Jun02

Summer Style Guide: Urban Ambition

Posted by admin on Jun 2, 2012 in Fashion, Shopping | 0 comments

Summer’s finally here and rather than loaf around your hometown YOU brave child are moving on up in the world, going from a suburban sort of nobody to an urban sort of nobody with a job title, an intern for lack of better diction. You’ve got your apartment picked out (a cobwebby studio in Harlem smelling of Naphthalene and limp Ramen) and have the bus/subway/rickshaw routes memorized by heart already… and now, on the eve of departure you’re wondering WTH you should pack to keep cool (and collected) this summer in the city.

Urban dressing should be chiefly about ease and mobility. Whether uptown or downtown, the sartorial city-slicker is constantly on the move. With deadlines, conference calls and taxi fare to worry about, the last thing on your mind should be the clothes on your back. Take a few tried and true basics and build up your style quota from there, adding in the chipper, summer-spun colors and shorter proportions that are on trend right now. And to cap it off, sprinkle on a few personal touches to leave them guessing–a popped collar here, a contrast sole there and voila, you have yourself effortless summer style.

What You May Need:

*Major Note to the Wise: All Featured Styles Currently Discounted*

Three badass shoes:

Preferably of the slip-on variety, and please put away those tan square-toed libido killers you’ve been clod kicking in all your life. Summer 2012 is the time to break the brown-for-summer, black-for-winter cycle and to invest in footwear with more liberal colorings. Here’s a shout out to baby blue penny loafers for work, lego inspired trainers for the weekend and mustard espadrilles for everything in between.

Dsquared via Park & Bond

via New Balance

Hentsch Man via Opening Ceremony

Some city shorts:

We get it, you are humble, kind, honest, the kind of guy who doesn’t care about appearances or the awkwardly placed hairs on my upper lip. You’re a nice guy. But in those cargo shorts (are those khaki lips on your thighs?) it won’t get you very far. Play the field this summer by going a bit higher on the leg (2 inches above the knee is ideal) and a bit snugger on the tush. Just make sure everything’s in its proper place before heading for the door.

Gant Rugger via Barneys

Shipley & Halmos via SSENSE

Allsaints UK

A piquant polo or two:

Put on your favorite polo and look at yourself in the mirror. Now if it’s baggy and dress length and bears a contrasting colored critter on the chest, take it off and try on one of these for size. The best Polos these days have a retro flair to them–think tipped collars, contrast piping, and t-shirt thinness. The look should be more Wimbledon and less Frat Row. Smile. Turn. Blush a little. You did good my friend.

Thom Browne via Odin NYC