[Chaos]

Since a lot of guys on this forum travels or lives in countries with a hot and humid climate there seem to be a demand for a thread like this.

This thread is where you can ask,discuss,share information and give advice about style,fashion and clothing in melting hot weather.

[Chaos]

I'm starting off with a question about shoes.

What kind of shoes are you guys using that looks good and are breathable?
I'm looking for something I can wear with shorts also.

They need to look good, be breathable and comfortable.
Any tips?

[Gunner]

(05-30-2014 05:16 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

I'm starting off with a question about shoes.

What kind of shoes are you guys using that looks good and are breathable?
I'm looking for something I can wear with shorts also.

They need to look good, be breathable and comfortable.
Any tips?

Boat shoes, sperry top siders or similar.

[Espresso]

Chaos, I assume you are only referring here to shoes for wearing during the day.

Boat shoes are definitely an option. These can be worn with shorts and without socks. Not a huge fan of the look though.


Summer loafers is another option.


Vans or similar is another option. Vans I'd wear with those cut-off light white socks that only cover the soul of the foot basically.

[Espresso]

I was also wondering if something a bit more adventurous is possible with regards to summer shoes and fashion.

Even though this forum has a strong anti-sandal/flip-flops viewpoint, I think you might get away with wearing them as long as the rest of your look is put together. That way, you won't be grouped in with the flip-flop wearing backpackers. It's a bit like ripped jeans can be made to look stylish as long as the rest of the look is put together so that they become part of the look. For example:



Also, how about something like this:

[From Vegas to Tokyo]

Let's start from the bottom up.

It depends on where you are. Some people swear by Sperry Top-Siders, and I tend to wear them a lot when I'm stateside. While I like Sperrys, I find that they make you pop out as an American when you are overseas. If you're Santa Barbara or on Long Island, being an American isn't that big a deal. When you're walking on the beach in Phuket, you might not want to be as easily pegged. As a result, I like to go with the summer loafer/driving shoe. I have a pair of these in blue and in saddle leather brown, and they don't break the bank. If you want to go a little more upscale, try Tods. Tods makes fantastic shoes, although they cost a little more. Not as big on the online thing, but they have a store in Miami, one in Huntington Beach and another in Beverly Hills, one in Vegas, as well as in many coastal population hubs round the world. If you're living in a halfway decent country, there will be a Tods somewhere. I own a pair of the driving shoes, they're fantastic. Loafers are a little more upscale, a little more European, and look a little more sophisticated than your sperrys. I'd splurge if I had the cash.

Some people can pull of shorts, others cannot. Let's just assume you're wearing pants, because everyone can pull off pants. I have a few pairs of pants that I rock on a regular basis, all of them pretty lightweight. You need a pair of white pants for the tropics. If you spill when you're eating often, these pants will make you learn quick. It doesn't really matter where you get your pants from, but I love Bonobos. Idk about international shipping, but if you're in America, give these a shot. These are the white pants I own.. You'll also probably want a pair of khakis, a pair of navy pants, and maybe another pastel color.

For shirts, button down oxfords all the way. Make sure they fit well, but not too tight. You can unbutton a few buttons and roll up the sleeves if it gets hot. Shirts, like pants, it doesn't really matter where you get your shit from, as long as it fits. You'll want a few white ones, as well as some other light colors.

By going with the loafer+pants+oxford look, you'll generally look good and sophisticated, which can be great during the day, regardless of location. If you want to dress it down a little, you can throw on some nice leather flip flops if you're in a real beach town instead of loafers, or you can rock shorts. For shorts, go with 9" inseam if you're taller than 5'10 or 7" if you're shorter. 11" is too long for most guys. If you're built like a rugby player, rock those 5" inseams all day, but if you're skin and bone short shorts look a little ridiculous.

At the end of the day, this has to be calibrated a little bit for your location and what you're doing. This should be totally fine for most places in SEA, the Caribbean LA, Miami, and Southern Europe. If you're in the favelas in Rio rolling around in R$1,000 loafers is probably not a good call, same thing if you're in the townships outside of Cape Town or Durban.

It all boils down to where you are. You'll dress very differently if you're in Saint-Tropez then if you are in Gulf Shores, AL. Often times, you want to look good, but not stand out. Standing out can mean trouble if you're in a third world location, where crime can be an issue and police forces range from ineffective to non-existent.

[Chaos]

Thanks for your input guys. I will dive deeper into this.
I like sandals, they are comfortable and non-sweaty. But I don't like how they look.
Espresso, I'm looking for both day and night shoes.

From vegas to tokyo.
I'm thinking more about SEA than Saint Tropez.
I do like loafers ( thanks Russia). I'm looking on these Tods but it's difficult to get used to that look, I don't know how to explain but I think it might be the colour that confuses me.
I have never had colourful shoes in my life. Are you wearing these shoes without socks?

Do you any good examples of you can combine shorts and shoes without looking like a fool or a backpacker?
I'm not a big fan of shorts, but walking around in long pants in hot and humid weather can be torture.

