The London Lounge

Most of us know what to wear and when to wear clothes in our home town or homes country. However when a gentleman travels all the rules that once applied magically disappear to become... Different! What do I mean by that? Well you can hardly walk down a street in Panama or Marbella dressed in a Henry Poole chesterfield coat, a white T&A poplin shirt, a Ferragamo Tie and Handkerchief, a Huntsman Pinstripe Suit, a Lock Fedora hat, and a pair of Lobb Brogues! It may be a fine look in a town like Paris or London but when you go somewhere where the weather is hot the suit will only make you feel uncomfortable due to the heat and as a result your entire outfit will suffer.

How about picking some white, red, green or blue (or any colour you may fancy) trousers paired with a blue oxford shirt? As an alternative a blue shirt with two rolls of the sleeves (not rolled up completely but to the middle of your forearm) and a pair of jeans (Jeans don't have to be vulgar, I personally favour the very pale washed blue kind) will give you something of an adventurer look. Or perhaps a white linen shirt? What about a cuban shirt? (Add a panama hat and a cigar to complete the look )

You CAN look stylish wearing casual clothes!

Now, beachwear, try short swimming trunk styles that stop at least 10cm above the knee, for a good source try Vilebrequin (Trunk Style) or La Perla (Speedo Style). Below the knee styles are just... Poor taste in my opinion. Pair this with an oxford or linen shirt when you are not swimming.

Don't want to be too casual? Or going out at night? Add a double breasted blazer and a white cotton handkerchief - alternatively a linen jacket!

Are you going to a formal event? A white dinner jacket of course!

Going to a white tie event? In a tropical location? Are you insane?



Let me know what you think! Do you agree? No? Would you like to add something?

Add? Maybe take off in this heat...
and land some place cool

It's all linen for me in places like that: trousers, shirt, coat (if any)... even socks! And cap, of coursement!

Costi wrote:Add? Maybe take off in this heat...
and land some place cool

It's all linen for me in places like that: trousers, shirt, coat (if any)... even socks! And cap, of coursement!

Yes, that is an obvious one, I forgot to write shirts off and loafers on! Now's the time to wear those moccasins that you never had a chance to wear in town gentlemen!

All over the world wrote:

Costi wrote:Add? Maybe take off in this heat...
and land some place cool

It's all linen for me in places like that: trousers, shirt, coat (if any)... even socks! And cap, of coursement!

Yes, that is an obvious one, I forgot to write shirts off and loafers on! Now's the time to wear those moccasins that you never had a chance to wear in town gentlemen!

Oh good lord, I meant socks not shirts... Please bring the edit feature back!

All over the world wrote:Yes, that is an obvious one

It's usually the obvious that we miss...

All over the world wrote:Please bring the edit feature back!

Focus!

Be careful wearing shorts in some places. Anywhere East of Constantinople, shorts are for very small boys and manual labourers only. While there is nothing wrong with being a manual labourer, you don't want to be mistaken for the gardener by other guests at a party ....

If out in the sun, it is usually best to keep shirt sleeves rolled down, and a straw hat on the head. Even if tramping about for hours in the heat, you won't get as badly sunburnt.

Linen and hemp are good casual fabrics for summer, and Brisa excels if you must be a little more formal. The new Brisa chalkstripe and POW should serve well in this capacity.

Simon A wrote:Be careful wearing shorts in some places. Anywhere East of Constantinople, shorts are for very small boys

Sound advice. Also, have a look at a globe and you'll see that if you turn it far enough, England is east of Constantinople.

(As an aside, it seems you can't find shorts for actual boys these days. The shortest they run about with are below-knee "cargo pants".)

May I add that the biggest mistake one can make is Shorts + Socks?

In such circumstances (and here in Central Virginia, we are in the midst of a heat wave that has mid-90 degrees F feeling temperate), I find that bathing more than twice a day and liberal lashings of talcum (Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder actually cools!) are very helpful. Especially down the back and in the shoes. The thinest of merino wool socks do well to wick away moisture. Clothes that flow to allow air though, are woven or starched to stand away from the skin (seersucker and chinos) work fairly well. But you will perspire none-the-less. Jeans, if I wear them, are a linen-cotton blend, tissue-thin and stone or white coloured. Suede loafers work well without socks if they are not hard leather lined.

What of the "camp shirt", whether or not in madras? An open weave linen in a dark colour is useful for casual evenings.

I'll stop before I get to the Aloha shirt, as they, like certain local beverages, don't cross borders well without losing something.

I have moderately heavy cream and white linen shirts made up, in the Barong Tagalog cut. No pockets, with vents along the side seams, cut with a square bottom at coat-length and long sleeved. They are comfortable in heat and humidity, don't wrinkle too much in the course of the day and look good.

ccox wrote:In such circumstances (and here in Central Virginia, we are in the midst of a heat wave that has mid-90 degrees F feeling temperate), I find that bathing more than twice a day and liberal lashings of talcum

not meant in an insulting way -- sounds "old-fashioned"
i had 2 uncles who swore by the talcum bit and they used brands that are hard to find now
i think of this and i picture seersucker suits and tall glasses with iced drinks

Hello Merc,
I'm a big fan of seersucker suits and tall iced drinks. Sterling Julep cups keep them colder though.

Chris,

I had two shirts made this year in seersucker and have been wearing them an awful lot. They are cooler than my linen shirts. I need to find a new source for seersucker shirting material. Any ideas?

Luckily we can find great Talcum in Italy and I suspect there is some seersucker made here as well.

I can almost taste that Julep

Cheers

Michael

No idea for pure bespoke seersucker, but Mercer Shirts in the US sells MTO seersucker buttondowns, as well as some in linen that are good value.

Hi Michael,
Long or short sleeve seersucker shirts? A fine idea. I like that only 30% of the material touches your skin at one time. I think that I'll have some shirts made up as well.

My tailor is at a funeral or I'd call him now to check sources. While we're MTM, someone supplies the people we use. I suspect that it must be an American company. The guy who owns Tom James/Oxxford now owns Gitman Bros. I think they do one, but again, no idea about the source. I'll keep checking.

I'm trying to find a diamond Jacquard lining for my suit. It used to be a staple!

Ciao!
Chris