#OOTD: How to Dress Down a Summer Blazer

Editor’s note: You’ve surely seen this hashtag lots of different places, including on Instagram. But how does that carry over to real life? The #OOTD will take one great item and put together a versatile, stylish outfit around it. Look for past features here.

As we’ve talked about in past #OOTD entries here on The Style Guide, summer style — particularly at this point in the season — can be a bit tricky. Perhaps you feel you’ve exhausted all the ways to wear shorts in the summer that you can think of, or maybe you’ve even tired of styling linen pants in the heat. But, that’s where summer also works out well. Since it’s warm, you get a bit of leeway when dressing. And that means you can put together stylish combinations that are also unexpected. Those khaki suit trousers? Break them up from the rest of your suit. Throw in style staples that should already be in rotation — like a classic navy blazer — and you’re set with an #OOTD that works for traveling in warm weather or waltzing to Sunday brunch. Oh, and a great polo is also a must-have. But where to get all this great gear? Look no further than the below ensemble — and follow along on Instagram to get more daily styling tips (if you feel so inclined, that is).

Mashing up your favorite style essentials, from a crisp summer polo to a classic blazer and comfortable slip-on sneakers.

Mashing up your favorite style essentials, from a crisp summer polo to a classic blazer and comfortable slip-on sneakers.

The Polo: Mack Weldon Vesper Polo, $68 — Yes, it’s true: The brand that makes your favorite long-sleeve merino tee is here with a new polo that’s crisp, well-tailored and made from very breathable micro-mesh knit fabric.

The Blazer: Grayers Cayman Blazer, $104.98 — At just more than $100, this blazer is a heck of a deal, made from 100 percent cotton and featuring Bemberg-lined sleeves (that’s the good stuff, FYI).

The Pants: Canvas by Lands’ End Stretch Chino Suit Trousers, $89 — Just when you thought you could only wear suit pants with a suit, along come these versatile chino trousers cut with a hint of stretch.

The Pocket Square: Ties.com White Edged Linen Pocket Square, $10 — A sharp navy blazer deserves a crisp white pocket square cut in a summer-appropriate weight, and at $10, this thing’s a steal.

The Sneakers: SeaVees Hawthorne Slip-on Standard in True Navy, $78 — A pair of classic white sneakers would also work here, but the navy plays nicely off the powder blue polo.

The Socks: Sock Genius Villa Park No-show Stripe Sock, $10 — The same spot you hit up to snag that pocket square can also hook you up with comfortable, stylish no-show socks for a nice deal.

The Watch: Armogan Spirit of St. Louis Chronograph, $225 — A sporty-yet-stylish polo calls for a  slick watch inspired by the world of aviation, and the navy blue strap plays handsomely off the crisp white dial.

The Sunglasses: Sunski Madronas Sunglasses, $39.98 — Simple is sometimes better when it comes to great style, and that’s the case with these durable and very affordably priced shades via Huckberry.
Buck Mason - Timeless Design. Made in America.
Putting together an outfit when you’ve been dressing for the warm weather for a few months needn’t be all that difficult, even if at first it sounds taxing — especially when you’ve got pieces that combine subtle style efficiently. The base of the outfit is the same thing you might wear on the weekend — stylish slip-on sneakers — yet the other pieces, like the sharp polo and the navy blazer, are more suited to the work week. Yet in tandem, the combination works because the colors play well off each other and the overall ensemble — slightly sporty yet stylish — is very well-suited to summer. It’s going to be hot, and a breathable polo and cotton blazer work well together. Chime in with an #OOTD suggestion of your own at The Style Guide Facebook page in the meantime.

Do you own a new Mack Weldon polo yet? Would you style it with a navy blazer, or ditch the jacket and keep it casual?

Summer style: Attending a Michigan wedding

Editor’s note: Click here for more tips  how to dress for a summer wedding.

