How to put together a men's spring summer wardrobe
A men's spring summer wardrobe rests on a handful of pairs that cover different registers: an open shoe for time off, a light closed one for every day, a slimmed-down formal pair for work and ceremonies. Men's spring summer shoes and accessories all follow the same rule: fewer layers, less weight, materials that let air through. Starting there means buying less and wearing more, because each pair has a job of its own instead of duplicating the one before it.
A slip-on is the closed shoe with no lacing, held on by elastic side gores or an elasticated collar, and in summer it is the family you take off and put back on fastest: at the airport, at home, at the office. It holds the heel better than a loafer, because the elastic works right around the perimeter, and it avoids the point where a swollen foot presses against the lacing of a sneaker. Suede, canvas and perforated leather versions are gathered under men's slip-ons.
A belt is matched to the shoe by colour and finish, not to the trousers: tan with tan, black with black, suede with suede. Width sets the register, because around 3 centimetres sits with tailored trousers while anything above 3.5 reads as casual and needs a wider loop. Alongside the belt, the shoehorn is the accessory that extends the life of a summer shoe the most: it stops you crushing the heel counter every time you put the shoe on, and that counter is where an unlined pair gives way first. Belts, shoehorns and leather care products are gathered under men's accessories.
In summer the men's palette shifts towards natural tones, tan, cognac, beige and navy, and that changes the matching rules more than the model does. A shoe lighter than the trousers lightens the whole figure and carries linen and cotton; a darker one anchors it and is the safe choice under a suit. The sock does the rest: a sock in the tone of the trousers lengthens the leg, one in the tone of the shoe shortens it, and no-show socks are worth buying with a silicone heel grip, unless you want to find them inside the shoe by midday.
Summer occasions call for different constructions. A daytime ceremony wants a light lace-up in smooth leather, which holds its line even in the heat; the office without a jacket works with a loafer, which sits halfway between formal and casual; a holiday asks for one open pair and one closed pair that can be washed, because sand and salt water ruin leather. A practical rule: if a single pair has to cover travel, dinner and a day in town, choose it dark and in smooth leather rather than pale and in suede.
A summer shoe wears out from the inside before the outside. Perspiration attacks the lining and the insole, so the same pair should not be worn two days running: twenty-four hours of rest is enough for it to dry. A cedar shoe tree absorbs the remaining moisture and holds the shape of the toe, which on an unlined model collapses within weeks; a plain wooden tree works too, but never newspaper, which releases ink. At the end of the season shoes are put away clean and dry, out of direct light, because pale suede yellows.
