The Thursday Buy: These Lightweight Men’s Chinos from Relwen & Huckberry are a Summer Essential

Best lightweight chinos for men.

What are your go-to menswear essentials for summer, the pieces you can’t live without? There’s a time and a place for laidback swim trunks and a USA-made T-shirt, just as there’s a time and a place for some polish — with one of the best men’s polos and a pair of the best lightweight chinos from Huckberry, for instance.

It can be a tricky balance to figure out, especially when it comes time to stay cool and stylish in the heat for men, but not if you’ve got the right men’s style picks for summer close at hand.

And by that, I mean today’s featured pick: The Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos live up to their name and then some, delivering an air of polish and comfort as the mercury rises.

Relwen men's chinos review.

Relwen rises above the fray in the menswear world, using military and workwear inspiration to craft modern updates to the classics, from a rugged linen workshirt to the aforementioned lightweight stretch chinos. That’s the sort of balance I appreciate, with a respect for heritage styles meeting the use of modern technology. When it comes to the Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos, the use of a lightweight cotton — blended with spandex — gives them a light-as-air feel and a nice hint of stretch, in my experience.

Best chinos for men to buy now.

Plus, the Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos boast a classic slim-straight cut, the kind that flatters most frames and is neither too constricting nor overly relaxed. I’ve found that the Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos sit nicely atop everything from Red Wing Heritage Iron Ranger boots to Clarks chukka boots to my preferred canvas high-top sneakers from Chuck Taylor in the summer months.

Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos review.

Durable details also set the Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos apart from the pack, like a gusseted crotch and pleated knees — all the better for comfortable range of motion on the go. A sturdy snap button and hard-working zipper hardware also lends a further air of durability to the Relwen Flyweight Flex Chinos.

Add in the fact that they come in a range of neutral, earthy and stylish colors, and you’ve found a pair of pants worth stocking up on before the high heat of summer hits. If that sounds ideal to you, then your new favorite pair of chinos awaits via Huckberry and Relwen.

The Thursday Buy: The Shinola Canfield Holdall Is An Investment-Level Bag for Summer Travel

Shinola Canfield Holdall review.

Before you can set your sights on your next summer getaway, let’s take a step back. Or rather, several steps back. Yes, there’s surely something to be said for packing up accordingly, from one of the best summer shirts to the most versatile pants for summer, but let’s go a step deeper.

To be more precise, what stylish weekender bag for men are you taking on quick long weekend trips? The answer might very well be right in front of you in today’s post, courtesy of Detroit lifestyle brand Shinola.

Best weekender bags for summer travel for men.

The famed watchmaker blends both a rugged and refined sensibility with its selection of Mid-Century Modern and Art Deco-inspired watches, a lineup that already includes one of the best dive watches for summer. But its accessories (and an assortment of enviable home goods) are also worth another look — and that very much includes one of the best weekender bags for men.

The Shinola Canfield Classic Holdall could be the perfect go-between, a happy medium between a carry-on suitcase and an overnight bag. Made with premium European leather that’ll develop a handsome patina over time, this stylish men’s weekender bag checks the right boxes in terms of easy storage and transportation.

The interior is lined with soft cotton and comes complete with two interior slip pockets and an interior zip pocket for your everyday carry essentials. And in terms of that ease of transportation: Natural grain leather handles and a detachable striped shoulder strap deliver both style and utility at once. Keep in mind that although the Shinola Canfield Classic Holdall retails for the investment-level price of $1,395, it’s certainly built to last and delivers enough space to work for plentiful summer weekend trips.

Of course, because it’s crafted by Shinola, the handsome Shinola Canfield Classic Holdall will work well beyond summer, too. That’s the kind of functionality that’s tough to pass up, so rest easy knowing that your next summer #OOTD will travel safe and sound in one of the best weekender bags on the market.

The Thursday Buy: This Filson Short-Sleeve Chambray Shirt is a New Daily Go-To

Best chambray shirt for men.

When you need a restock or a refresh of summer menswear essentials, it pays off to go right to the source — if what you seek is a rugged take on a classic, of course. And in this case, that source is Filson, the legendary Pacific Northwest purveyor of some of the best outdoor gear on the planet.

That very much includes one of the best chambray shirts for men, a pick that — in my experience — delivers hard-wearing, work-ready performance as well as versatile style.

You see, the Filson Short-Sleeve Chambray Shirt is a timeless style that does just about anything asked of it. If you want a workwear layer for a day in the yard or on the trail, for instance, the durable chambray weave stands up to anything.

