After the raging success of our first collaboration, me and Jamie have put our creative brains together again for another illustrated post, this time a casual men’s summer look. I went looking for some of my favourite pieces out there, then Jamie turned it into a great look.

1. Aspinal of London Panama Hat
A summer hat is a necessity – if the sun ever comes out, that is. Trilby’s and pork pie hats have been so ‘overdone’, but nothing beats a classic Panama hat. The shape never goes out of style, so you’ll have this one for life. Usually, Panama hats are really fragile and don’t travel very well, but the great thing about this Aspinal one is that it’s foldable, so you can put it in your suitcase.
Aspinal of London Natural Straw with Navy Ribbon Trim Panama, £59

2. Native Son Striped Buttondown from Opening Ceremony
This simple, 100% cotton shirt is by US label Native Son. It is pretty rare to find a shirt that works perfectly for both the beach as well as work, but this one passes the test. The thick grey horizontal stripes would work just as well with a suit as with some shorts as illustrated here, so we think it’s worth the investment. It is stocked at home-for-all-things-cool Opening Ceremony and currently on sale, so be quick.
Native Son Striped Buttondown, Opening Ceremony, Now $154


3. Acne Denim Shorts
No summer look can be complete without shorts, obviously. There’s some really amazing ones out there, it must be said, so it was ridiculously hard picking some out. In the end I settled for these blue Acne Denim ones, for a couple of reasons. They are 100% cotton, soft as a baby’s bottom, so not too hot, and offer a lot of denim-on-denim possibilities. They have an elasticated waistband, for… well, for those times you need an elasticated waistband. They’re also pretty long in length, because there’s not much I hate more than short shorts on a man who can’t quite pull that off. These are a safe bet for everyone. In other words, the perfect shorts.
Acne Goa Denim Shorts, from Matches, £118
Note: the illustration will be updated as the colour came out much darker once uploaded. They’re very much blue, not black!


4: Surface to Air Sailor Boots
Deck shoes have pretty much become this season’s plimsolls, gracing the feet of every boy (and girl) in the country, so it’s nice to see on of my favourite brands Surface to Air adding a bit of a twist to the trend. The Sailor is a boot version of the deck shoe, this one is the suede version (they also have a leather version). The beige colour is pretty neutral and will go with pretty much anything. At €200 perhaps a bit pricey, but this purchase will flow straight into winter. So it’s an investment. Really. If they did this in a 36, I’d buy them in a minute.
Surface to Air Sailor Boot, Beige Suede, €200

5: ASOS Canvas and Leather Holdall
Whether you’re off to the beach or a festival, a park or even work, a good bag is important, and nothing pisses me off more than an awful manbag. For some reason, men can be dressed great, but then end up ruining it by choosing a horrible bag, which is such a shame. For this one, I wanted one in similar colours, simple, but big enough to fit your towel, frisbees, booze, iPads, Panama hats, girlfriend’s extra pair of shoes she’ll inevitably end up wearing ’cause her heels are too high. Perhaps it’ll even hold your entire girlfriend after one too many. The green and leather works with the denim and earthy colours of the rest of the outfit and at £45 it’s hard not to love. For some reason I found it only in the women’s shop, not with the men, which is a bit odd, as this is an ideal summery manbag.
ASOS Green Canvas and Leather Holdall, £45