Shimmering Concrete

Feet pounding against sun-baked pavement. Otherwise, crunching through beigey, dried-out grass; sticky, packed out trains, charcoal smoke, cold beer. We lounge about, dazzled by the sun, try to move as little as possible, or run away to air conditioners. Clothing is sort of instinctual, felt rather than decided upon, whatever might afford us comfort against heat, no deep considerations, no worrying over appearances. It is for this reason that it is perfect. Welcome to our Summer philosophy.

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Air is the primary concern, to pull heat away from the body, to evaporate sweat; so that a godsend breeze can be felt and properly appreciated. All summer clothing must defer to air, to touching the body as little as possible. There’s plenty of ways to go about this, none of which being to opt for a fabric labelled as “breathable”, naturally.

Size is perhaps the easiest yet most commonly overlooked. An oversized shirt which hangs from the shoulders, leaving the torso unmolested, offers tremendous ventilation, far more than wearing anything fitted but short-sleeved. Of course this relies on shirts staying untucked, which contributes to the natural ease that comes with summer fashion, and which we’ll build on throughout. The bigger the better when it comes to these shirts really: old Brooks Brothers Makers and 90s GAP “Big Oxfords” are natural favourites, I’ve been into some Land’s End Made in USA ones too. They’re a bit shorter which I’m sure some folks will find welcome.

The super low-gauge knit is another option, something with visible holes through it, if it’s hot enough there’ll be men wandering around with their shirts off anyway so there needn’t be any aversion to showing some skin. Cotton, linen, hemp, or silk are all fine choices for fabric. Casatlantic make a painfully beautiful cricket jumper, and Tender Co. do a great raglan sleeve pullover. A low gauge sock is a nice touch too, if socks are on the table at all. Just be aware that if you layer over an open knit like this, it may begin to have the opposite effect, trapping air near the body and warming you up more. As always, layer responsibly.

Shorts must be the most carefree of all garments, and they are at their best when treated as such. They needn’t be elevated, I like cutoffs, dirty khakis, or sports shorts, and I wear them as though they were an afterthought, as though an outfit was put together without them before a brief glance at the thermometer or a step outside resulted in a change of plans.

Inseam length is a non-issue, it’s solely a matter of taste, and I would expect to see some variety through a collection. Different days call for different amounts of thigh on show though I will say anything past the knee will get an eyebrow raise from me personally. To agonise too much over shorts I think defeats the point, they’re a highly functional piece of clothing. I do think they’re better wider, offering greater ventilation, and more visual weight. You’ve really got to eyeball this, try a few lengths and widths till you’ve got a good feel for it.

There are also short sleeves to consider. I don’t own any short sleeved shirts, I prefer to roll sleeves if needed, whilst keeping the option to have them down. I find long sleeves worn with shorts to be a very pleasing silhouette. As aforementioned, if they’re big enough there isn’t much, if any, loss in ventilation. I’ve been enjoying short sleeve sweatshirts though, in particular when layered over a long sleeved base layer, especially a shirt, that’s got some real deal charm to it. And it gets rid of my main issue with short sleeve sweats that they make my arms look small. Naturally, this is a play for the brief moments of respite, the early mornings and late nights, for when it just dips cold enough.

T-shirts are deceptive, especially if they’re heavyweight like most people tend to buy these days. They’re really not all that good in the heat, since they’re knit, and fit closer to the body. I’d always prioritise shorts on the legs, and a long sleeve, over the inverse.

Note, shorts will also at times demand good socks, if you haven’t got good socks go with no socks. Something big and slouchy is always welcome, otherwise a fun colour, or both. Here is where I tend to divert a little from my “shorts as an afterthought” rule— “rule” is putting it a little strongly anyway, it’s a vibe I enjoy— a considered sock choice is the best way to complete a look with shorts. I suppose the way I look at it is that, in truly deep heat, you’re bound to look a little dishevelled, or I am anyway. So, the trick is to move with it, to build outfits which match the lazy demeanour brought on by the sunshine, but which clue into some consideration having been made.

I’m a recent sandal convert, I wore them growing up, naturally, but left them behind for some time. It never really crossed my mind that they’d suit how I dress. I think there will perhaps always be a slight aversion in the world of “proper” menswear to any sort hippyish dressing, with sandals as a part of that. I doubt you’ll be surprised to learn I, on the other hand, **am all about that shit.

