#ddugoff

A Darker Blue Shirt is Your Answer to Everything

We’ve written before about how your shirt wardrobe should revolve around basic whites and light blues. And how you can wear white dress shirts in smarter ways. Last week, we also had a post about ecru button-ups, which sit somewhere between these two worlds. 

Many times, however, your answer to almost any wardrobe question is: wear a slightly darker blue shirt.

Want to dress down a tailored outfit? Darker blue shirts distinguish themselves from your usual button-ups in that they’re more casual. They go great with navy sport coats and gray wool trousers, keeping things relaxed without crossing over into novelty. With a tobacco linen summer suit, they feel appropriately dressed down. In a sturdy material such as denim or chambray, they’re also natural accompaniments rustic tweeds and corduroys. Ralph Lauren himself has made wearing a washed denim shirt with tweeds almost a style signature. 

Want to wear a light colored sport coat? Most outfits involving sport coats rely on the same formula -- dark jacket, light shirt, dark tie, and contrasting trousers. Lighter colored jackets, in this sense, can be a good way to make tailoring look more modern, but you often need something that centers the eye. A darker blue shirt here can be a great way to anchor a non-traditional color combination, visually bringing everything together like a navy necktie. See how Alan from The Armoury and Jack Nicholas are wearing theirs above. 

Want something casual, but hate business casual? Mid-blue chambray and denim shirts have been cornerstones of classic American sportswear forever. For a simple, casual look, they can be worn on their own with chinos or jeans in a way that’ll look better than your standard poplins or even oxford cloths (pair one with a chunky shawl collar cardigan, like you see below, once the weather turns cold). A dark blue shirt can be worn with lighter blue French chore coats and old blue jeans, creating a tonal outfit. I also like how Visvim designer Hiroki Nakamura wears his above with a white t-shirt and olive field jacket. If you get something in a heavier, thicker material, you can also use it a mid-layer. 

Like with anything, getting the right shirt is about the details. Heavier shirts will naturally feel more rugged, making them easier to pair with casualwear. A dressier fabric, on the other hand, might be better suited to tailored clothing than a pea coat. Similarly, cleaner, single-needle seams will look dressier than things that have been put through a wash. Check the seams to see there’s any puckering. The more textured and detailed the shirt, the more informal it’ll look. Details such as chest pockets, Western yokes, puckered seams, and plackets all push shirts towards the casual end of the spectrum. 

That said, don’t be afraid of some contrast. I really like Proper Cloth’s washed denim shirts precisely because the puckered edges make my sport coats look more casual. In his video feature at Hodiknee, John Goldberger paired a snap button Western shirt with checked tweed jacket (that video is awesome, if you haven’t already watched it). 

Some options this season: If you know you’ll only wear this with tailored clothing, start with slightly dressier options. Something like these finer plain weaves at The Armoury, Ralph Lauren, Wolf vs. Goat, and Drake’s will look better with a soft shouldered sport coat than the heavier options at RRL. Similarly, I really like the slubby Japanese fabrics at our advertiser Proper Cloth. They start off kind of scratchy, but they soften with wear (I use mine with light colored, summer sport coats). Michael Spencer also has a nice mid-blue in end-on-end, which is a kind of plain weave with a  subtle cross-hatching of yarns, giving the shirt some visual depth. At the moment, they’re having a promotion where you can get a second shirt for $40 off with any full-priced purchase. 

Alternatively, you can also go with a pique cotton button-up, which is something like the halfway point between a dress shirt and polo. Our advertiser Twillory calls these their “Friday shirts” given how well they work in casual offices. They have one in a nice mid-shade of blue. So does G. Inglese. 

For something more distinctively casual, there’s J. Crew, Club Monaco, Freeman’s Sporting Club, Ddugoff, and my favorite budget-friendly option, Wrangler. You may also want to check specialty workwear shops such as Unionmade, Standard & Strange, Superdenim, Self Edge, and The Bureau Belfast. Given how much those guys love indigo, they often carry blue shirts in every hue imaginable. 

What to Wear When It’s Too Hot For Anything

There are a lot of guides this time of year on how to dress for summer. Some are good; some are not. Few, however, address what you can realistically wear when it’s too damn hot for anything. 

