It’s still a bit too early for a 'summer shopping list,' or even a spring one, but it's not too early to start hunting for some key pieces. A lot of spring/summer essentials are easy to find when it starts to warm up, but there are some that either remain frustratingly elusive in general, or that I’ve developed such critical tastes in that it takes me forever to find exactly what I want.
This year, there are three main items that I’ll be hunting:
The first is a lightweight blazer. This is a perfect example of that item that you can find everywhere, but that I can never find exactly what I want. I’ll be the first to admit that this is purely because I’m picky as hell, and know exactly what I want: An unlined blazer, made from cotton, linen, or a blend thereof, unstructured, with natural shoulders. I came really close with my Uniqlo blazer last summer, and I may very well end up with another from their line again this season, but I'm doing my damnedest to find something a bit less chopped, and with a slightly lower button stance.
This newly released option from J.Crew would probably be just about as perfect as it gets, but I'm not sure I can stomach the price quite yet:
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| Ludlow Unconstructed Sportcoat in Mini-Houndstooth Cotton | J.Crew - $188 |
Same goes for these options from Hugh & Crye (true, it's in wool, but a loose hop-sack weave that should breathe well in the heat) and Bonobos...fingers crossed that something ends up on a sale rack!
(Editor's Note: I didn't realize until I was formatting this to publish that the J.Crew option is actually the cheapest of all of these...that's going to be damn tempting if it's ever eligible for even a small discount...I'll be watching eagerly, for sure).
Next on my list is a new pair of Sperry Top-Siders. This is similar to the blazer in that, come summer, you can find Sperry's EVERYWHERE. Even better, you can always find some that are being offered for a crazy discounted price, but you usually have to take what you can get, as far as colors and styles go. However, after realizing last year that every pair goes on sale at some point, my tactic this year is to keep my eyes open, stay patient, and wait until I see that exact pair drop down to like, half price. Last year I scored a pair of boat shoes in a classic brown color. This year I’m going to step out of the box a bit, either in navy, suede, or a two-tone combination. No bright colors, though, and no crazy contrast soles. Right now, I'm watching these in navy like a hawk for a good discount to pop up:
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| Gold Cup Authentic Original 2-Eye Original Boat Shoe | Sperry - $150 |
Last is one I’ll be hunting for truly because I can’t find any (at least at a price I can handle). I desperately want a lightweight, breezy linen shirt - but I want it in a dress cut that I can wear with a tie to the office - spread collar, slim fit, a little less rumpled, a little more pressed and proper. These do pop up now and then, but more often from high end shirt makers, while the affordable options tend to remain much more casual, beach-y with that 90's Miami vibe. Everlane has a line of slim linen shirts coming out later this summer that will probably fit the bill, but I don't know if I can wait that long!
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| Coming soon at Everlane.... |
Meanwhile, I'm taking a trip to SF this month, so I'm going to swing into the Uniqlo store and see if their linen options will work until then (however, they don't offer a slim fit, so I have a feeling it's going to be on the loose side):
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| Premium Linen Long-Sleeve Shirt | Uniqlo - $29.90 |
I'll keep y'all posted...
What are you hunting for this season? Share in the comments below:
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