What I Wore This Summer

A top 5 - and what didn’t get enough wear

I spent my summer in Denmark and Sweden. As you probably know, the summer in Scandinavia, and Europe in general, has been quite hot. My summer was about my family - playing with the kids, small trips and so forth. This calls for light and relaxed clothes.

I haven’t payed much attention to my summer wardrobe before last year, and before that I actually dreaded summer a bit when it came to what to wear. So, I’ve geared up on summer clothes, moving into linen in particular. I want summer clothes that are versatile, breathable and easy wearing, without having to resort to my running gear and a pair of Havaianas. Also, I want to be able to stroll around the city and grab a cup of coffee without looking like I’ve come directly from the beach.

So these are the five items I enjoyed most this summer:

Navy Linen Overshirt (Drake’s)

I like to have pockets to stove away phone, keys, cards et cetera. Clothes with regular, functional pockets can be a bit hard to find for summer, so the linen overshirt is an absolute go-to. The linen in this overshirt is fairly heavy, but still moderately breezy and nice to wear when it’s hot. Last summer I mainly wore a similar overshirt in brown. This summer the navy one got the most wear.

Brown High-Waisted Linen Shorts (Private White VC)

Another linen garment, these high-waisted shorts got a lot of wear this summer. The brown linen works perfect with both dark and lighter shirts and tops. The cut is somewhat ghurka-ish, but with a more simple construction and closure. Mainly worn with shirts and tops tucked in because of the high waist.

Beige/White Button-Down Linen Shirt (Granqvist)

Nice and light linen shirt with a subtle stripe and a relaxed silhouette. Worn both tucked and untucked.

Navy Knit Cotton Polo (John Smedley)

I have struggled with polo shirts until recently, having found that the pique-version is to casual and not particularly flattering for a small guy like myself. But this one, that I’ve had for several years, made a nice comeback this summer. The knitted structure, ribbed arm opening and waist and a subtle structure adds, in my opinion, just enough elegance to do the job. Primarily worn tucked in for a look and feel that is just a little more considered. Could work well in cream and, although a little less versatile, a dark green.

Tan Suede Espadrilles (Castañer)

This might be somewhat a divider, but I see no problem in wearing espadrilles for a stroll around the city, a museum or in a café. Agreed, espadrilles are holiday wear, but if the rest of the outfit fits the occasion, and the espadrilles, like here, are made up in a nice fabric, I think it works though it might not be for everybody.

So, that was the top 5. Runners-up, for the real off the grid look, were my old Birkenstocks, white cotton tee (Merz B. Schwanen or Danish Army Surplus) and a pair of black physical training (PT) cotton shorts which I picked up at a surplus store for 5€. These, I think, are for the garden and the like. The top five items are more versatile, probably one reason why they got so much wear.

What didn’t get enough wear? I was expecting to wear my light beige linen trousers (Natalino) more than I did, but they didn’t seem that compatible with children, grass and icecream. Practicality, in this case, beats looks. Also, I was hoping to wear my newly acquired Black Perro Cotton Polo way more, but I couldn’t quite get along with the black top with shorts. But it is a very nice polo shirt, and will probably be a pre-fall favourite, likely under a jacket.

For next summer, I might add another linen shirt, perhaps in a dark green which will pair nicely with the brown and beige garments in my summer wardrobe and add some contrast to the tonal look, which would be a welcome supplement without putting to much pressure on the colour scheme.

What were your summer stables?

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