FashionBeans Q+A: Readers' questions- July 2015
Our resident style expert answers your most pressing queries
Resident style consultant and founder of men’s style blog The Chic Geek, Marcus Jaye answers your questions – from building a bold all-navy look to tracking down affordable linen tailoring.
Summer-Ready Monochrome
“I’m a big fan of wearing lots of all-black and monochrome looks and have found that my wardrobe has really drifted towards catering for that, and only that (with the exception of a bit of navy here and there).
“How can I make my monochrome style summer heat-friendly?”
Xian, via contact form.
‘Monochrome’, more commonly known as black, white and grey, looks great in the warmer weather. The trick here is to keep the colour palette, but change the material.
Now, you could look to traditional summer fabrics such as cotton or linen to keep you cool, but how about trying something different and a little more exciting?
One of the most interesting modern materials is MicroModal, a variant of Modal that features especially fine fibres. For those that don’t know, Modal is a type of rayon: a semi-synthetic cellulose fibre made by spinning reconstituted cellulose (in this case, often sourced from beech trees).
It bears similarities to cotton (it’s breathable and absorbs water well) but, because it’s engineered, it’s a little sturdier and resistant to shrinkage. Modal also cools you as you become hot and retains its colour well – so that black T-shirt really does stay black.
British brand Derek Rose uses some of the best MicroModal in its loungewear – including hoodies, T-shirts and joggers – all available in a palette of colours perfect for monochrome looks. They might seem pricey (T-shirts start at £68) but the material is expensive to produce.
