Summer in the northern hemisphere can at best be described as fickle, but there are a few certainties. One you can bank on is that there will be at least one week during which you call the supermarket freezer aisle your second home while lamenting the lack of quality T-shirts in your wardrobe, having soaked through your entire stock by Thursday.
Perhaps, then, you’d like to take a moment to familiarise yourself with our round-up of the seven modern men’s T-shirt styles all well-dressed man should consider this season.
From linen types for blokes conscious of sweating their bits off, to all-over printed versions for the braver, more intrepid dressers out there. Here’s to a long, hot summer.
The Linen T-shirt
Good news: you don’t have to own a yacht and some boat shoes to pull off linen – though it wouldn’t do any harm. The key with this fabric is not to get too bogged down by associations with affluent dads who wear trousers made of the stuff to kick back on deck. Instead, focus on the fact that T-shirts crafted from linen (or cotton-linen blends) will keep you looking and feeling cool throughout the hotter months.
Lightweight, breathable and quick-drying, linen is a lifesaver for men prone to overheating and excessive sweating. Both designers and the high street offer strong options, all of which can be styled up relatively effortlessly, seeing as they typically come in low-key, neutral shades.
Opt for a style in white, stone or beige to maximise versatility. These colours can be slotted beneath lightweight blazers in navy, grey or khaki for a sharp smart-casual look.
Equally, linen T-shirts team just as easily on their own with jeans or chinos at the weekend. Or you can pair with some charcoal tailored shorts for an on-point holiday outfit that shows you’ve put a little more thought into your look than the rest of your mates.
The Bold Colour Crew Neck
From James Dean to David Beckham, Marlon Brando to Ryan Gosling, the ubiquitous white T-shirt has long prevailed as the go-to style for men. Nowadays, however, there are so many more options available that slinging on a simple crew neck with a pair of selvedge jeans and a leather biker jacket needn’t make you appear the same as every other guy replicating the look.
A block-colour T-shirt, in either a striking primary shade or pared-back pastel, is the easiest way to experiment with different hues, add a point of difference to a look and tie an outfit together.
Unless you play fast and loose with your cash or you have a dry cleaner on speed dial, there’s little point in investing in big ticket names for any shade that might show up a stain. Instead, head to the high street where the likes of Uniqlo, H&M and Marks & Spencer are all turning out examples packing technology that helps the tees retain their shape and colour all summer long.
At the other end of the scale, labels such as Sunspel and James Perse have redefined the premium T-shirt, producing it in luxurious, super-soft pima and sea island cottons that are worthy of their higher price tag.
The Longline T-Shirt
T-shirt hemlines have been heading south in recent years, as oversized skate-inspired fits jostled for rail space with the classic crew neck. While exploded proportions of near dress-length are more than a little ridiculous, alternative cuts are a good way to get involved with trends such as Kanye-approved reverse layering.
It didn’t take long after designers such as Craig Green and Jonathan Saunders began experimenting with sportier, streetwear tees in thigh-skimming lengths for the high street to follow suit. Now, Topman, River Island, ASOS, H&M and co. are home to some of the best drop-waisted examples on the market.
If looking to get in on this style, just make sure you buy a T-shirt designed to be worn as such rather than simply buying up a standard cut in a size or three too big which will make you look like, well, you bought a T-shirt a size or three too big.
For the best effect, team yours with slim-fit jeans to capitalise on the elongated silhouette it creates. (Avoid skinny cuts, which create a ‘lampshading’ effect akin to a Weeble Wobble.) Equally, throw one on under a cropped T-shirt or bomber in a contrasting colour for a fresh riff on lightweight layering.
No comments:
Post a Comment