Once I graduated from liberal arts college, I moved to a city, hoping I’d never see another pair of Birkenstocks or cargo shorts again. But time makes fools of us all. Boris in Paris has pockets to spare and orthotically correct German footwear, and yet I dig it. I’m not afraid he’s about to break out an acoustic guitar and strum his favorite Dispatch tune.
What works here are proportions, weight, and palette. The lightweight shirt/jacket fits well–trim in the shoulders/chest but with room to move. The cargo shorts are evenly proportioned with the jacket (i.e., a clean line from jacket silhouette to shorts silhouette), are short enough not to be confused with their frattier cousins, and the pockets are not misshapen from stuffing Natty Light cans in them. From the drape of the fabrics the jacket seems light and the shorts (from French brand Bleu de Paname) heavy–good for a cool summer day, which I guess exist in France. And olive drab and blue are almost universally complimentary and easy to wear. They are without a doubt the most common tones in my own casual wardrobe.
Check out Boris’s blog for many more well put together casual outfits shot in photogenic settings, and occasional tips on DIY and where-to-buy items.
–Pete