Filson men's shirts.

And if you want an easygoing, stylish men’s short-sleeve shirt to wear buttoned up alongside the best summer shorts this season — say, at a summer BBQ — then this handsome chambray shirt delivers handily. The midweight cotton chambray should wear plenty well even in the heat, while details like button chest pockets provide space for everyday carry essentials.

Best chambray shirt for men.

And in my experience, the Filson Short-Sleeve Chambray Shirt should offer enough room to layer easily atop a classic Filson T-shirt if need be — although I’d also recommend buttoning this shirt up and styling it untucked alongside your favorite chinos. It’s even crafted with a pencil slot in the left chest pocket, a handy detail that makes the Filson Short-Sleeve Chambray Shirt a true workwear classic. Again, if it’s rugged essentials you seek, Filson has you more than covered.

The Thursday Buy: The Taylor Stitch Easy Pants are Your Perfect Pants for Spring & Summer

Best lightweight pants for men.

Staying stylish in the spring and summer months, the high heat of the season, doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or taxing. And when you find warm-weather menswear essentials that help you bridge the gap between comfort and style, all the while staying cool as can be, that’s what I like to call the sweet spot.

So it goes with Taylor Stitch, a brand that delivers refined, polished essentials with easygoing appeal all the same. And in my experience, the Taylor Stitch Easy Pants embody that mindset perfectly — your new favorite pants are here just in time for spring and summer, and it only gets better from there.

Made from a 5.5oz. 100 percent linen build, they embody the classic, breezy fit of lounge pants or straight-leg chinos. But here’s the kicker: They use supremely comfortable details like an internal drawcord waist for added comfort, all the while topping the waistband off with belt loops (if you feel so inclined).

Taylor Stitch Easy Pants.

And naturally, some of the best lightweight pants for summer get the all-important details like fit absolutely correct. The Taylor Stitch Easy Pants feature a classic mid-rise and a tailored fit with a slight taper down to the ankle.

In my experience, this design is the sort of reliable fit that looks as polished with your favorite chukka boots as it does with some of the best loafers for summer. They’re also a touch more refined than some other more rugged Taylor Stitch menswear pieces, like a canvas shirt jacket or a garment-dyed hoodie.

That gives them versatility as well as a dash of refinement, in my opinion. In my experience, you can throw on your new favorite linen pants (available in two dusty, versatile colors) with everything from a knit polo and those trusty loafers to a pocket tee and canvas sneakers.

When breezy, comfortable and casually cool style is the name of the game, the Taylor Stitch Easy Pants heed the call, and then some. Don’t let them pass you by as you build out your rotation of the best menswear essentials.

The Thursday Buy: This American Giant Striped Crewneck Is a Breezy Layer for Spring Days & Nights

When I look for dependable layers to ramp up my spring and summer style wardrobe, I tend to reach for pieces that take a classic and improve upon it ever so slightly. And if the piece is a bit of a swerve from the norm — say, a stylish striped long-sleeve T-shirt as opposed to a solid-colored long-sleeve tee — that’s all the better.

Let’s go one step further: When that staple piece is made the old-school way, well, you’ve hit the sweet spot, as the good folks at American Giant often tend to do.

Makers of everything from some of the best American-made jeans to the brand’s famed American Giant Classic Full-Zip Hoodie, you’ll find that the company leaves no stone unturned, so to speak, in pursuit of some of the best American-made menswear on the market.

And that goes for casual picks, like the aforementioned American Giant Classic Long-Sleeve Crew, as well as harder-to-craft picks, like blue jeans, canvas work pants or hard-wearing workshirts. A mid-weight 100 percent cotton build gives this T-shirt a breezy softness, the kind that wears well with French Terry joggers for weekend coffee outings or laidback spring patio mornings.

Best USA-made long-sleeve T-shirts for men.

Yet, the USA-made build of the American Giant Classic Long-Sleeve Crew elevates it further — while this works as a loungewear-style T-shirt, you can also pair it with an indigo denim trucker or rock it beneath a chambray shirt for casually cool days around town.

The American Giant Classic Long-Sleeve Crew is the sort of T-shirt that might make you rethink what it means to wear one of the best long-sleeve T-shirts — either green or navy stripes add some style points, as do the contrasting cuffs.

It’s not quite as heavy as a crewneck sweatshirt, it’s more substantial than a pima cotton T-shirt, and it’s reliable as can be. While the American Giant Classic Long-Sleeve Crew is pricier than a standard T-shirt from a bargain-bin retailer, it’s a difference you can feel, and that’s a stylish touch I can appreciate. If you feel the same way, one of the best USA-made T-shirts is yours for the taking.