[From Vegas to Tokyo]

If you don't like shorts, lightweight pants (light cotton seems to be best, nothing synthetic) might be the way to go. They're easy to deal with, and if you fold them when you're traveling and hang them when you're staying in one place you'll fight the wrinkles. The humidity will also help fight wrinkles.

If you want to rock shorts, I recommend looking into Polo Ralph Lauren. they make some fantastic stuff. Here's a guy rocking loafers, PRL shorts, and a shirt. He's got a rugged look to him, and he could totally pull it off in SEA in my opinion.



This guy is a little more southern European looking, he might poke out a little bit in SEA but he still is killin it with style. Simple colors. great shoes



As far as loafers go, Tods are great and you don't neccessarily have to get them in wacky styles. I have a pair of brown suede ones, and they look fine. If you want a little more flash, white pants go with literally everything. I have my eyes on a pair of blue tods, and I'd match it with a blue nautical belt and a dress shirt of some kind.

As far as the socks go, I never wear socks with my sperrys or driving shoes. There can be a foot of snow outside and if I'm wearing sperrys I'm going sockless. These can really do a number on your more expensive shoes. I don't wear my driving shoes often, and I stick shoe trees in them when I'm not wearing them, as the shoe trees absorb some of the moisture and don't make them smell as bad. You can get little sockettes, but I always hated those. The best thing that you can get apparently are here. I've got some on pre-order and I will report back once I get them. I was running through about 2 pairs of sperrys a year because they would just get so fucked from the foot sweat and such. These are a godsend for guys who wear shoes with no socks, and it seems like a pretty killer idea. Much better than socks and replacing your shoes every 6 months.

Some people don't like wearing nice shoes on long journeys, as they tend to get wrecked pretty fast and they aren't comfortable, but I hate wearing running shoes anywhere other than the gym. If they fit well and are moderately broken in they shouldn't kill your feet and my mentality is that if I go through loafers from having walked a thousand miles in them, great, they'd blow out after 1000 miles if I did it all in 6 months or spread it over 6 years. I tend to be hard on my stuff and have thus gotten used to replacing things that get worn out. It's the cost of doing business at some level.

[Espresso]

(05-31-2014 12:49 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

Espresso, I'm looking for both day and night shoes.

For night shoes I guess just stick to whatever you would normally wear since you won't be walking around so much and won't be outdoors much. Also, depending on the venue, you can pull of vans at night if dressed up properly.

Quote:

Do you any good examples of you can combine shorts and shoes without looking like a fool or a backpacker?
I'm not a big fan of shorts, but walking around in long pants in hot and humid weather can be torture.

Often I see it involving a second layer at the top which is not necessarily an appealing move if it's hot as balls. Like this:

[Cobra]

(05-30-2014 08:10 PM)Espresso Wrote:  

Also, how about something like this:

Espresso I'm really feelin this look. Could you drop in the source of this?

[Espresso]

^ ^ Originally it was published in the Japanese GQ last year, not sure how I came across it. More styles from that shoot here, although that one is my favourite. I guess that outfit must be by 'Brioni'.

Since it was GQ, the items would no doubt be on the expensive side, but it should be reasonably easy to put together this look from inexpensive options.

[MongolianAbroad]

Philippines:

Black or grey cotton v neck, a pair of properly fitting jeans, a leather belt, and some comfortable walking shoes. Nice shorts can fly if you're fit, but if you're not, avoid them as they evoke the image of the fat old dude in the Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and sandals that's endemic to the region.

I strongly caution against running shoes, since the terrain here, even in the city, tends to be three-dimensional, with random angles jutting out of the pavement regularly. Running shoes have a tendency to "give" when your foot lands on terrain on which the horizontal axis has shifted. Landing on this terrain shifts your weight from the sole to the wall of the shoe, and you could end up twisting an ankle if the support isn't there. Those shoes are great for running in American cities, but here, not so much.

I also strongly caution against wearing heavy boots here. If you walk around in the day, the humidity, the distances traveled, and the blazing sun add up to a sore pair of feet by the end of the day.

The boat shoes, it just depends on how much walking you'll be doing in them. If they're a perfect fit, you might be able to pull it off, but if they're even a little bit off in fit, you'll have blisters pretty soon from all the walking here (I walk about 5 miles a day exploring here and there).

If you're not walking around, then some of this may not apply as much. In the end, I say go with comfort, but not to the extreme of a backpacker or a pensioner.

[void]

Retro

[LeightonBlackstock]

If it's hot as balls I wear this: Fitted shirt, fitted chino shorts and boat shoes/Converse.

[caracal]

(05-30-2014 08:10 PM)Espresso Wrote:  

I was also wondering if something a bit more adventurous is possible with regards to summer shoes and fashion.

