Ralph Lauren Summer Style Guide for Men
The Ralph Lauren line of men's clothing communicates a distinct, preppy American style, with classic garments mixed and matched to form ensembles that are a melange of retro, rural, ivy-league and sporty motifs. As Lauren himself is quoted as saying on his website, "I know I have a signature. I know there's a New England sensibility. I know there's a cowboy sensibility. I think there's a sports sensibility. They're all mixed...They all have an origin of being natural, timeless, real-comfortable sensibilities." Regardless of whether you're browsing Lauren's spring, summer, winter or fall lines of men's clothing, you can expect to see variations on his past themes, with garments that he considers classy but timeless, stylish yet functional. As for the summer line of men's clothing, you will find brighter, solid colored tops paired with either muted shorts and chinos or aggressively-patterned shorts. The emphasis for summer is also less on heavy cottons and leathers, and more on light linens and cloth belts.
Ralph Lauren's Summer Shirt Styles
For the summer, Lauren recommends going minimalist with long sleeve shirts. Think crisp, pure white long sleeves shirts and white shirts with pale, thin striping. Lauren is also known for including pale blue oxford long sleeve shirts in his summer line each year. With the oxford blue shirts, Lauren aims for versatility, claiming that the oxford pairs well with a seersucker suit and tie, but can just as easily be worn untucked with a pair of cargo shorts for a barbecue or beach party.
Polo shirts are another standard warm weather garment in the Ralph Lauren line of summer men's wear. Lauren's brightly colored polo shirts are intended to be versatile, though decidedly more casual than his line of long sleeves. They are intended for more casual work environments and outdoor events, or just for lounging around the house. All Ralph Lauren polos are designed to fit snugly to give a trim, athletic appearance, and come in bright oranges, blues, greens and pinks. Lauren recommends pairing these boldly colored polos with more sedate pants or shorts, such as khaki chinos or white shorts, and tucking the polo in when in at work or attending semi-casual events.
Ralph Lauren Summer Pants and Shorts Styles
The Ralph Lauren line of men's chinos present a summer alternative to jeans and shorts. To make them comfortable and breathable for warm weather, the chinos are designed to be lightweight and thin, and come in a wide variety of colors. The chinos pair well with a tucked-in polo, or an untucked madras plaid shirt. The madras plaid-patterned chinos, however, should be paired with a non-patterned shirt. The designer recommends rolling up the paint leg slightly during especially warm, outdoor events for a dressy-but-comfortable look.
Along with the classic white and khaki-colored shorts, Lauren offers more flamboyant shorts choices, such as colorful floral print shorts and madras plaid shorts. Rather than going with a longer, baggier cargo short style, Lauren designs his men's shorts to be trim-fitting and to end above the knee. The designer recommends wearing a solid-colored, non-patterned top with his patterned shorts to avoid visual overkill.
Ralph Lauren Summer Footwear Styles
Lauren recommends classic low-heeled oxford shoes for more formal or semi-formal events, and offers a line of black and rich brown leather oxfords in a cap toe, monk strap or wingtip style. The Lauren line of oxfords can be paired with a business suit, as well as with a pair of chinos or newer, darker denim jeans. Recommended casual summer footwear for men is a low-heeled, lightweight loafer or deck shoe, worn without socks. Lauren also offers a line of leather sandals for true, breathable summer comfort. The sandals pair well with either shorts or slightly rolled-up chinos.
Ralph Lauren Summer Accessories Styles
To complete your summer look, Lauren offers a variety of ties, belts and sunglasses. The line of summer ties include linen neckties for the workplace, madras plaid bow ties for semi-casual events, and brightly colored silk neckties paired with a darker suit for formal events. Men's belts for the summer are brightly colored, fabric belts, to be worn with chinos, shorts and polos. Although Lauren avoids leather belts in his summer ensembles, wearing one of his leather rope belts with white shorts is recommended for men wanting to achieve a New England yacht-club look. Lastly, Ralph Lauren summer sunglasses for men include aviators for a wide variety of face shapes, and tortoise-shell sunglasses for a retro fifties glamorous look that works well with any facial skin tone.
