Written & Produced by James Vincent

Sometimes I find myself thinking “what did I wear last Thursday to a client meeting or to last Sunday’s brunch”? I hate repeating the same outfit twice in a row – depending on who it was with. I doubt the doorman in my building notices or really cares what I wear – but when it comes to a whole season – you’d better get busy – Summer 2015 is about to get away from you.

There is still a lot of summer left of course – and, a lot of fashion is still stocked in stores – some at very good prices in fact. But act now, the good stuff is almost gone.

Summer is a great time to lose the tie for work – if your office allows. Lose the ties and replace them with Polo shirts for a while. It doesn’t mean you lose your professional look – it’s just more relaxed and interesting. But not just any Polo – save the logo variety for the backyard barbecues. Pair this updated, silk blend, slim Polo shirt – with a retro-styled banded waist – with these linen and wool blend suit separates. It brings an instant freshness and stylish comfort that you will want to revisit all summer while also retaining a professional demeanor. And yes, wear your favorite sneakers with it – this is what makes the whole concept work!

But what about those days when the day has been long – and hot – and you need to be at an after work event that you’re really not in the mood for, you don’t have much time to get ready and you still need to look great. The easy route would be to simply shed the jacket – which would be fine. Keep the trousers on for ease of change – but take it down another route for a relaxed elegant look with a super soft tee in the same color tone as the trousers. It speaks a different language tonally and in its casual elegance – plus you’ll be comfortable all evening.

Military style jackets have been all over this spring and summer – but what says military more than camouflage? Every time you think camo is going away – there it is again. This time here it is in blue – in a warm weather friendly unstructured sport jacket. It’s fun. It’s easy – pair it with jeans and a soft tee and you’re good to go for a relaxed day at work – or an evening out in your local jazzed up restaurant or club.

Another warm weather staple – the seersucker sport jacket – here in an updated shawl collar version – can go a long way this summer in keeping you not only stylish but comfortable as well. Ramp up the style factor by ditching a traditional solid color shirt with a version of the trending tiny patterned shirts – here in a patch work design. If the pattern is dense enough – here in a deeper blue and a larger pattern that can offset the pinstripe of the jacket – it will work. Then take it a step further by adding in a bright color trouser – orange is perfect with blue!

Speaking of jazzed up – nothing says summer more than a wild print shirt. Sometimes in the summer when you’re just not in the mood to wear a sport jacket – trade it out for a wild print shirt like this one here that’s married tropical print with tie dye – a definite statement piece. A statement piece deserves something more upgraded than blue jeans – try a jean in a color while jeans in colors are still cool to wear – here in a red – not trying to totally match any of the colors in the shirt – again, a bit of an off-set so as not to be so matched up.

And finally, linen – what more can you say? It’s simple, comfortable and always in fashion for summer. There are times that you just want to give fashion a break and go for 120% comfort and STILL look your best. The long sleeves on this shirt look great and more fashionable left unrolled up – it’s linen so it’s going to breathe and stay comfortable, pair with any pair of shorts – here a tiny pattern print.

There. What you are wearing this summer.

*Photography, Alejandra Guerrero www.alejandraguerrero.com; Styling, James Vincent https://www.tradeshowoffs.com/; Grooming, Ashley Condron; Model, Jeff for Ford Models Chicago; Photographed at Fulton Market Kitchen www.FultonMarketKitchen.com, Chicago.