With the school summer holidays just around the corner, Pimms appearing as the choice of drink in bars around the UK, and flip flops nonchalantly creeping (wrongly) into the office attire, it can only mean one thing: summer is finally here. Although the exotic holiday you booked in the depths of winter is just weeks away, it always has the ability to catch us unawares. Strawberries and cream and swamps of mud at Glastonbury are two of summer’s guarantees, but perhaps the season’s greatest hallmark is our willingness to abandon all sartorial taste as we saunter carelessly onto foreign shores.
Winter is a season us Brits are able to do well without a care in the world; chunky knit jumpers, an impermeable coat and sturdy leather boots are all the bread and butter of the British man’s wardrobe. But the sun and warmth of summer can leave us like rabbits in the headlights, grabbing frantically for flamboyantly coloured printed shirts and Olly Murs-esque straw hats in an attempt to show off our playful summer side. That said, summer should be the easiest season to dress for; it requires less clothes, lighter pieces, and a wardrobe of strong staples is easily enough to keep you looking and feeling cool until it’s time to call on your autumnal trench coat. Here are the five staple pieces every man needs to nail down to stay sharp on holiday.
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Buy now with The Hut Polo Shirt
Buy now with free deliveryFamously created by Grand Slam-winning tennis legend-turned-fashion-designer René Lacoste, the humble polo shirt was originally designed as an alternative to the cumbersome, stiff tennis gear of the 20th century. Crafted from loosely knit cotton with a breathable piqué weave that allowed for greater ventilation, the polo shirt was swiftly adapted by fashionistas for its embodiment of summer cool.
GANT’s white polo shirt is a standout example, with a cooling piqué construction, classic ribbed short sleeves, and subtle colour contrast detailing to the collar.
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Buy now with The Hut Trainers
Buy now with free deliveryAll-White Trainers: While we often like to mix it up with our colour schemes during the summer months, white should be your go-to colour whether for shirts, tees or trainers. An all-white pair of trainers is a stylish option all year round, but—as we’ve all found out at some point—they won’t last you five minutes in winter. Summer is the time to capitalise on the all-white sneaker’s effortless style, and the monochrome edition of Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Stars are versatile enough to be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
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Buy now with The Hut Swim Shorts
Buy now with free deliveryThe chances are you will be spending most of your time on holiday lounging around in your swim shorts, meaning that your choice of trunks is probably one of the most important decisions you’ll make this summer. Our advice is to keep it classic, with a block colour style or striped pair. GANT’s Aquarius blue swim shorts are made from quick-drying nylon and the lighter shade of blue nicely complements a healthy summer tan.
Menswear: Five Pieces to Stay Sharp on Holiday
While we have our winter wardrobes nailed down to a tee, summer can cause Brits to abandon all sartorial sense. Instead of opting for flamboyantly coloured shirts and Olly Murs-esque straw hats, we offer the five essential menswear pieces you need this summer.
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Buy now with The Hut Oxford Shirt
Buy now with free deliverySimilar to the way the polo shirt is the ultimate summer tee, the Oxford shirt is the long sleeve shirt optimised for the warmer months. The lighter, breathable Oxford weave allows the body superior ventilation and will prevent embarrassing underarm sweat patches. What’s more, an Oxford shirt can be dressed up to keep you cool at the office before you go or sharpen up a dressed-down look lounging on the beach in your swim shorts. GANT’s heritage preppy style marks it out as a go-to brand for a high-quality Oxford shirt and the ‘Pinpoint’ bears all the hallmarks of a timeless Oxford with a button-down collar, tonal pocket and in a colourful light sky blue shade for summer.
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Buy now with The Hut Jeans
Buy now with free deliveryThere has been a trend in recent years for jeans to become increasingly slimmer for both men and women, a trend which reached its peak in the creation of jeggings. For summer, we would suggest offering your legs some breathing space by opting for some more loosely fitting jeans, without overstepping the boundary towards 1970s-inspired flare cuts.
Black famously absorbs more heat than any other colour and so unless you enjoy the furnace feeling, we’d recommend steering clear of black jeans in summer. A lighter blue is a better, more seasonal shade and BOSS Green’s ‘C-Delaware’ jeans are made in a forgiving stretch denim that allows the legs to breathe.
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Shop The Hut Summer Shop for more seasonal inspiration.
