I know summer is nearly over but better late than never right?
College life is chaotic but at the same time I wouldn’t have it any other way, the never ending struggle to have fun or meet a professor’s deadline. It is in fact a different world where you get super high on life (pun-intended). You learn to survive on maggi just because you decided to blow up your allowance on an X-men movie night or sloshing out! Shhhh. Rushing to the library a few days before exams only because your book allowance was spent on something more enriching hahahaha. Anyways I am not a life coach, and I am sure we hear enough of how responsible we are from our parents already (eye roll), so enough with the sarcasm.
Are you young and broke? I believe we all are, because our priorities are so straight and our decision making capacity is so on point hahaha. Okay! Okay! No more sarcastic remarks.
Trendy! Now I am not a big fan of this term but I had to bring this up because this write up will be structured around this superficial word ;). I believe having a good sense of what works for you is more important than blindly trying to fit in. What you wear should be an extension of your personality and not something to hide your flaws. In this day and age there are so many factors that influence someone’s impression about you, and wearing the right attire is not only aesthetically pleasing but also contributes a lot to your non verbal skills.
There are some of us who follow everything that pops up, while some of us desist. I have a friend circle comprising of different shapes and sizes, and much to my enlightenment, I get to see a variety of clothing on them for most occasions. Anyway, coming back to what’s trending for men this summer, the other day I was going through various sources and one thing I noticed – this season’s trend is kind of laid back, very basic and not overwhelming. But as usual my mind starts playing different worst case scenarios ;). Well the good news is I came up with a list that can be religiously used without having to think twice. And yes! You won’t be left out of the summer loving trend that’s buzzing around.
Whether you are on the heavier side or scrawny like me or you are that GQ looking guy but lost ;), I will try to interpret this summer fashion for you, so the next time you hit the store, you don’t come out wearing disappointment. We maybe young and broke, and for sure I can’t help you with that (LOL!), but being realistically trendy is something I can give my 2 cents on.
I know summer is nearly over but better late than never right? 😉
So let’s start dissecting 2016 summer trends….
Prints
You will see a lot of people flaunting prints this summer, bold floral patterns, military inspired colour palates and yes even polkas. Wearing prints, especially floral, takes a lot of courage, if you are not a fashion enthusiast. Floral patterns are edgy and confident, and to be honest they do take a lot of personality to pull off. But that doesn’t mean you can’t wear them. With the right colour choice anyone can flaunt a print shirt for sure. Most of us Indians have dusky skin tone so my TIP would be stick to a slightly dark or totally white base.
Now about print tee shirts and vesst. Yes you can grab them, but stick to light weight fabrics with minimal graphic and you are good to go.
Wear them with denims or chinos and a good pair of leather sandal or light weight canvas shoes and you are summer ready for 2016.
If floral is not your cup of tea, try camouflage or solid military tones in olive green.
At the cost of sounding blunt based on experience with people I helped, if your skin tone is a bit darker, and you are wearing a dark floral print, make sure you are wearing a plain white tee (undershirt tees which you can get for less than 300 INR) and keep your top buttons undone..
Ripped jeans
Do you love ripped jeans? Personally speaking I never had the guts to wear ripped jeans, but this time I am, and to be honest I kind of like it. But my professor and dad say otherwise “Why would you buy shredded pants when you are buying something new?” is the refrain around me these days. I am sure they meant well (cue in the eye roll). Anyway, do you own a pair of ripped jeans? Or still on the fence about it? Well stop thinking and grab one! Aesthetically they look effortless and trendy. Comfort wise? Who wouldn’t want some ventilation in this heat? Hahahaha.
If you have apprehensions about the ‘seriously’ ripped jeans, you can go for something like this.
PS: If you are a gym rat, I am sure your calf muscles are great but please don’t compromise with your jeans – translation – no skin tight jeans please! 😉
Cuffed pants
Do you still fold your chinos and denims? I believe most of us are getting over it. Let’s just say folded pants are becoming kind of redundant. I feel like cuffed pants and joggers are the new obsession in the fashion circuit these days. They go well with basically everything without you having to try too hard, and still end up giving you the extra edge, also compensating your lack of enthusiasm for accessories hahaha (In short, if you are someone like me who is not a big fan of watches, bracelets etc). Cuffed pants even work with blazers – you can stick to staples (navy, grey, white combo), blazer, a basic plain tee, black or white plimsoll and you are good for any evening events, in fact everywhere if you are a fashion aficionado. Cuffed pants are light weight and comfortable and very easy to wash as well. TIP for joggers in particular, stick to basic tones (grey, black etc) and avoid graphic detailing if you want to use it for multiple occasions.
Here are some references.
Leather Sandals
Summer for us is a torture with temperatures upwards of 45 degrees, plus the humidity, heat wave, I am already kind of agitated writing about it. Anyways, coming back to the fashion and lifestyle effect of summer, it is really necessary to let your feet breathe. I really don’t know how to address this without sounding gross, but who cares as long as some of us learn something from it, right? Do you have smelly feet? Well if you do, a good pair of leather sandal would be a very wise investment. It not only lets your feet be free, but it also looks so much more appropriate as opposed to you wearing bathroom slippers to class. In short, whether your feet smells like Hugo Boss cologne or like a municipal drain, or like any thing in between, just go and grab a good pair of leather sandals already. There are so many options ranging from gladiators to basic kolhapuri type chappals at your disposal.
Stick to tan or dark brown, as these palates goes with any clothing.
I am a firm believer that comfort and style should go hand in hand. You can never compromise one for the other. You might be wearing big brands just based on trend, but if it is outside your comfort zone it will instantly be apparent that you are uneasy. So keeping that in mind I compiled this guide for every Indian college guy.
This guide brings multi utility suggestions, things you can wear to class as well as to a night out or social event with your peers. Items that are not over the top but a fine balance of dandy and debonair.
Stick to these key pieces as your reference and I assure you, you won’t be depressed when you walk out of the store or check out your shopping cart from e- portals.
Clue in, to stand out! Be realistically trendy!
PS: All references are from Jabong and Koovs, in case you, like me, are too lazy to hit the stores ;).
