t. Belts are a perfect of example of this. Think past the typical brown or black leather belt and throw in something fun and colorful.

My favorite belt right now is a navy blue and white striped d-ring belt. It goes with just about everything I wear. I also have a green, blue, and white striped belt (pictured) that adds a nice bit of flavor to an outfit.*

There are lots of styles and options for belts that make wearing them fun. Braided belts are a good choice that can add both color and texture into your outfit. Canvas belts are also a good option for different colors and patterns.

Two good things about finding a stylish non-leather belt for the summer. First is that they’re inexpensive. You don’t have to pay big bucks to get a good one. Second, you can dress them way down or wear them with a chinos and a sports coat to work or a wedding. They’re very flexible as long as the colors compliment everything else.

*Quick note from Marvin: Just to corroborate, I have a blue and white cotton, striped belt I wear all the time that is HEAVILY complimented by my female friends. These are definitely the details that get noticed.

It’s the summer time, and at some point or another you’re going to find yourself in some water. Since swimming trunks will be the only thing you’re wearing, you can get as funky as you want without worrying about clashing with your shirt, shoes, or whatever else.

Plain colored trunks are boring, and too easy. You can literally choose from hundreds unique patterns for your trunks so don’t be too shy. It’s really tough to go wrong so don’t be afraid to take some risks. Style Girlfriend has a great list of funky trunks you can buy this year.

On the opposite end of that recommendation, print t-shirts (such as the one to the left I’ve recently acquired) seem to be the new hotness this summer. Print differs from patterns in that patterns are woven into the fabric and typically present all over the entire shirt. Print, however, is printed on top of the fabric and can sometimes just cover a section of or the entire shirt. The same rules for wearing patternsapplies with prints.

And except for only the rarest of occasions, try to avoid wearing funny slogan t-shirts. They can come off as juvenile and immature. Not everyone may appreciate the joke and this can kill a first impression. I’ll admit I have one or two in my collection, but I only wear it on those very specific times where I know for sure it’ll go over mostly well.

T-shirts – easy; basic; simple; boring. Right? Well, yes and no. They are simple, but that’s actually part of what can make them so easily stylish and easy to execute. Getting the fit right is pretty simple – make sure they fall to approximately mid-zipper and don’t billow around the waist.

Plain actually works really well for t-shirts. With plain colored t-shirts, stick with quality, soft materials and solid construction. I own about 7-10 of these soft, stretch cotton t-shirts from H&M in various colors. They pair well with busier shorts like this pair of chambray shorts I recently picked up.

Art of Manliness has a great guide on t-shirts that you should check out.