5 Key Menswear Pieces For Spring/Summer 2015
Warm-Weather Prep
While we’re still very much in the midst of winter, there’s no harm in looking ahead to a – literally – brighter future.
In fact, by starting your spring/summer preparations now, you’ll soon be able to sit back and relax in your new warm-weather get-up while everyone else scrambles through the remains of the high street clothing rails at the first sight of sun.
If you’re keen to keep your shopping list as concise as possible, here are the five essential items you’ll need to instantly update your look for SS15.
1. The Striped Blazer
Showcased in several SS15 collections from some of menswear’s biggest names, the striped blazer is straight in at number one on our list. While checked tailoring continues to make its presence felt, both on the runways and the streets, this season the pattern takes a back seat to stripes, which come in all forms, from horizontal pinstripes to thick, block-coloured variations.
Guaranteed to give your tailoring collection a summer-ready lift, a striped blazer will serve you well for a slew of different occasions, from formal garden parties to sun holidays abroad.
To tease out its smarter potential, combine with slim- or straight-fit chinos (hems rolled up slightly), a white button-down shirt and pair of chunky soled brogues or tasselled loafers. For something less dressy but inarguably stylish, team it with a classic fitted white crew neck T-shirt and pair of leather sandals.
Alternatively, if those two options are a little too safe for you, consider tapping one of the season’s major styling trends: mixing and matching stripes. You’ll need a healthy dose of confidence and a reasonably lean frame to pull this one off, but layering a broad vertical awning striped blazer over a thin horizontal Breton tee makes for a clash that flouts old sartorial rules, but is undoubtedly fashionable.
The key to mixing patterns is to try and vary the orientation and scale (size) of each piece you add to the look – for example, a boating striped blazer matched with a pinstripe shirt and horizontal club tie.