Dressed in style for a summer wedding. Blue shirt by Twillory. Cotton tie by Ties.com Thompson Navy suit by J. Crew Factory. Glasses by Warby Parker. Heritage Tassel Loafers by Sebago. Brown leather watch by MVMT Watches.

Dressed in style for a summer wedding. Blue shirt by Twillory. Cotton tie and navy tipped pocket square by Ties.com Thompson Navy suit by J. Crew Factory. Glasses by Warby Parker. Heritage Tassel Loafers by Sebago. Brown leather watch by MVMT Watches.

It’s a topic that’s come up before here on The Style Guide — that would be, dressing for a summer wedding — but this past weekend presented the perfect opportunity for yours truly to put some of those ideas into practice.  Following a whirlwind, busy New York Fashion Week: Men’s (an exhausting but super-fun week), I hit the road back to Michigan to attend the wedding of my great friend Matt Sheehan, a former State News colleague and another proud & sports-obsessed Spartan (watching games was either very fun — or not so fun, depending on how MSU fared). In fact, Matt & I took in a particularly momentous MSU football game last fall, and caught up during my spring trip to Florida. That being said, it was still great to make the trip back. It was a truly lovely wedding, and so great to reconnect with amazing friends back home in the process. With fashion week done, it was also awesome to get away from the bustle of NYC for a  bit, and even better to do so during a beautiful Michigan summer — as always, even with a humble weekender bag in tow, I tried my best to pack the best #menswear gear I could round up.

A full bag ready to hit the road. Voyager Waxed Weekender by Owen & Fred. Beachcomber Chambray Shirt by Bourbon & Blue. Staple Denim made in Italy by Mott & Bow. Brown Scout Chukka Boots by Thursday Boots. Striped socks by American Trench. Waterbury Chrono from the Timex x Red Wing collab. Adventure Log by Word Notebooks. Brown leather belt by J. Crew. Chapter Travel Kit by Herschel Supply Co. Moisturizer by Tread for Men. Maximus Sunglasses by Sunday Somewhere.

A full bag ready to hit the road. Voyager Waxed Weekender by Owen & Fred. Beachcomber Chambray Shirt by Bourbon & Blue. Staple Denim made in Italy by Mott & Bow. Brown Scout Chukka Boots by Thursday Boots. Striped socks by American Trench. Waterbury Chrono from the Timex x Red Wing collab. Adventure Log by Word Notebooks. Brown leather belt by J. Crew. Chapter Travel Kit by Herschel Supply Co. Moisturizer by Tread for Men. Maximus Sunglasses by Sunday Somewhere.

That started with some essential everyday carry accessories that have quickly become personal travel favorites — such as my tough, sturdy Owen & Fred Voyager Waxed Weekender Bag. It’s accompanied me on nearly every trip I’ve taken as of late, and with dependable Wickett & Craig leather handles, quality hardware and a surprising amount of room, it’s taken the toils of the road quite well. I packed some key everyday carry accessories, including my Word Notebooks Adventure Log and Herschel Supply Chapter Travel Kit; just as small details finish off an outfit, so too can they upgrade even the things you don’t quite think about when traveling. For the flight to Michigan, I pulled some double-duty, wearing a Bourbon & Blue short-sleeve chambray shirt and pairing it up with my J. Crew Factory Thompson suit jacket and some tailored Savane twill pants (look for more on those pants in a special Tuesday post).  For outfits throughout the weekend, my Thursday Boots Brown Scout Chukka Boots helped me travel in style — always a must! I finished off the look with one of two watches I brought along for the weekend — my personal favorite, the rugged and durable Timex x Red Wing Waterbury Chronograph.  If you can only fit in one or two watches as part of your packing list, it’s tough to go wrong with a really well-built watch that works for more casual or slightly more dressed-up ensembles. With any travel, stylish sunglasses are a must — for both tailored wear and my casual ensembles, I’ve found myself consistently reaching for the pricey but sharp Maximus sunglasses from Sunday Somewhere.

