THIS LOOKS LIKE FUN
From jumpsuits to track suits, summer’s most coveted menswear is about wearing what feels good.
Forget winter’s all-black-everything wardrobe—not to mention all that negative news in your Facebook feed. Menswear is here to make fashion great again this summer. With a slew of new collections defined by more fun than a Guns N’ Roses tour bus circa 1987, designers want you to look awesome while having a blast in whatever way you choose. Feel your best in sandals and a mechanic’s onesie? Wear it! Want to channel the style of a football hooligan or a punk rocker? Yes, you can! While there are, of course, a few caveats (fashion may be more fun, but rules still apply), this summer begins with a new wardrobe that’s all about freedom, comfort and joyful exuberance.
In the global ranking of guys who have the most fun on a regular basis, the Mediterranean yachting set is right up there with Leo DiCaprio and the knights at Medieval Times. While a classic Breton-striped tee is a tried-andtrue way to add nautical panache to your look, designers have remixed this standby to make it even more jaunty. Fendi’s Spring/ Summer runway show took stripes to the next level, mashing up green, brown, yellow and blue in different widths on trousers, tees and tote bags. Should you wish to dip a toe into this trend, the key is restraint: Try a pair of bold striped trousers with a casual solid-coloured shirt (or vice versa) and you’ll steer clear of comparisons to a circus tent. Complement your ensemble (and double-down on stylish comfort) with a pair of classic leather slides, which were seen flip-flopping down the runway everywhere from Gucci to Tommy Hilfiger. If you’re feeling extrafun and/or funky, kick your footwear game up a notch with Prada’s colourful sports-inspired mandals. They may bear some resemblance to the Velcro Tevas your dad
loved in the ’90s, but these are meant for strutting down city streets, not painting the garage.
Style icons like Nick Wooster and Lapo Elkann have been sporting camo with aplomb for years, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy for the rest of us—we can end up looking like we’re headed to a turkey shoot. Earn your stripes with a field jacket from Valentino and then work your way up to Dries Van Noten’s patchwork anorak, whose muted florals will surely hide you from no one. Equally attentiongrabbing are the dusty pink and pale yellow tops, coats and trousers seen everywhere from Yeezy to Topman. These pops of colour and pattern—which are perfect accents to foundational pieces in black, grey and navy—are the asskicking Batman to your daily wardrobe’s reliable old Alfred. Learn to wear them with confidence and you’ll be ready to take to the streets in the bright reds, metallics and military details that will make a strong showing this fall.
Sockless ankles are the menswear equivalent of a bared midriff, only they require far fewer sit-ups—and fewer sit-ups are always a good thing. For guys who still have to work when the sun shines, a range of trim suits in pale grey, stone and sandy fabrics (with trousers cut short enough to let your sockless ankles breathe) will add fashion-forward frivolity to the nine-to-five grind. Don’t stop there, though. Scandalize your next boardroom meeting in a punk-inspired leather jacket, a T-shirt and red plaid trousers from Vetements and Coach 1941. Ditch the stodgy old briefcase, too: Keep your hands free for air guitar, Frisbees and ice cream cones with a modish backpack. From WANT Les Essentiels’s monochrome blackand-grey number to Moncler’s flamboyant botanical print, pick one to suit your mood and stuff it full of party supplies. While not everyone can pull off a Louis Vuitton jumpsuit, its loose cut and oneand-done design will make even the most timid fashion rookie think about donning a onesie for a Sundaymorning latte run. Or, as an alternative, throw on a sweatshirt or track jacket from Gosha Rubchinskiy or Vetements, which are as comfortable as pyjamas but much more suitable for a night on the town. But unless you’re Drake or a Russian mobster, wearing matching sportswear tops and bottoms is a tough move style-wise. Instead, mix it up with some jeans, sneakers or slides and an unbranded “dad” cap. Now you’ll be all set for whatever the day holds. If it’s not something fun, though, you’re probably doing summer wrong.