The hard truth of it is -- unless you’re as handsome as George Clooney -- most of us just don’t look that great in a basic button-up and some trousers. Putting together a stylish outfit often requires a bit of layering, even if it’s just a tropical wool sport coat over a dress shirt, or lightweight safari jacket over a tee. For days when you can still push the limits, we have guides on how you can get away with tailored clothing this time of year. The trick is: search for jackets made from open weave materials, and are built with as little structure as possible inside, so your skin can breathe. I find I can still wear summer sport coats on days reaching into the mid-80s. 

Once temperatures get pinned to the 90s, however, the dynamics change. Dressing well for the dead of summer requires knowing a bit about how you can get away with just shirts and pants. Some suggestions on how to do it well:

The Classic Look

For guys who are into classic men’s clothing, I have some bad news. By definition, the coat-and-tie look revolves around the coat and tie (or, at least, the coat). That’s why the business casual movement has been so terrible for the last thirty years. When you reduce classic men’s dress to just a button-up, it looks awful. 

That said, there are better and worse ways to wear a classic look without a tailored jacket. To start, pay attention to the fit of your clothes. A good fit here is not to be conflated with a slim fit -- clothes ought to flatter your physique, not recreate it. We have guides on how your shirts and trousers should fit, should you want a review. 

Beyond that, it can be more important than ever to pay attention to the details. Trousers that sit slightly higher on the hips, for example, will lend better proportions between your torso and legs. Be careful with going too high, however. Those sorts of cuts can sometimes look fuddy-duddy without a tailored jacket. Instead, aim for the sort of cuts you see above. 

For a more casual, weekend look, try swapping your traditional dress shirt out for a popover -- which is the half-placket design you see in the last photo above (sort of like a polo, but typically made from a woven, rather than knitted, material). Our advertiser Proper Cloth can make them out of any fabric (I like linen). You can also try traditional knitted polos, but be careful. There’s a fine line here between looking like Gianni Agnelli strolling down the beach with Jackie Kennedy, and that middle manager who comes out to talk to angry customers. Polos from Kent Wang, G. Inglese, and Camoshita can steer you towards the better side of that line. 

Similarly, small details such as well-chosen shoes and accessories can elevate an otherwise basic ensemble. Try a smart pair of leather loafers and a braided leather belt. And if you can get away with it, unfasten an extra shirt button. You don’t have to go as far as Tom Ford, but a slightly lower neckline will look and feel better on a broiling afternoon. 

Play with Color

Often, dressing well with just a shirt and a pair of trousers requires a bit of willingness to experiment. And for this, you can start with color. 

For example, see the photo above from No Man Walks Alone, where their model is pictured wearing a slightly oversized, pink rayon Camoshita shirt with seafoam green Syce trousers and black Gucci loafers. Pastel colors can work wonderfully this time of year, and in this instance, the combination feels more contemporary than preppy thanks to the fit and details of the ensemble. 

For something a bit more conservative, see this example of Tender’s white jeans paired with a black shirt. Normally, black button-ups are terrible (the choice of Applebee’s servers and prom DJs), but they work here as a less-than-typical choice for a denim-based summer outfit. Most of us rely on colors such as blue, brown, and gray for our wardrobes, but when you’re reduced to so little, it can be good to experiment with other color combinations. 

If white jeans aren’t your thing, try light-washed jeans and something like this orange “resort” shirt from Deveaux (currently on sale with an extra 20% off with the checkout code ONSALE). Just make sure the jeans are slim-tapered. Light washed jeans in a straight-legged cut can sometimes look a bit dad-ish. 

Throw Caution to the Wind

For me, the area with the most potential. When it’s really hot, throw caution to the wind and wear more interesting items, which ideally can hold their own without the need to layer. Summer isn’t the time for timid decisions anyway. 

The easiest way to make a simple outfit work is to wear a bolder pattern -- not in terms of casual office styles, such as butcher stripes and madras, but rather loud contemporary prints and Aloha designs. Something such as this "Tropicana” shirt can be worn with casual chinos or even dressy slacks, so long as the cut is right. A slim leg line here can help distinguish this from the sort of clothes your golf-loving uncle might wear. Alternatively, you can try more contemporary print, such this season’s options from Engineered Garments, or these airy Ddugoff shirts in blue or green (again, the green one is on sale with an extra 20% off with the code ONSALE). Mr. Porter also has some great prints in camp collar designs this season. Any of those would look nice with a straw hat from Sublime or Lock & Company. 

