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You’ll be seeing a lot of summer gear in the blogodome over the next few weeks, and to the untrained eye it might seem like everyone’s going to spend the next three months in shades, shorts and brightly colored t-shirts.
Not so.
They’re all good things to have in your closet, provided you know when and where to break them out—but in the wrong hands, they’re a faux pas waiting to happen.
So as a public service, we thought we’d share the sartorial code we live by during the summer.
via AntennaPutting Pen to Paper: Examining the pros and cons of writing love letters. Courage, gentlemen. [Magnificent Bastard]
Thou Shalt Not: The 17 commandments of holiday style, according to Esquire. For what it’s worth, we’d offer dispensation on the “seasonal colors” rule. [Esquire]
Trunkless in Budapest: A writer examines the deep, enduring shame of forgetting one’s bathing suit at a Hungarian bath. Apparently black boxer-briefs really do come in handy. [World Hum]
All the Colors: A visual guide to the latest Girl Talk album. [Mashup Breakdown]
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Here’s a good idea whose time has come: a beach-ready dry bag made to keep the rest of your suitcase pristine in the unlikely event you don’t get your suit entirely dry before it’s time to pack up. (We imagine you’ve got a full schedule.) It’s a task you usually assign to a plastic grocery sack, but this Flight 001 bag has a zipper to keep things contained and, more importantly, a mildew-resistant interior.
At the risk of becoming a blog entirely devoted to swimsuits, we’re going to give you one last Paul Smith option before leaving you to fend for yourself.
This one’s for the bold. Swim trunks are dealing with a lot less real estate than more formal attire, so you’re free to try out wilder patterns like this one. And since you’re dealing with the same trim cut as the rest of our offerings, you’ll stay reasonably clear of Hawaiian territories.
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As you may have noticed, it’s beautiful out there. You may not have found a swimming pool just yet, but it’s only a matter of time—and when you do, you’re going to need a pair of trunks.
Fortunately, you’ve got options. Specifically, these five.
We tend to prefer an old school board short, but a few tweaks here and there are enough to change our mind. Make it a little shorter and a little slimmer, and suddenly you’re back in the realm of gentlemanly beach attire.
Quiksilver’s “Limited Collection” (which should be hitting their site any day now) makes both those tweaks, and drops a bit of science in the bargain. They’ve developed a new fabric—inexplicably named Diamond Dobby—which should dry twice as fast as the shorts you’re used to. They’ve got plenty of the classic 80s patterns if you’re feeling retro, but there’s a few more muted versions in there as well, like this plain green pair.
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Go Jump in the Lake: Nothing like a warm day and a swimwear collection.
[FreshnessMag]
Shepard Fairey has a Posse: Mr. Obey gets a softly glowing writeup from the art press. [ArtNet]
Continuing to Shake It: The hunt for a cheaper Polaroid is on. We’ll save this medium yet! [NYTimes]
Give ‘em the Boot: Another day, another good pair of work boots. [CoolHunting]
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The Golden Age of Swimwear: Stylehive reminds us of the subtle charms of the retro-cut swim suit. [Stylehive]
Maternal Anxiety: Esquire counts down the top 10 mothers of all time, and the competition is pretty stiff. To give you some idea, the Virgin Mary only clocks in at #5. [Esquire]
A Life, Considered: Kate Moss is at work on a memoir, and we’re guessing Johnny Depp is sweating through his goatee. [My Fashion Life]
It’s the Beard: Hickey introduces us to our new favorite male model. [Hypebeast]
Provoked: Agent Provocateur has basically never let us down. [FashionIndie]
The Surge: Menswear leads the economic charge. Does that mean we can start declaring short-lived trends again? [FT]
Hitting the Bottle: Evian brings in Jean-Paul Gaultier to revamp their classic bottle design. Hopefully, Coke is paying attention. [Selectism]
Can We Have Our Ball Back?: Jean Touitou of A.P.C. continues to be surprisingly crotchety about music. [Dazed Digital]
On the Beach: Jezebel’s post on the tyranny of unsupportive bathing suits may have backfired. [Jezebel]
The Overclass: It’s hard to improve on the headline: “Russian Billionaires Learn to Embrace Thrift.” [Luxist]
Check’s in the Mail: Gitman Brothers Vintage gets a bit more love. Go Steelers? [Blackbird]
Footprints: Bespoke cobbling goes online. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship… [Material Interest]
Establishing a national identity can be tough these days, but Brazil has it pretty good. Their chief resources—as far as we can tell—are amazing weather, thousands of miles of beaches, and some of the most beautiful people in the world.
So maybe a swimsuit line or two isn’t such a bad call.
As it happens, Rio de Janiero is turning its attentions to the swimsuits in a big way, starting with a new beachwear fashion week and a general uptick in tropically minded bikinis. It hasn’t made its way around to menswear yet, and we’re not sure we want it too, but don’t be surprised if you see a lot more brightly-colored two-pieces on the beach this summer.
You’ll hear no complaints from us.
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Suit Up: A calm, mathematical reaction to the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition. There’s a first time for everything. [Daily Intel]
Do You Have Anything in Flourescent Yellow?: Esquire gives advice on the best gear to wear on a construction site…and happens to recommend some of our favorite brands. [Esquire]
Protect Your Neck: For no particular reason, the top ten hit jobs in cinematic history. Get ready to see a lot of ruined suits. [Vulture]
Valentine’s Insurance: 10 solid movies about unfulfilled love, just in time to put on your Netflix queue and have in your hands by Saturday. Don’t say you weren’t warned. [TakePart]
Book Smart: Kate Beckinsale plays the “naughty
librarian,” thus setting the Dewey Decimal System ablaze. [
Tuna]
Presumptive Nominee: Now that he’s locked up the
primaries, it’s time to ask the important questions about Obama’s
closet. [Brandish]
Problem Drinkers: Sip carefully: these wineglasses
can kill. [NotCot]
Movin’ On Up: Atelier packs their bags for SHNOT.
Gesundheit. [
Short Story: Ladies give you advice on swimsuit
shopping. No banana hammocks allowed. [
Pool Party: Jump into the pool with the U.S. synchronized swim team and get ready to doggy paddle. [Radar]
Bikini Classic: The best of 70s S.I. swimsuits. [HuffPo]
Life’s Little Victories: Now you can finally win something for being short. Huzzah! [ShortShrifted]
Road Warrior: Come the apocalypse, roll that old Civic out the garage. [Wired]
Ruh’ Oh: Thom Browne may be breaking up with Brooks Brothers. Who gets Black
Fleece in the divorce? [NYMag]
From Rags to Stiches: Ex-secondhand store Aloha Rag gets a visit from our favorite critical queen. [NYTimes]