We’ve had the fisherman sandal sat on the periphery for a while, and it’s fine, I can see the appeal in that you can probably get into better restaurants in them, but I figure if you’re going as a far as having sandals, you might as well commit all the way and get the extra ventilation.

Sandals needn’t be complicated, I’d stick with Birkenstock Arizonas or Rainbows, in brown or black leather. Unlike a fisherman sandal they’ll squish down and take up next to no room in a bag. They’re for the short walk from the house to the beach, for a quick trip out to buy bread for dinner. A good beach bag (that is to say an L.L. Bean tote) ought to have room for a spare pair of shoes should they be required for dinner. An open-toe shoe at the end of a pair of trousers has a certain charm too, it’s that carefree nature again.

Alongside temperature regulation, a good summer wardrobe should be conducive to packing. Fortunately the two go hand in hand, right? Lighter fabrics take up less room. That shouldn’t stop you from keeping numbers down though.

I don’t plan outfits for vacations, that’s not really my jam, I tend to fall back on the capsule-ish nature of my wardrobe. I absolutely love packing for a trip, it creates this microcosm of a collection, forces you to really hone in. Packing light is best for this, having to narrow down as much as possible whilst keeping suitable versatility, is a lovely little puzzle to solve.

To start, I firmly believe there’s not a trip in the world that requires more than three pairs of shoes, most require two with the third as a bonus. As standard for a summer trip I’ll take trainers, usually CVOs, and boat shoes then the wild card is destination dependent, loafers for a city break with good eats, sandals for the beach, or tennis shoes, though these can also replace the CVOs.

I won’t subject you to a full breakdown, I’m not famous enough for people to care exactly what’s in my bag, but I’ll tend to have a few oxford shirts, a couple pairs of shorts, swim trunks which will double as shorts, i.e. Patagonia Baggies, Manresa Ravine Shorts, or those new ones from William Ellery (which look very tasty), are a big help. Then I’ll travel in pair of trousers that are good enough for evening, stone coloured chinos will usually do, so as to keep them out of the bag. Numbers stay very low and everything besides underwear gets at least two wears.

Now, I’m tempted to push the intentionality up a gear and, in a Coggins approved move, ditch the wheeled suitcase. The style afforded by a good leather duffle bag is hard to argue with, and there’s nothing quite like having to carry the shit you’ve packed to make sure you keep it light. I’ve felt a little light on friction lately, this feels like a nice way to tap into some in a way that also affords more swag.

I treat packing as a sort of game, or a challenge. In any creative practice there ought to be a sense of play, dressing is no different, and this is one of the best opportunities for it.

In summer there is always a safety net, always a look to fall back on, if all else fails, there’s always blue and white stripes. University or reverse striped oxfords, fine seersuckers, Breton hoops, there is nothing more surefire, nothing so easy.

With that we come across the inseparability of summer clothing and the ocean, with images of boat sails, deck chairs, beach towels, and awnings over fruit stands on brilliant, toasted European streets. The beach holiday is woven into the language of summer dressing, especially looks one might describe as “preppy”. There’s a line though, between resort style, all Hawaiian shirts, Guayaberas, straw hats, Magnum P.I. shit, and the boating, Nantucket island, mussels and clams brand that I find myself chasing. It’s West Coast versus East, I suppose, pool water versus saltwater. I’d take the beach over the poolside any day.

The point though is that in Summer aspirations are high. Though we are mellowed by heat when it’s at its most intense, the sun stays out late into the evening, we move ourselves, get out to bars and restaurants, to parks and barbecues. We are active and out in our worlds, the more the clothes we wear reflect that the better.

For that reason, I think blue and white stripes are nye-on a requirement when the mercury climbs high. Nothing else captures my personal aspirations for a perfect summer, deep down we all want a perfect summer.

It’s a feud with temperature, but it’s a time of ease and leisure. The very reason I love prep is that it is clothing for leisure, not labour, and so it’s no surprise that summer dressing sort of feels effortless when you’re speaking this language. Our deep heat philosophy is thus: oversize for ventilation, let shorts be casual, pack as light as possible, wear blue and white stripes, enjoy the late sunsets and salt water.

Prep Club adjourned, catch you next week.

Should you put sh*t in your pockets?

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Jul 3

Welcome back to THE RADAR, The Prep Club’s fortnightly mini-magazine keeping you in the loop of what’s hip in the sphere of collegiate threads. You can attend last week’s meeting here for a view into towns without fashion scenes.