The Friday Read: Huckberry’s Summer Style Essentials, Future Islands & Omega x SWATCH

When a summer weekend approaches, one that rings in the very first *official* weekend of summer, no less, I know where I head for the best summer style essentials — and perhaps you do, too. From ripstop shorts to rugged T-shirts, from super-soft polos to linen trousers, from leather loafers to hard-wearing canvas sneakers, the place to go — in case you needed a reminder — is Huckberry.

I’ve found that it truly is a one-stop shop in my experience, with the goods and gear to get you from point A to point B in style. And that’s just a fact (not a sponsored post). They’re a brand I’ve trusted myself for years, and as a heat wave rolls into town, there’s never been a better time to stock up on some of the best menswear around — at least, that’s my personal opinion.

Huckberry gear is never far out of my rotation, be a hike out to Brooklyn’s Marine Park (as you might have seen on my Instagram) or a truly stunning show by one of my favorite bands, Future Islands.

The Baltimore synth pop heroes — a group I’ve covered via my freelance music writing pursuits at Atwood Magazine — recently put out a career-best album, People Who Aren’t There Anymore, and the show delivered electric emotion and passion in every respect.

Of course, I had to wear some stylish Flint and Tinder jeans and my trusty Huckberry chukka boots for the occasion — keeping up with the energetic moves of frontman Sam Herring (alongside my blonde-haired sweetheart Mary!) is no easy feat!

The evening proved everything I expected and hoped for, and then some — that’s the way it seems to go with Future Islands shows, as I’ve found over the years. And it was a perfect intersection of style, music, passion and ambition — Radio City Music Hall is famous for that, or so it would seem.

And on that note, Future Islands will be in heavy rotation as I groove my way through a Brooklyn weekend. On tap? Cold beer, time spent at Coney Island and some of the best summer gear from my pals at Huckberry. To sort out your own weekend, here are a few choice reading and style picks. Get out there and get after it, my friends!

Omega x SWATCH 2024 release.
  • Let’s talk about the best watches for a moment, shall we? And let’s talk about a buzzed-about watch collaboration bringing an iconic timepiece to the masses: The ongoing Omega x SWATCH series of timepieces, which takes classics like the famed Omega “MoonWatch” and puts a SWATCH spin on it. The latest trio of timepieces debuted in select SWATCH stores across the country earlier this week, and I covered Omega x SWATCH over at Maxim. Good luck tracking one down, my friends.
  • Now, let’s talk summer travel. You’ve hopefully got a rugged, stylish weekender bag lined up for getaways aplenty, but what about a smaller carry-on or addition to your everyday carry essentials the rest of the time back home? That’s where this Satchel & Page waxed brief comes into play, as I covered yesterday on the blog. Cheers to hitting the road this season, folks.
  • Here’s one more style hit for your weekend: The right chore coat can function as both a durable workwear piece and a stylish replacement for a blazer — not to mention a hard-working travel jacket on top of all that. I wrote about a handsome Taylor Stitch chore coat earlier this week on the blog, so do yourself a favor and circle back if you haven’t scored one for yourself.

And without further ado, that’ll bring the curtain down, Radio City-style, on another edition of what you need to know, wear and shop this weekend. Thanks for following along here at The Style Guide — we’ll have two weekend menswear posts headed your way in short order (tomorrow and Sunday!), so clock in accordingly (before you clock out, that is). Cheers and we’ll see you out there, my friends!

The Friday Read: The Best Men’s Fall Boots, Portland and A Rugged Fall Jacket

Let’s turn the page on another week and hop right into the weekend here on The Style Guide. With another Friday Read comes another step closer toward fall. From football tailgates to breaking in new Chelsea boots all the way through to knocking back a rich IPA or an Oktoberfest beer at your local haunt, it’s a great time to prep for the season with perfectly rugged fall style. We’ve been talking a lot about those themes on the blog, from a new way to wear your denim jacket to the best men’s boots for fall, too.

If all of that #menswear doesn’t get you excited, I’m not sure what will! I know I’m excited to break out some new seasonal favorites — you can follow me on Instagram for more there. And in the meantime, you might want to tag along this coming weekend; I’ll be hitting the road in style once again, this time on a West Coast trip to lovely Portland! It’s coming on the heels of a big fall event at my day job, so the trip is perfectly timed for a little rest, relaxation, craft beer, fall menswear and of course, some live music. Who exactly is on the docket? Why, passionate, energetic and plain fun synth pop band Future Islands! Give their new album, “The Far Field,” a spin as you relax with your weekend coffee and a few prime pieces of men’s style news — which, as always, you can find below!

  • As we talked about earlier, it’s the perfect season for a great pair of stylish leather boots — right? Right. And my picks for The Manual covering the best leather boots for men might just take the cake. At least, that’s what I think! Read up now, folks.

  • Fancy getting out of the city on a hike? I know I could use a getaway every now and then — and if you’re more outdoors-minded than this city dweller, one of the best pairs of men’s hiking pants, as written about by yours truly, could very well be of interest. Get out there and get to it!

Alright, we’re keeping it short and sweet today — although if I had to make one last recommendation, it’d be to read this neat Esquire rundown of why you need a denim shirt in your fall men’s style rotation. Get it? Got it? Good.

Happy Friday and enjoy the weekend!

-Beau

The Friday Read: Panorama 2017, Men’s Grooming Essentials and New Music from Haim

The world keeps turning, the clock keeps ticking and so, we find ourselves again at the end of the week — and another fun-filled Friday Read, ehh? Have you covered all of your #menswear bases this summer? That is to say, have you picked up stylish leather high-top sneakers or added any items to your summer style wish list? We’ve still got another month of summer to come yet — and with that, a few upcoming highlights in this neck of woods. Coming on the heels of a busy New York Fashion Week: Men’s earlier this month, I’m excited to hop on the subway this weekend to the second rendition of one-of-a-kind NYC festival Panorama, as much a celebration of tech and art as it is excellent music from the likes of Solange, Frank Ocean, Mitski and Future Islands (among many others). I had an incredible Saturday at Panorama 2016 — dressed in prime music festival style, of course — and I’m very much looking forward to taking in two action-packed days this coming weekend, starting shortly today! As it were, you can look for a full post recapping how to dress for a music festival (and how to make the most of those craft beer tents — am I right?). At any rate, you can follow along in the meantime on Instagram and Twitter — and as scheduled, we’re coming at you with our regularly scheduled Style Pick of the Week tomorrow. It’s all in a day’s work here. Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll catch up tomorrow!

Timex

  • There are underrated areas when it comes to men’s grooming essentials, and there are areas that tend to be overlooked altogether. One could argue that solid colognes get overlooked a bit, especially when so many brands offer up scented spray colognes. So with the aim of spreading knowledge — all in  the name of #menswear, of course — I wrote about the best solid colognes for men for the fine folks at GearMoose. Read up and shop away!

  • Your Style Guide team of one already filled you in on how to dress to head to the beach — but what about what to wear on a boat? I covered exactly that for The Manual recently — I sure do hope you find it helpful and informative! Like what you’ve read? Let me know on Twitter, ehh?
  • As seems to be the case lately, let’s end this version of The Friday Read on a music-related note. As of earlier this month, the lovely ladies of California-based rock trio HAIM are back with a new album. Just as with “Days Are Gone,” the group’s 2013 debut, they’re very adept at making shiny, upbeat and yet well-crafted, emotional AND summer-friendly rock. I’d urge you to listen as you kick back with a refreshing summer beer — preferably wearing a pair of summer’s best sneakers?

We’re closing up shop early today — I’ve got some music to see!

Thanks, as always, for reading — stay stylish!

-Beau