Style Watch for Men: 5 Summer Must-haves

1. Pick up the Slacks: Give your favorite jeans a break and show your tailored side with something a bit more polished. Riviera Hombre Herringbone Silk and Linen Pants are lightweight and perfect for those occasions where your baby blues just won’t cut it. They’re designed to look classy, not nerdy, and the luxurious Italian fabric is so fine you’ll definitely feel more GQ than Alpha Omega, we’re sure of it. And even if your most coveted pair of Levi’s are so loved they could get up and walk on their own, you’ll ensure she doesn’t do any walking (as in out the door) when you show up in some actual pants for once.

2. Slim Shady: Next time she calls you shady, take it as a compliment. A classic pair of sunglasses is a must. Keep it simple with something like Callaway Eyewear’s C-401 Oval Rectangular Lens. The patented Neox technology allows the lenses to adjust to the decreased depth of field caused by most sunglasses and counteracts optical displacement, producing the sharpest, most accurate vision possible. How very James Bond of you. Plus, they look really cool. Just don’t start going around stating your last name first, and insisting on martinis shaken, not stirred.

3. Color Blind: While you may think that brown, black, tan, and white are the colors of the rainbow, vibrant, fiesta-inspired colors with names like Hawaiian punch, tangerine, and cobalt are the call of the season. Paul Smith has certainly gotten the memo; Paul Smith Polo Shirt in Jersey is luxe combed cotton and the salmon hue will do your drab duds some good. Extra points for sporting it at night.

4. Shirt Story: T-Shirt men, beware: a clean button-down is a very important piece this summer. BBQs, weddings, and last-minute trips will require such a versatile wardrobe element. Powell’s Long Sleeve Button-Down Shirt has a single chest pocket and is classically tailored to suit your look, from casual to eleventh-hour elegant. It looks so effortless you’ll forget that you aren’t wearing your “I Partied With Your Mom Last Night” tee. So classy.

5. Slide into your thong: Sandals, guys, come on. A pair of nice, leather slides or thongs will allow you to feel like you could be in Punta Cana on an amazing vacation (if it weren’t for the high-pitched shriek of your fiancée’s mother forcing more paella on your plate). Ralph Lauren has the idea, with the Hendrie Leather Thong and the Montego Slide. You’ll be able to maintain that effortlessly cool look you love so much; just make sure you don’t offend anyone with scary toes.