Tomorrow is the last day to put in an order for our “Summer of White Tees” group buy, so I thought I’d put in a plug for t-shirts. Like Jesse, I like wearing a traditional coat and tie, but also think there’s a time and place for dressing casually. That can be on a hot summer afternoon, when it’s too warm for a sport coat, or if you’re going some place really casual, and wearing a tie would look out of place.
For those times, I often reach for a t-shirt. Mine are all solid colored and simple – every one either a solid white or heathered grey, with no pictures or words. Grey v-necks get worn with black denim, while white crewnecks get worn with light blue jeans, dark indigo jeans, and workwear chinos. To get the effect of a collar – which can be a nice way to frame the face – I usually layer with some kind of jacket. Typically, it’s something in leather, like you see above, although I also have a canvas RRL jacket that I’ve been wearing a lot. For summer, however, a full jacket can sometimes be too heavy and warm, so I sometimes layer with an open, unbuttoned shirt instead (these days, it’s usually a light, washed chambray). Again, the point is to get a collar going, since it can help frame the face in a way that a crew or v-neck won’t.
Of course, if it’s really hot out, you can also just wear a t-shirt, pair of jeans, and some clean looking sneakers. When things are this simple, Jesse advocates having a “point of distinction.” I suppose mine in this case would be that Flat Head wallet, which I keep tethered to my jeans with a braided leather chain.
If your clothes fit well, and they’re made from quality materials, you don’t need a tie in order to look good. There are times when you need to dress casually, and having a few extra t-shirts in the drawer can be useful. Plus, they’re incredibly comfortable on a hot day, easy to take care of, and cheap to replace. Who can argue with that?