Spring Series: Bottoms

I think it’s safe to assume that each of you reading this probably has a pair of light brown khaki’s or chinos. It’s just one of those things that we all need at one point or another. But what you probably don’t have, and is a great item for your wardrobe in the warm months, is a pair of colored chinos.

Wearing colored chinos says two things: that you’re confident, and that you know how to adjust your color palette based on the climate. Jumping into colored pants can feel a bit risky as first, and you don’t have to go all out with bright yellow pants. You can dip your toes in by going with a caramel or even a royal blue. How bold you go with color will fully depend on your confidence level.

But when you go bold down low, just remember to keep the shirt a bit more subdued. You want to be noticed, but you don’t necessarily want to attract too much attention. Style Girlfriend has a nice list of colored chinos that you can start with, ranging in many different colors.

And when it’s really hot out, try out some colored chino shorts (same tips apply) or roll up your pant legs and let your ankles get some fresh air.

Comfortable is the new “cool” …or something like that. We typically try to stay away from the “trendy” items here at ACS, but in this case I’ll make an exception. I’m a big fan of the new jogger style of pants that are becoming popular. Originating from the street style trend of wearing comfortable, athletic clothing, joggers are now making their way into the more mainstream areas of men’s style.

As with many of the things we promote, joggers come in a myriad of styles to suit all tastes. The key is finding a quality pair that suits yours. The common idea might be to grab a pair of sweatpants-style joggers and wear it with a t-shirt.

There’s a better way to execute this – wear your joggers with a button-up (oxford cloth, if you’ve got one) for a bit of style. Or find yourself a pair of atypically styled joggers and step it up another notch. I’m currently on the hunt for a quality pair of slim, khaki-style joggers (I just purchased the pair linked in the image).

Jeans come up often for a reason. I won’t go too deeply into the details of why we love jeans and why you should, if you don’t already. However, I will say a couple things about wearing jeans in warmer weather: First off, stick to lighter shades of blue for sunny days. They’ll look better with the brighter, springtime colors you’re sporting.

Secondly, look for lighter weight denim to keep you both looking and feeling cool on spring (and cooler summer) days – and that’s daytime only. Darker denim is still king when you’re heading out on the town for the night.

A year ago I was pretty skeptical about corduroy shorts. Cords seemed liked they should be reserved for the late fall and winter. But then I tried a pair of cord shorts and got hooked.

I bought a pair from The Gap (Actually, we both have the same pair – M) and they’re now my favorite shorts. Most cord shorts will be pretty thin, so you don’t have to worry about overheating in thick material. Brooks Brothers has a nice looking pair on sale right now.

There are many different styles of cord shorts, and there haven’t been many tops that I couldn’t pair with them. They’re perfect with t-shirts, and even long sleeve button downs.

First and foremost, if you’re wearing cargo shorts, throw them away. There is nothing stylish about wearing shorts that look like you can store groceries in the pockets. And they generally look very bad when you’re wearing a slimmer/fitted shirt.

The length of your shorts shouldn’t fall past your knees. Maybe the bottom of your knee cap at the absolute longest. Anything shorter is fair game, and I generally find that shorts falling at the top of my kneecap is the sweet spot (I’m a bit braver and wear mine a bit shorter. Find your own comfort level – within our suggestions of course – M) . Your mileage may vary, but they call them shorts for a reason.