Unlike last summer which was dominated by long shorts, shorter proportions in shorts and blazers are taking over. Instead of bright whites, sun-bleached neutrals will be prominent this summer with sand-like colors and off-whites.
Sarah Daws, junior human sciences major, discussed what men should look out for this summer.
“We’re going to see a lot of silk skinny ties with micro patterns. Also, instead of hi-tops or low-tops, mid-ankle shoes are coming into style,” she said.
She also said menswear will be brighter and more daring.
“There will definitely be a lot of color. Colored pants are going to be a big trend this summer. Red pants, especially. For specific colors, designers are focusing on primary colors. There will be a lot of greens, blues and reds,” Daws said.
While name-brand runway fashions can hurt your wallet, Daws said there are affordable ways to look fresh off the runway.
“Gap is putting together a GQ line that will be reasonably affordable. Clothing from the line will be handpicked from GQ’s staff favorites,” Daws said.
For those who do not want to look too far, Reed’s in Starkville offers affordable and stylish menswear brands.
“Reed’s is probably the best in Starkville,” Daws said. “They have dress clothes that are good for church and going out, but they also have casual clothes that are stylish. They also sell TOMS. They just started selling the new TOMS eyewear.”
Austin Lenox, sophomore business major and employee at Reed’s in Starkville, said Reed’s has picked up a new brand that follows this summer’s trends.
“We just picked up a new brand called Mine, and they sent us some awesome spring-colored linen button downs. North Face has sent us some great water shorts called Class Five Shorts perfect for summer,” he said.
Charles Freeman Jr., apparel, textiles and merchandising instructor, said the biggest trend for this summer will be printed pants and shorts.
“Pants or shorts with plaid, striped or bold prints will be a trend this summer,” he said.
Red and electric blues will most likely appear in this summer’s color palette.
Freeman also said purchasing anything you can mix with a staple item is a fashion forward decision to make.
“You can put on a plain-colored tee with a bold pair of pants. You can also toss on a cotton blazer with it, and you will have a good, stylish look this summer,” Freeman said.
For those penny-pinchers, Freeman suggested shopping at Old Navy.
“At Old Navy, although the quality may not be as great as other stores, you can still get some more of the trendier items as well as some of the staple items for a really good price,” he said.
Freeman said menswear is headed in a great direction.
“I think men are starting to dress up more,” he said. “Especially with influences like ‘Mad Men,’ one of my personal favorite shows, you see a lot more men starting to take a little bit more time with their appearance. You see that men are getting back to simple things like shaving, taking care of themselves and grooming. They are wearing lace-up shoes with nicer socks.”
Freeman also said men’s fashion on campus is changing in an excellent way.
“They aren’t just putting on a pair of square toed slip-ons or sticking on a pair of flip flops with a pair of shorts and throwing a hat on backwards and going to class,” he said. “They are taking time now, saying, ‘If I’m going to be out and about today, I can at least do my best to look good.’ I’m really happy with the direction that menswear is going, especially on campus when I see men dressing up more by wearing bow ties and blazers with jeans.”