The Thursday Buy: The Flint and Tinder American Heavyweight Pocket T-Shirt Is Your New Casual Style Move

When you come across men’s style essentials that are really, truly well-made, the kind of pieces that pass muster and keep you coming back for more, you tend to recognize it very quickly. That holds true even if it’s something as simple as one of the best T-shirts for men, and it becomes all that much more true if that casual style essential in question comes from the good folks at Huckberry.

Put it this way: When you try something from the Flint and Tinder in-house line at the famed retailer, you know what you’re getting: Excellent quality, rugged durability and timeless looks, from your favorite pair of chinos to stretch denim to yes, one of the best men’s pocket T-shirts. And the Flint and Tinder American Heavyweight Pocket T-shirt fits the bill in every way, shape and form — let’s take a look, shall we?

Best American-made T-shirt.

It all starts with fabric and construction when it comes down to it, and the use of a garment-dyed, washed yet sturdy and heavyweight 8.55 oz cotton sets this tee apart from the pack. The Flint and Tinder American Heavyweight Pocket T-shirt also features a ribbed collar with spandex and rebound to help it retain its shape, while the classic, not-too-baggy, not-too-tight fit of your new favorite pocket T-shirt should also prove flattering.

Best men's pocket T-shirt.

And that’s the other thing about the Flint and Tinder American Heavyweight Pocket T-shirt, in any one of its crisp, versatile and neutral color options. It should prove incredibly wearable with everything from light wash denim (on its own) to stretch chinos, high-top sneakers and your favorite denim trucker jacket.

While the Flint and Tinder American Heavyweight Pocket T-shirt is pricier than your average T-shirt (or even a bundle of T-shirts from the bargain bin), it should wear exceptionally well and prove incredibly versatile this spring, summer and beyond. Invest in the best with the Flint and Tinder American Heavyweight Pocket T-shirt, and your wardrobe will thank you.

The Thursday Buy: This Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley is a Perfectly Breezy Spring Layer

Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley

Even when shopping around for some of the most rugged style essentials, be it a waxed trucker jacket, a great pair of durable stylish blue jeans or yes, one of the best men’s henleys, I tend to look for quality picks from brands I can trust — spending to invest a bit always pays off.

And yes, even the more seemingly casual picks in your wardrobe (again, like one of the best men’s henleys) can be made with next-level quality and consideration, as with the Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley.

Best long-sleeve henley for men.

Part of the always stylish Billy Reid New Arrivals section, the Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley makes you rethink what a henley can be, from its construction and fabrication to its materials and even its sense of style.

And for spring days that might start sunny but can quickly turn breezy, a helpful layer like the Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley — whether paired with a classic zip hoodie or your favorite denim jacket — is a must-have. Organic pima cotton makes the difference, providing some subtle depth and texture for what Billy Reid calls an “elevated” take on a classic. And yes, the iconic menswear brand is absolutely correct about that.

Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley review.

Think of the Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley as a style splurge that pays dividends — it’s a henley you can even dress up with a lightweight blazer and tobacco chinos, for instance. And note that your new favorite henley also features a four-button placket for a slightly more refined look and feel than other henleys you might rock as a base layer in workwear situations.

Plus, this stylish men’s henley comes in rich colors like Olive, and even boasts finishing touches like smoke mother-of-pearl buttons and an eye-catching clamshell neckline. When you’re on the hunt for a perfectly constructed, expertly casual and stylish layer for easygoing days, you’ll assuredly want to layer up with the Billy Reid Organic Cotton Henley — trust me on that, my friends.

The Thursday Buy: This Flint and Tinder Sweater Polo is a Retro Style Classic Made Modern

Best sweater polos for men.

Most of the time, I find that the best menswear essentials draw something from both the past and the present, giving them a feel that’s both classic and yet current. That’s the case for pieces like one of the best Oxford shirts or a pair of the best blue jeans, for instance — both of which can be found at Huckberry, the key target of today’s style (and stylish) post.

Take the Flint and Tinder Cotton Linen Sweater Polo shown above. First and foremost, it’s a hybrid style: The classic short-sleeve build and three-button placket of your favorite polo, merged with the heavier fabric and cut of a stylish sweater. And as luck would have it, the best sweater polos draw a little something from both the past and the present.