While I was excited to hit the road, I ran into some unfortunate travel delays leaving New York that left me stuck at the airport all day — so unfortunately, I missed out on a classic Michigan backyard barbeque. Luckily, I still made it back in time for a nice Saturday and the wedding itself! It goes without saying that I had an incredible time, and was very glad to have made the trip back (CONGRATS, MATT AND SAM!). Of course, I was glad I brought along a trusty suit, as well. Packing the appropriate gear to get you through a warm-weather wedding is a bit tricky. While it might seem at first too hot to rock anything but a lightweight linen suit, if you have to grab one suit for all four seasons, worsted wool in a neutral color like navy is a very solid option. It’s a more breathable and classic fabric, and in a slim, tailored (and affordable) cut like the J. Crew Factory Thompson Suit, it’ll work well with a crisp dress shirt, and with or without a tie even if you don’t have a wedding to attend. In fact, my shirt was a favorite of the outfit in terms of fit and construction — it’s on-sale now, so I’d definitely recommend you pick up the nicely tailored Twillory Non-Iron Blue Twill Shirt which paired up well with the navy suit. The accompanying J. Crew Factory suit pants went along just fine with the jacket, as they feature a nicely tailored fit that isn’t quite as slim as the J. Crew Ludlow, so that works nicely for most body types — having the belt loops removed, as I did, makes for a super-clean and crisp look, too.

This past weekend's wedding outfit laid out and ready to go. Navy Thompson suit by J. Crew Factory. Blue shirt by Twillory. Cotton tie and tipped pocket square by Ties.com. Brown leather watch by MVMT Watches. Heritage Tassel Loafers by Sebago. Wallet from the latest SprezzaBox.

This past weekend’s wedding outfit laid out and ready to go. Navy Thompson suit by J. Crew Factory. Blue shirt by Twillory. Cotton tie and tipped pocket square by Ties.com. Brown leather watch by MVMT Watches. Heritage Tassel Loafers by Sebago. Wallet from the latest SprezzaBox.

And stylish accessories are a must to finish off any suit. In this instance, a cotton tie in a unique, summer-friendly color and a navy tipped pocket square courtesy of the team at Ties.com paired well with one of my favorite suits (Editor’s note: I own approximately one all-season, every-occasion suit — and it’s this one). Seriously, as a competitor and an alternative to The Tie Bar, the selection and pricing at Ties.com is quite on-point (and y’all know that if it wasn’t, they wouldn’t have made the cut — right?). For the warm weather, I slid into a refined pair of Sebago Heritage Tassel Loafers, featuring an oily waxed leather (as the site implies) that’s shown age and wear marks beautifully after only a few weeks of wear (check out another way to style them here). Of course, if you don’t have room in your bag for another pair of shoes (and I barely did), I’d recommend reaching for perhaps the above brown chukka boots to pull double-duty. And although my Timex x Red Wing Waterbury Chrono worked suitably well for casual situations, I was too tempted not to reach for one of my favorite everyday watches, the MVMT 40 in Blue/Brown Leather — it’s a watch that’s really a great value for the quality and wearability (although one of my New Year’s style resolutions was to wear less blue, I can’t seem to stop wearing it). Pieces that can work with everything from a tee and shorts to a suit are the best sort of travel style essentials to pack when space is limited.

Sunday's outfit grid for a day of travel back from Michigan. The Jack in Indigo Star Shirt by Taylor Stitch. Slim grey selvedge denim by Billy Reid. White Legend Sneakers by SeaVees. Waterbury Chrono from the Timex x Red Wing Heritage collab. Adventure Log by Word Notebooks. Vintage ballcap by Goorin Brothers.

Sunday’s outfit grid for a day of travel back from Michigan. The Jack in Indigo Star Shirt by Taylor Stitch. Slim grey selvedge denim by Billy Reid. White Legend Sneakers by SeaVees. Waterbury Chrono from the Timex x Red Wing Heritage collab. Adventure Log by Word Notebooks. Vintage ballcap by Goorin Brothers.

