Spring is a great time to exercise your sartorial smarts. We don’t fully dive into seasonal fashion in California. You can wear your basic wardrobe year-round with the exception of season-specific items, like shorts and pea coats. A few spring essentials can step up your style for the season.
Consider adding these 10 items to your wardrobe.
Spring suits
As I explained in my previous article, wearing a suit doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. But wearing the wrong fabric definitely can be. Cotton is considered the middle ground of fabrics for suits, and you can’t go wrong with it, especially in spring. Tweed and wool suits are heavier and better suited for the winter. Linen suits are lightweight and more suitable for the summer.
Julius Thompson sports the perfect spring outfit, with a lightweight shirt and fashionable shades. | Tomber Su/THE CHIMES
Lightweight washed shirts
Speaking of lightweight, lightweight washed dress shirts are great for spring and summer. The ‘washed’ means the shirt has been treated so that it’s softer and the lightweight material will also keep you cool. Cotton or chambray are ideal shirt fabrics for the spring. Sky blue, white, pink and spring green are all great colors that coordinate well with the changing weather of spring. These shirts can be paired with suit pants, chinos and shorts — all providing different looks that accommodate your style.
Loafers
Loafers are the bridge between sneakers and oxfords. Loafers allow you to dress up or dress down any outfit depending on your discretion. Leather loafers — including the penny, tassel, single and double monk strap — are the most versatile.
Thompson sits in a way to accentuate his classy loafers. He also suggests pieces like spring suits and rain jackets. | Tomber Su/THE CHIMES
Classic sneakers or trainers
A pair of trainers or sneakers are essential to any man’s casual game. You can wear them with jeans, chinos or shorts — and, if you’re daring enough, a suit — and they’ll look great. New Balance Classics, Jack Purcell’s and Chuck Taylors are the brands that I favor the most, but the list goes on.
Chinos
Chinos are my favorite type of pants to wear. They are a happy medium located between suit pants and jeans. The beauty behind them is that they were created as men’s work pants and can handle a beating, but they aren’t as casual as denim. A pair of khaki and navy chinos will open up so many doors for your wardrobe.
Denim trucker jacket
One of my favorite articles of clothing is my Levi’s denim trucker jacket. It was the key piece to upping my casual game. It’s lightweight and versatile yet has incredible insulation for when the temperature drops. You can wear a denim jacket with almost everything in your closet, which makes it so great.
The only disclaimer I have about the trucker jacket is to be wary of double denim. Wearing the same color denim jeans and jacket is tough to do and often isn’t done right. However if you are going to do it, aim for contrasting shades. Black and blue are the easiest to pull off.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are an essential for any Californian, especially in springtime. They are a great accessory that gives an edge to any outfit, whether it’s dressy or casual. It is important, however, to know which types of sunglasses go best with the shape of your face.
Rain jacket
It may not rain often in California, but everywhere else in the world, a wind and water resistant jacket is a must. It’s one of those things that is better to have and not need than to need and not have. Fortunately, the weather doesn’t have to be terrible to wear a parka or a trench coat.
The parka is more modern and casual while the trench is a modern classic. If you do choose to opt for the trench coat, be sure to get one with a belt. The belt slims the waist, causing the coat to contour to the shape of your body.
Classic tees
Solid or patterned tee shirts — preferably broken-in or soft-wash — are easy to throw on whenever. They can be dressed up with suit jackets or a blazer or worn casually with jeans, chinos or shorts.
Bare ankles
No-shows or socks that stop at the bottom of the ankle are definitely a must have for spring and summer. Not everyone is up for going sockless, and for some shoes you may not want to, but no-shows are a nice change and can help to keep you cool or your feet warm, depending on the weather.