Alternatively, you can play with the silhouette of your clothes. In the previous section, the No Man Walks Alone model can be seen wearing an oversized shirt with slightly cropped, carrot-fit trousers, which lends a more interesting look than strictly slim-fit clothes. If you’re bold enough, we also have guides on how you can try wider legged trousers. They’re not the easiest to wear, but they can be a good way to play with the proportions. 

Good Morning, My Sweet Prints

Long time readers know how much I love oxford-cloth button-downs. Particularly in light blue, which I find to be more versatile than white, they can be worn year-round with almost anything. Tailored sport coats, field jackets, and anything in-between. They’re an easy, failsafe choice because they occupy that narrow territory between formal and casual -- a shirt that’s smart enough to be worn in the office, but in a collar and cloth that don’t look too uptight. I particularly like the ones sold at Brooks Brothers, Mercer & Sons, Kamakura, Michael Spencer, and our sponsor Proper Cloth.

When the weather starts to get hot, however, it can also be nice to have some bolder shirts -- ones beyond your usual plaids and stripes. Remember: the bolder the shirt, the more casual it looks. And once we get into spring, bolder prints can feel more seasonal. Plus, OCBDs are a bit boring without a jacket. With an unusual print, a simple, jacket-free look can really come into its own. 

Some that I’ve been looking at:

YMC Malick ($125): YMC, which stands for You Must Create, is an old British brand from the mid-90s. This season, they have a splotchy, all-over print called the Malick. The shirt reminds me of those terrible sponge paintings we all did in kindergarten. Who knew that those art projects done in-between nap times made up so well into designer shirts?

Gitman Vintage Rayon Floral ($195): Gitman Vintage in general is really good for bold prints. They do them year round in all sorts of crazy fabrics. You can find them at shops such as Unionmade, End, Supply & Advise, East Dane, Indigo & Cotton, and their own site. I particularly like this floral camp collar shirt at Mohawk General Store. It’s made from rayon, so it’ll feel like silk, but wear a little cooler against the skin. 

Engineered Garments Copley ($264): Engineered Garments is great if you like slightly more contemporary takes on workwear. This Copley shirt is a good example. Band collar, taped edges, and a bold pattern that looks a bit like hand block printing. Would look great on its own with fatigues, which is just about all I want to wear when it’s really hot. 

A Kind of Guise Gioia ($255): This shirt is incredible. Made from a lightweight silk, it has this retro 1970s print that reminds me of soul music and Latin jazz for some reason. I tried it on recently and love how it looks with tan tropical wool trousers. You can almost hear the vibraphones coming out of a Roy Ayers song when you put this on. Don’t bother pairing it with jackets. Its awesomeness shouldn’t be covered up. 

Self Edge ($175+): Self Edge in general is great for mid-century vacation-style prints. They carry the Japanese brand Sun Surf, which reproduces Aloha shirts from the “Golden Era” of the ‘50s and ‘60s. I also like Star of Hollywood, which is an old 1950s company known for their wilder, atomic-style designs. Check out Self Edge’s “La Playita” lookbook this season if you want an idea of how these look with jeans or shorts. 

Officine Generale Dario ($260): Not for the modest. Officine Generale’s Dario shirt comes in voile, an exceptionally lightweight and breathable cotton, but also one that’s exceptionally sheer. The darker color here, however, will make this a bit more wearable than white fabrics in the same weave. Good for hot days, especially if you insist on layering. Another great voile shirt this season is Ddugoff’s Henry ($285), which comes in an abstract print and similar dark color. 

Eastlogue Indigo Pineapple ($255): Like Chinese food in tiki bars, pineapples were put on everything associated with vacation life in the mid-20th century. Highball glasses, tropical themed decor, and most notably, causal shirts. Eastlogue has one this season that looks a bit more contemporary. Sometimes dark shirts can be hard to pair with outerwear, depending on what else you’re wearing. The indigo-dyed blue here, on the other hand, comes in a nice, versatile, mid-shade. 

The Idle Man Palm Leaf ($32): The Idle Man was started by a former buyer at ASOS, a popular fast fashion brand. I haven’t handled their products, but I imagine you can expect the quality to be on par with ASOS (or, in the US, Zara). This Palm Leaf print shirt looks pretty good and is available for just $32. They have other designs as well. 

J. Crew Jungle Print ($59): A perfect example of why J. Crew is special. Reasonably well made, nicely designed, and not too expensive. At $60, this is about what you might want to pay for a “fun shirt.” The jungle print would look great with either chinos or shorts. A bit like something an American tourist would wear, but in a good, tailored fit that bends closer to sharp than sloppy.