With an incredible wedding and an incredible evening in metro Detroit in the books, it was time to catch a flight back to Michigan that felt a bit earlier than I’d have preferred after a full week of fashion shows and travel. Reaching for grab-and-go pieces that work in a pinch is still a must even if you’re jet-lagged, so my Taylor Stitch Jack in Indigo Star Shirt (very low in stock at the moment, unfortunately) worked out very well — I’d recommend you bring along a solid blue chambray shirt for similarly versatile style.  Although it was hot, a pair of Billy Reid grey selvedge denim did just fine when paired with one of my favorite pairs of sneakers, the SeaVees Legend Sneaker — when in doubt, classic white sneakers are just the way to go. As was the case the rest of the weekend, my stylish Timex x Red Wing Waterbury Chrono worked sufficiently as I hauled my gear to the airport (and it helped me catch my flight on time!).

While it’s always nice to be able to bring along my favorite style essentials when I travel, it’s even better to know that at the end of the road on trips home, there are great friends and great times waiting — truly, it’s something for which I’m very thankful, and it’s got me eagerly awaiting my next trip to Michigan. No matter what’s in my bag, I know I’ll always look forward to going back.

If you have questions on what to pack for your own travels, tweet at me or catch up via The Style Guide’s Facebook page.

‘Til the next trip,

-Beau

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Reader Giveaway Opportunity: SprezzaBox Subscription

Editor’s note: For more great style content, check out our Spring Style Online Shopping Picks. Thanks to everyone who entered!

All of this gear could be yours -- for months on end -- if you enter the giveaway below!

All of this gear could be yours — for months on end — if you enter the giveaway below!

As guys have grown more and more interested in all things #menswear, we’ve seen an explosion in the rise of digital services geared to help guys (like yourself) become more stylish. Be it the Frank & Oak Elevate program (formerly the Hunt Club), or great blogs like Effortless Gent, resources abound for the guy looking to become more stylish on a daily basis. Subscription-based programs that package up stylish gear and deliver it right to your doorstep are also becoming more and more popular (including lifestyle boxes like Bespoke Post). And the folks at SprezzaBox are innovating in this space, too — particularly when it comes to sharp, stylish accessories for those occasions when you need to suit up.

The name plays off the concept of “sprezzatura,” or the art of a carefully nonchalant approach to style (you’ve probably seen this on display in the streets surrounding Pitti Uomo). So, they’ve got a lot to live up to, namewise. And their stylish assortment certainly does that! Although they also offer an online store with everything from ties to pocket squares, they’ve also got a neat program with options to sign up month-by-month (or yearly), and have all the menswear goodness you could possibly want shipped to wherever you choose (your house, your man-cave, the Bat Den, etc.). It’s a great value for the product, too — finishing touches like a simple pocket square  can definitely up your game if you’re not used to trying those sorts of things out. How it works? Their stylists hand-select a mix of product each month (all of which could feasibly be incorporated into one sharp outfit), and then it ships right on out. They’ve got everything covered, right down to the cufflinks. For those of us who need to throw on a tie or a sharp blazer from time to time, it makes getting dressed quite easy. If you find yourself needing to do that on the regular, then you’ll like what we’re giving away: a FREE (yes, FREE) six-month subscription to SprezzaBox. This would normally run you $28/month, but it’s coming to ya at a low cost of … $0 through this giveaway!

But how to win, you say? Simply click on this link and follow the instructions!

Editor’s note: This contest ends at 12 a.m. on April 14.

Thanks as always for reading, and good luck to those entering!

-Beau


Online Shopping Picks: The Best Ways to Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Editor’s note: Click here for more online shopping picks covering seasonal style trends.

