Guys – we need to work on your summer attire – especially at the pool and beach. I strongly dislike seeing normally well dressed men fall short of a good outfit when they head to the water. I’m actually not certain why long baggy swim trunks and sandals that look like shower shoes still exist.
In my former life, when I was a men’s clothing stylist at Trunk Club (it’s true… for 3 full years), summer was one of the hardest seasons to coach. Jeans can be too hot, layering is totally out of the picture, tank tops can be a fashion death sentence, and introducing color can be tough. Thankfully, a pool or beach party is the PERFECT time to express your style and keep things looking hot. I’ve carefully thought of 10 of the best items to bring to the beach this year without looking like a total d-bag (click on the pictures above for more details).
THE TOP 10 BEACH ITEMS FOR MEN
1. Ditch your raggedy old t-shirt and go for something classic. I love Alternative Earth v-neck t-shirts, especially in grey (P.S. if you tell me you don’t like v-necks because you can see your hair you need to be slapped. You’re a man… you have hair… we get it).
2. Onia makes an awesome swim trunk. Long gone are the days of trunks past your knees. Upgrade to something a little more stylish like these shorter fit. Plus, the pastel green will look great once you have a tan.
3. I LOVE these polarized sunglasses by Oliver Peoples. With their soft square edges, they are a little different than traditional aviators (plus they’re polarized which will block your eyes… and help you creep on some girls).
4. Don’t show up empty handed to the beach. Get things moving with a bluetooth speaker. The Jawbone Big Jambox gets one of the best ratings for this year.
5. Bringing a football is the perfect chance to show off your can and to get some girls in on the action (if you cannot throw – don’t think about bringing a ball… try something else like a volleyball or frisbee).
6. As previously mentioned, you need to throw away your sandals pronto if they look anything like shower shoes. Instead, try these navy blue loafers by Swims. I am freaking obsessed with these shoes and they were always an easy sell. They are totally different than anything I’ve seen before and they are meant to be worn around water.
7. Don’t be the guy that shows up to the beach with your bath towel or worse, a towel with Disney characters. Instead, go for something more masculine and classic like a striped towel.
8. You also don’t want to be the guy that shows up with a plastic shopping bag holding all your beach necessities (same thing goes for a school backpack. Unless you are IN school – ditch this). I have first hand dealt with Jack Spade bags before. I love their quality and thoughtfulness when it comes to moving men to try a more fashion forward bag without looking like you’re carrying a purse.
9. Don’t be the sloppy drunk guy at the party. Do stay on your A-game by bringing something to fill your stomach with while you drink. I am a big fan of Quest Bars (especially the brownie bars). They only have 2 grams of sugar and are packed with protein.
10. Lastly, don’t make the mistake of skipping out on water all day. I use Nalgene’s water bottles in my everyday workouts and absolutely love how much water they can hold (bonus – they are made in the U.S.A. and are BPA free)!
Alright, that’s it. Digest what you’ve been taught today and the next time you head to the beach – get it right. Ladies, if your man needs some help… thoughtfully forward this on or better yet… surprise him with some new gear.
Later!
-DBB
