Man Fashion: Summer Office Styles

Spring is definitely over and summer is where we are now. You want to stay cool at work, and you’re not just thinking temperature. If you’re not working at Microsoft, Google, or any of the big tech companies, chances are you don’t get the luxuries of wearing whatever you want. So how can you stay cool in the hot sun without being in the hot seat? Below are some pointers to get you started, and examples on how to use these guidelines to work for you.

Think about fabric: Pima cotton is breathable, versatile for all season, and has outstanding quality for clothing. Cotton blends, particularly with stretch wool or rayon/viscose, are great during the summer and keep your clothes fitted to your body. Linen is definitely a must-have in summer attire.

Think of colors: Try mixing bolder shades of spring pastel hues to “spring” into summer. Bold and vibrant colors can look cool and still be comfortable, such as various shades of purple, orange, and blues. Earth and neutral tones – like olives, tans, and browns – are definitely a standard and can look professional with minimal effort. Whites and greys are staples and versatile even when paired with bolder colors to accentuate your personal look. Minimize wearing black as much as possible. If you do wear black, get that in breathable fabrics like linen or cotton chinos, or look for it in subtle patterns.

Think of your workplace: Format your attire based on the dynamic of your workplace. Don’t wear sandals or flip flops if your work does not call for it.



Putting It All Together



No matter what fabrics, color and workplace, the most important of summer office wear is able to give you comfort and express individual personal styles.

Man Fashion: Spring Summer 2010 Collection

London Fashion Week finished on an extreme high with a day dedicated to menswear, diversity was the word on each fashionistas lips as Spring/Summer 2010 was translated into the male language.

James Long’s collection was inspired my quality street wrappers and depicted both function and protection. Trousers greatly resembling his inspiration strutted down the catwalk teamed with rather sexy gilt edged camouflage; leather and select pieces of knitwear bought the collection together and showed which seasons it was created for. While the collection didn’t scream wear ability it did show Long’s talent when it came to creating unique menswear, it wouldn’t suit the average male or situation but then again when was Fashion practical.



Christopher Shannon took what should always be wrong and made it fashionably right as he sent his models down the catwalk with dodgy tan lines, ‘fanny packs’ and the cardinal sin of socks with sandals.



Unlike other designers Shannon’s collection was based on wear ability, he struck a balance between street style and high fashion; he isn’t interested on being the name on everybody’s lips, he creates clothing for the ever growing niche market that has patented his distinctive designs. Overbearing yet chic prints and his love of luxe sportswear have clearly paved his way into the fashion elite. In his own words his inspiration for his S/S 10 line “Donk, clashing sportswear and bootleg prints”

Contributed by: Charlotte Johnson

Man Fashion: Summer Stripes Fashion

Just as summer finally hots up, man fashion stores are already filling up with wintry clothes - it's hardly ready-to-wear. The month of July and August is always the Bermuda Triangle of clothes shopping, when the fashion- hungry have to use their wardrobe like a store cupboard - to be stocked up with woollen goodies which aren't quite ready for wearing.

Everyone knows that new clothes have to be worn right now, not next month, and although a few die-hard fashion followers might be prepared to sweat out the rest of the summer in Prada's cashmere cape or Balenciaga's double- breasted suit, most of us would rather keep cool in the more literal sense of the word.

Yet, by August, there's an understandable reluctance to splash out on a summer trend that might very well look stale before the month is out. So forget CK and Gucci - only a few trends are going to make it to the end of the summer season, and right up there in the lead is stripes.

The stripe may be the insignia of this particular summer, but there are a handful of designers who always step in line, particularly, man fashion designers such as Paul Smith and Jean Paul Gaultier as stalwart supporters who have made them a signature for their labels.


Both Smith's English Eccentric version of multicoloured vertical stripes and Gaultier's traditional navy-and-white Breton pattern are having their time in the sun. They chose their trademarks well, because stripes, more than polka dots or houndstooth check, are a classic. That's why they don't suffer for appearing late in the season. In their simplest form, stripes can cast off any designer reference to Fifties beachwear or Sixties Op Art, and only seem clean and modern.

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Tags: Man Fashion, Stripes Fashion, Men Summer Fashion