Even though this forum has a strong anti-sandal/flip-flops viewpoint, I think you might get away with wearing them as long as the rest of your look is put together. That way, you won't be grouped in with the flip-flop wearing backpackers. It's a bit like ripped jeans can be made to look stylish as long as the rest of the look is put together so that they become part of the look. For example:



Also, how about something like this:

Nice. Although if you live in or are visiting a locale with a tropical climate, it will be far too stinking hot to wear the jackets. The surfie look can also be good.

[Carlos100]

I suggest a dark linen, unstructured, unlined sport jacket/blazer for going out at night. J.Crew and Frank & Oak usually sell some fairly good ones that aren't too expensive.

For hats, Kangol makes some "tropic weight" or bamboo fiber ivy caps that are good for hot weather and they look dressier than a baseball cap but not as trendy as a fedora or panama hat.

If I'm in a place that is hot during the day time but cools down below 20 C at night, then I wear a lightweight cotton short-sleeve or long sleeve OCBD during the day and pack a thin, lightweight, cotton cardigan in my carry-around bag. Then I thrown the cardigan on at night.

One other possibility for daytime use are suede desert boots/chukkas, but they are harder to pull off with shorts. They look good with cotton slacks, however.

[JWLZG]

A good tropical investment is a linen suit.
I have one by River Island with a 3 button jacket, a bit more informal than the one above. The cream or beige are conservative shades although I've seen a few in teal and sky blue.

Wearing a darker jacket (generally navy blue) with lighter coloured trousers is of course another classic look.

You'll want to wear button-down shirts in silk and linen. I have 3 of them. Lighters colours work best -- mine are khaki and pink.

No-one has mentioned polo shirts yet. They're great for summer/the tropics. Keep them form-fitting and stay away from black and grey.

(05-31-2014 01:21 AM)From Vegas to Tokyo Wrote:  

As far as the socks go, I never wear socks with my sperrys or driving shoes. There can be a foot of snow outside and if I'm wearing sperrys I'm going sockless.

Boat shoes are traditionally worn sans socks, and should never be worn in winter.

(05-31-2014 01:21 AM)From Vegas to Tokyo Wrote:  

Some people don't like wearing nice shoes on long journeys, as they tend to get wrecked pretty fast and they aren't comfortable, but I hate wearing running shoes anywhere other than the gym.

[Patriarch]

Those astronaut footies look great. Right now I started use Dr Scholls odor absorb insoles for my gym shoes and boat shoes. I used to use baking soda, but I hated having to dump gritty powder into my shoes every week. These insoles work well from what I can tell. My feet still sweat in boat shoes, but it gets absorbed into the insole instead of the shoe. Not sure how often these will need to be replaced, but if they extend the life of my shoes for another year I'll be happy.

[berserk]

(05-31-2014 01:21 AM)From Vegas to Tokyo Wrote:  

(05-31-2014 12:14 PM)LeightonBlackstock Wrote:  

If it's hot as balls I wear this: Fitted shirt, fitted chino shorts and boat shoes/Converse.

Is it me or is the style with chino shorts, sperry/boat shoes and such a style that really only looks good if you're on the skinny side?

I think guys with larger frames, bigger chest, arms and legs, look a bit out of place with the shorter shorts and boat shoes, doesn't really fit?

That kind of style to me is synonymous with the tall, lanky 'prep school' type, while putting a large frame into it doesn't really compliment the larger size and muscularity? Doesn't even Arnold look a bit ridiculous here:



I guess the same could be said for a lot of fashion which is made to fit only very skinny dudes.

[Deluge]

(06-08-2014 01:37 AM)berserk Wrote:  

Is it me or is the style with chino shorts, sperry/boat shoes and such a style that really only looks good if you're on the skinny side?

I think guys with larger frames, bigger chest, arms and legs, look a bit out of place with the shorter shorts and boat shoes, doesn't really fit?

That kind of style to me is synonymous with the tall, lanky 'prep school' type, while putting a large frame into it doesn't really compliment the larger size and muscularity? Doesn't even Arnold look a bit ridiculous here:



I guess the same could be said for a lot of fashion which is made to fit only very skinny dudes.

Quite the opposite, I think that look is much better on dudes with a decent amount of muscle. Prep school types are taller but they're more toned than skinny, perhaps because of all the sport they had to play in school. On skinny guys the shorts + boat shoes look can easily look gay or boyish, one more reason to lift.

[2014]

yeah, being lean and closer to skinny than bulged is the best for men anyway, not that having muscles isn't important, but big huge brutes look stupid



think brad pit in fight club ^^, not arnie in mr universe:

[/align]

inbetween fashion model and fitness model, but never, ever bodybuilder. Bodybuilder to women looks like a plastic surgery bitch to guys; over compensating



Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule, but in general the above is true in 95% of cases

[DJ-Matt]

So what about the length of shorts, do below the knee or above the knees look better?

[The Reactionary Tree]

dont go below the knees in the shorts department

[Surreyman]

Finding linen clothes in a slim fit is hard as balls, but it's my mission for this summer.

[Arado]

Bump. It's becoming hot as balls where I live and I'm trying to find some new ideas for summer style. Also any shoe suggestions to pair with shorts other than boat shoes?