The style on which the Flint and Tinder Cotton Linen Sweater Polo is based was popular in the 1950s and ’60s — the Mad Men era of style, you might call it — but it’s just as fresh, current and crisp today. And it’s a new entry into the Flint and Tinder lineup, the in-house brand at Huckberry that makes some of the most rugged gear for guys — including one of the best American-made T-shirts on the market.

That being said, this handsome sweater polo is a more refined style move for when you want to go a bit more classy and cleaned-up — be that at the office with stretch chinos, heading to an easygoing weekend BBQ or perhaps enjoying a rooftop cocktail date night.

The Flint and Tinder Cotton Linen Sweater Polo boasts a breathable weave and a touch of stretch at points needed for mobility, like the cuffs and bottom hem. It’s also garment-washed for added softness out of the box, and the design of this elegant sweater-polo allows you to unbutton multiple buttons or even rock the polo itself buttoned all the way to the top (what would Don Draper do?).

It’s a change of pace from your rotation of the best polos for men, but not in a bad way — merely in a way that’s both retro and current, throwback and fresh. Consider it an ideal spring style move from your friends at Huckberry.

The Thursday Buy: The Billy Reid Pensacola Polo is a Spring Style Classic

Billy Reid Pensacola Polo review.

The best menswear brands have a way of taking the seemingly simple and turning it into something even better, even if it’s an already well-established style classic. In this case, that would be the ever-versatile, slightly preppy men’s polo.

Once a staple of tennis courts and still a pillar of sporty style, the silhouette takes on a bit of a laidback-yet-polished air in the hands of one of the country’s best menswear designers, the one and only Billy Reid.

Billy Reid Pensacola Polo.

It seems like we were just talking about a way to get a great deal on winter style picks via the Billy Reid End of Season Sale, but consider this a breezy way to move into a new season. In this case, the Billy Reid Pensacola Polo, a staple of the Alabama-based designer’s menswear line, takes on a new and improved look and feel for a new season.

Garment-dyed organic cotton delivers a soft, smooth handfeel for comfort right out of the box, while the fabric itself stays soft and breathable on spring and summer days.

Plus, the Billy Reid Pensacola Polo comes in a range of fresh, new and stylish colors for the season, including a bright Tropical Blue that would wear especially well with natural-hued jeans or stretch tan chinos. Other details, like a contrasting herringbone twill placket elevate the polo even further, blending the refinement of a sporty, four-button polo with the soft appeal of a breezy T-shirt.

Signature details like Billy Reid’s signature herringbone twill stripe finish off the bottom hem with a subtly stylish touch. And the Billy Reid Pensacola Polo should also offer a trim, flattering fit — all the better for wearing on its own with chino shorts and linen trousers.

Best of all, your new favorite polo is well-reviewed and surely a Billy Reid fan favorite. The next time the occasion calls for the comfort of an easygoing T-shirt with the polish of a polo shirt, meet the moment with Billy Reid.

The Thursday Buy: This Le Alfre Flannel Shirt is a Refined Take on a Classic

Best flannel shirt for men.

At least in my neck of the woods (the frigid winter confines of Brooklyn, that is), I value reliability, warmth, comfort and style — especially when it comes to the best flannel shirts on the market. But in the doldrums of winter, it can prove tricky, at times, mix up your style rotation consistently.

And yet all the while, you still want to retain that critical balance of warmth, style, comfort… you name it. And that’s where Le Alfre arrives to save the day in matters of menswear.

The young New York City brand already makes one of the best Oxford shirts on the market, using high-quality fabric and production via a family-owned factory in Portugal, one that makes some of the finest shirts on the planet. And the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel builds on that pedigree in a distinct way, one that’s a nice change of pace from other classic flannel shirts on the market.

Le Alfre men's shirts.

Le Alfre took the classic “banker’s shirt,” with a contrasting collar and cuffs, and put a fun, fresh spin on the look — turning it from a dress shirt into one you can even rock untucked with chinos or perhaps with a rugged shawl cardigan. And the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel fits the bill nicely in terms of eye-catching style. It comes from the company’s partners at Portugal’s oldest shirting mill, and it’s handmade by the country’s oldest shirtmaker, and things only get better from there.

The Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel boasts a lightweight, super-soft handfeel that should prove comfortable on its own, yet well-suited to layering over one of the best men’s henleys, for instance. And because the style is modeled after timeless Oxford shirts, it’s got a more refined look and feel than flannel workshirts, for instance.

Taken altogether, it’s an updated take on the flannel shirt that works as well with dark blue jeans as with your favorite chinos. And for winter style with variety in mind, you can’t quite top the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel, my friends.