Kyle, thanks for the question and the challenge. Kind of a script-flip from last month's column where I told Mateo that a sport jacket was the move for a newly minted counselor… because you've got that element down. You do it when school's in session. (Your formula sounds pretty good, by the way.) What you're trying to figure out is how to look pulled-together without the jacket. And you're in the South. Enough said. I grew up in the heat and the mug of small-town Mississippi, so I feel what you're trying to solve for. Atlanta isn't the most temperate, either. So what's the middle ground between a university-branded polo and a blazer when it's 100 degrees and 100% humidity?
Well, to be honest… that uniform is a great starting point. Park the blazer, roll up the sleeves of your oxford, and swap out the desert boots for a pair of loafers (more on those in a bit), and you'll look fantastic.
But I get the sense you're looking for a bit more novelty. And so I'll tell you the piece that immediately came to mind. When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, my dad wore a lot of short-sleeved woven shirts. Not a polo, and not anything exotic like a guayabera or a camp shirt. Something you could wear a tie with, just with sleeves that hit above the elbow. (I'm not recommending that styling, I'm just saying.) He worked as the Chief Chemist at the cement plant, and this wasn't unique to him. You'd show up at church for Wednesday night prayer meeting in the summertime, and all the men there were coming straight from work in short-sleeved shirts with trousers and dress shoes. I've always loved this picture of Walker Percy in that same look… I could take or leave the undershirt, but that was a guy who knew Southern heat. Anyway, this is exactly what a short-sleeved sport shirt was made for. Especially in a breathable fabric like seersucker or Madras. (I feel compelled to mention that all of our shirts are breathable, by the way, because they're all natural fibers like cotton or linen, but those weaves in particular give you a lot of ventilation.)
If a short-sleeved sport shirt isn't your thing, a short-sleeved knit button-down would be just as good. It's the same idea as the above, just in a super-breathable knit cotton pique that behaves more like a polo shirt material. The roll of the collar elevates it. Our friend Keith Mitchell, who plays on the PGA tour and does his job outdoors in the heat, wears this a lot. Alternatively, if you really want to play it safe, a solid, unbranded polo shirt will check the same box. From Sid Mashburn, not the university bookstore. The one we make has the cut-and-sew collar that stands up on its own, looks great under a blazer, and has a real presence to it. And, again, failing all that… you can always roll up the sleeves of your existing sport shirts. Three and a half rolls, above the elbow. Easy.
On the pants front: you've got that down with the same five-pockets you wear during the school year. Sport trousers work if you want to dial it up a notch, but don't mess with something that's working well.
And then the shoes are the really critical piece. Regardless of the route you take with your shirt, you want hard-soled shoes. Not sneakers, not camp mocs. A pair of loafers (preferably no socks, but not a deal-killer) and you'll look DRESSED. Most things in the loafer family will do the trick: pennies, tassels, whichever you prefer. (For this setting, I’d pass on the Nassau loafers, which are unlined… those are super elegant but they feel a little more date-night or vacation and less Wednesday-morning-staff-meeting.) In particular, the handsewn penny loafers have a built-in casualness, but they can elevate themselves very easily with charcoal dress trousers and a coat and tie, particularly when you add socks. And the Italian tassels can dress up just as easily… I am wearing them right now. On the other end of the spectrum, some people have been known to wear those with shorts. It's not my look, but I've seen it look cool on other guys. Point is: loafers are gonna tie the whole look together. It can be as hot as all get-out, but if you're wearing nice shoes, you'll look pulled-together. Add a belt in the same color neighborhood as the shoes — it doesn't have to match exactly, just a complement — and you're set.
So your summertime formula is:
Short-sleeved woven shirt OR short-sleeved knit button-down OR solid polo OR your usual oxford with the sleeves rolled up + five-pockets OR sport trousers + belt + loafers.
One last parting thought. Consider not ditching the blazer completely. Park it in the employee lot… aka the back of your door. Especially if it's part of your uniform during the spring and fall terms. It can be useful in the air conditioning, it can be handy if you've got surprise visitors, and it can be a nice mental truss-up to start and end your day with it. All the shirts I recommended above are engineered to look good underneath a sport coat, and the navy high-twist Ghost blazer is so lightweight it's almost like wearing a shirt. I would keep it on a hanger in your office in the summer months, just to be prepared. While we’re on the subject, tuck a navy knit tie in the pocket, too… just in case. (Not on the hanger, that’ll stretch it out. Just roll it up like a snail.)
Thanks for writing in, Kyle. I hope you stay cool and I hope this gives you some leads on how to feel cool, too.