We’re now about a week out from the holiday everyone loves to, eh, ‘over-celebrate’ — St. Patrick’s Day. In a bustling metropolis like NYC (and particularly at my alma mater, Michigan State University — Go Green!), things can get a little, er, rowdy. It’s fun to have a nice time, but everything in moderation — yes? Whether you’re taking the day off or heading into the office as per usual, there’s still the tendency to want to go full-on festive for an occasion like this, particularly one that involves so much color. We’ll have a full outfit suggestion coming at ya early next week, but if you’re looking to stand out subtly with one piece o’ green in your wardrobe, start with the below picks.

#1. GREATS Brand Pronto in Cargo — $199

A vintage runner-style silhouette updated with premium Italian materials.

A vintage runner-style silhouette updated with premium Italian materials.

GREATS consistently churns out excellent sneakers for more-than-fair prices given the quality and construction built into them, and the Pronto in Cargo is a silhouette that’s a prime example of this. It’s got classic retro vibes, yet the neutral dark green color keeps it subtle and modern — especially for this occasion. It’s understated enough to the point where it doesn’t scream “Hey, I’m wearing green!” Pair it with dark denim and a lightweight wool blazer for some high-low St. Paddy’s Day style.

#2. JackThreads The Daily Vee in Olive — $18

A trim fit and understated color make this tee a nice option for the holiday.

A trim fit and understated color make this tee a nice option for the holiday.

When subtly and simple style is the name of the game (and it truly should be on this holiday), JackThreads continually delivers. The value for its basics is excellent when compared to the price point — if you read this blog consistently, you know I’m a fan of the brand. This olive tee is a different take on green — it’s far from the green dye in the Chicago River. And in a slim fit, you can certainly rock this blazer under a charcoal cardigan or a denim jacket if your day leans more casual.

#3. The Tie Bar Checks & Balance Pocket Square — $10

A refined combination of green-and-white to counter those less-than-refined St. Patrick's Day situations.

A refined combination of green-and-white to counter those less-than-refined St. Patrick’s Day situations.

If you’re very into keeping things toned-down on St. Patrick’s Day, a pocket square is perhaps the best way to incorporate some subtle green into your outfit. And the Checks & Balance Pocket Square provides just enough visual interest, what with that white diamond pattern over a silk twill green body. Rock it with a slim khaki blazer, grey chinos and a white Oxford — it’s a stylish combo that’ll turn heads for the right reasons* (*Disclaimer: If you have a few too many at the bar after work, that’s on you).

#4. Richer Poorer London Socks — $12

Part blue, part green and all simple style.

Part blue, part green and all simple style.

Another inexpensive and simple way to take on green for the holiday, Richer Poorer socks provide nice value for the price. This green-and-teal combo swings a little further away from going full-on green but again, if you want some understated color in your outfit — here you go. Heck, you could even wear a work ensemble as you normally might, throw on the socks and call it good (these would sit well under some slim khaki chinos and brown suede chukka boots).

#5. Bonobos Waffle Crewneck in Vine, $78

Easy to wear thanks to the slim fit, textured cotton and subtle shoulder detailing.

Easy to wear thanks to the slim fit, textured cotton and subtle shoulder detailing.

Bonobos likes to mix things up when it comes to seasonal knitwear, and this waffle knit made from soft, textured cotton embodies that perfectly. The slim cut is a positive, as is a color that, yet again, doesn’t scream bright green. Interesting details like the left shoulder buttons give this more of a crewneck sweater vibe than a plain thermal might, so feel free to rock it over a blue chambray shirt for a change of pace. Be prepared for some anti-green backlash perhaps (“Someone dressed up for St. Paddy’s Day!”), but know that you’re doing so in style.

As you plan out outfits for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s best, like we talked about before, to exercise some moderation and restraint when others likely won’t. Of course, this is coming from a guy who loves Guinness the 364 other days of the year. But hopefully, the above suggestions get you thinking in the right direction — and stay tuned for a full outfit suggestion coming early next week. Until next time!

-Beau
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