For those of you who haven’t watched Amy Winehouse’s performance at Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday, she does this thing where she pulls on her skirt while she sings. She looks to me a victim of ‘Summer Spirit.’
You know what I mean- when all you want to wear are your swimshorts and the thought of a buttoned up shirt and trousers makes you itch. Don’t worry Amy, I have found the answer to this shared problem and it comes in the form of Dries Van Noten’s transparent shirt. Seen in his current SS09 show, this shirt is striped and looks to be made of a silk-like material. It looks cool (in both the urban dictionary and weather sense) and with that white collar and contrast-stripe collar and cuff detail, is a perfect summer piece.
If you haven’t decided what kind of summer jacket that you’ll be wearing, then Refinery29 have a comprehensive overview of eight different types of jacket. If you’re in England, then you may want to get these sooner rather than later, as the weather reporters are stating that it’s gonna be 17C and upwards from Tuesday.
To save you valuable nanoseconds, we’ve condensed them to our eight favourite jackets. You can check where each one is available from after the jump.
What can I say? We do try our best here on Brandish and every so often an iconic-well-dressed-mega-major-celeb pays attention. Russell Brand is one of my favourite modern personalities and his part in the new film “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” looks set to provide more embarrassingly-crude but absolutely hilarious viewing. Watch the trailer above and look out for Russell’s short-shorts beach/ Yoga look (mistaken my those not as dedicated to the shorts debate as simple sportswear!)
Burton’s SB2 jacket is a great summer alternative to pinstripe or plain navy but is dark enough to avoid comparisons with the man from Del Monte. It’ll look great with a cobalt blue or coral tie, but equally good teamed with similar neutrals.
The jacket will set you back £69 which is a good price considering it’s 100% linen, the matching trousers are an equally reasonable £30. Suits on the high street never looked so good.
Now I promise we’re not being paid to talk about Topman but its hard to find fault in this modern-man brand. First we heard about the Lens collection and now I am pleased to present the Topman Beach Shop. I know that we’re just entering February (possibly the most dark and depressing month of the year) but isn’t it time we start to compile our wardrobes for the summer?
The Beach Shop has items that can be all worn together for that "fun in the sun without ruining your outfit" look as well as tops and bottoms that can be worn at the moment for a bit of a colour boost.
Monsoon have got the best manbags at the moment, combining neutral canvas with leather for an aged feel which are perfect for taking on holiday. The leather trims give an air of professorly insouciance, these are made for storing your heavy philosophical tomes. More importantly they look like an old find you might have been carrying around for years which will add chic to any casual outfit. See after the jump for product links.
I’m not such a fan of flip flops, but these Burton ones
are a great buy for the park or to pop in your suitcase. The rich red colour makes them look a lot more expensive than the £6 they will set you back and you can safely team them with indigo jeans without looking like a scruffbag. Team them with Burton’s grey linen shorts for a more edgy (and ventilation friendly!) look.
It’s raining cats and dogs right now, but my reliable colleague Kim has informed me this summer will be scorching. So that gives you a reason to purchase these summery canvas pumps (£45) now, to store in your wardrobe until the sun comes out. They’re a bit baggy but for these Topman babies that just means more comfort than your average lace up shoe. They will top off a relaxed summer look with finesse, especially teamed with some baggy beige trousers.
These slouchy trousers from Monsoon (£55) are perfect for the summer, the linen content means they will look their best slightly rumpled and billowing but the rayon content will keep a modicum of crisp. Team the dark slate colour with pale blues, dove greys and white for a cool look; the trousers will be equally at home with a casual t-shirt and flip flops or smartened up with a tailored short-sleeved shirt and pumps for work.
Tesco have got some great summer basics that are simple and deceptively expensive looking and will look great teamed with some of your old favourites. The linen knitted shirt has a quirky texture that will make it stand out, and the 3/4 length trousers are a great compromise between the very fashionable knee high tailored shorts and slightly passé cropped cargo pants. Lastly the baby blue button up polo from Katharine Hamnett’s E range is a very flattering colour, and will look great with navy and white. See after the jump for details and links.
White was touted as the in colour last summer, and the look is still as hot this summer. Team white pieces with pale greys, navys or pastels for an unfussy smart look. I’ve picked a few separates that will keep you looking fresh all summer, but don’t wear all-white unless you want to look like Johnny Borrell from Razorlight. See after the jump for full product links.
For those of you who haven’t watched Amy Winehouse’s performance at Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday, she does this thing where she pulls on her skirt while she sings. She looks to me a victim of ‘Summer Spirit.’
I’m not such a fan of flip flops, but 
It’s raining cats and dogs right now, but my reliable colleague Kim has informed me this summer will be scorching. So that gives you a reason to purchase these 
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