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white linen trousers. A few of you guys are thinking, well, of course, but I bet the majority of men watching out there are like, never. I mean just look at them. They're white, they're impractical, they wrinkle, and they're hard to match. Well, gentlemen, in the next couple of minutes, I'm going to prove you wrong because I'm going to show you over a dozen ways to pull off this look. And by the end of this video, you are going to have a list of items you can add to your summer wardrobe to stand out from the crowd and look amazing. By the way, if
the color white is too much for you, check out colors like stone, ivory, tan, light gray. or clay. Pretty much any of those colors are going to work with all the shirts I'm about to show you. The first shirt you see me wearing right here is a knit polo. By knit, I'm referencing the weave of the fabric. It's different than a peak cotton polo in that it's going have a bit more stretch. Usually, it's going be made from a luxury material, in this case, a cotton silk blend. And in general, knit polos with their Italian origin are considered more elegant.
You'll also notice this one doesn't have any buttons. Traditionally, polos have anywhere from two to four buttons. I really like this sleeker look. I think it makes the polo look a bit dressier. And if you look down at my feet, you'll notice I've finished the look with a pair of loafers. Now, getting back to making all this work with the white trousers, I find that anything that has a strong contrast works easily with white. But, you could also go with shirts like what I'm wearing here that have a medium contrast. That is we can tell that
they're not made from the same fabric, they're not of the same color. There's just enough distinction there for us to be able to tell that you weren't trying to match the top. bottom. Now, this next item is perfect for whenever the temperature drops. Yeah, you've got those cooler summer nights, you've got those days it's a bit windy on the beach. In fact, I was just in San Francisco and, it said 70 degrees, but when you're right there next to the water, you've got that strong wind coming in on the afternoon. And, yeah, I was happy to have my
lightweight quarter zip. Now, this one in particular is made from a Pima cotton blend, very lightweight, so you're not going to overheat in it. Yet, it's still tough enough to be able to block the wind and give you a layered summer sophisticated look. And speaking of layered looks, I could throw a jacket on top of this. I felt it was a little bit much especially for this warmer day. I don't know. Let me know in the comments. Like the look, hate the look. I want to hear from you guys down below. But, no, check out this quarter zip. Notice how I just changed
the color. Everything else remains the same, but that higher contrast with the trousers, I feel it has a really nice nautical feel. Again, I've got that soft collar underneath that bit of brown in there, but the blue with the white, a really nice combo. And what's great about a darker color like this, it works really well into the evening I think better than that light blue. But, let's take a step back, take off those layering pieces and change the color of the polo entirely. In fact, we're going to stick with a knit polo, but we're going to
go with a much stronger color. This one as you can see is in the color salmon which I think works really well with those white trousers. And notice how the fabric is different. This one is a little bit lighter, this one is a linen blend. It's also got three buttons right there in the front giving it a bit of a sportier look. But, if you wanted to dress up this look? Well, just simply throw on a blazer. And the jacket you can see right here, this is a knitted performance blazer, so it's got a very soft unstructured look to it. And because it's made from a knit
fabric, incredibly breathable, very comfortable even in warmer weather. And notice how that navy works perfectly with the white. That is a classic combination and it allows the shirt the color of that polo to pop and to be the focus of the outfit. Simple, well-dressed. sophisticated, you'd look good whether you're going out for the night or you're going out that day for a regatta. Now, gents, all the clothing you're seeing in today's video, you can find over at Collars & Co. Now, guys, for years, I've worked with Collars & Co. because
I love what they stand for. Classic menswear mixed with performance and comfort. In fact, if you know their story, they were over on Shark Tank. They basically invented the dress shirt polo, the polo that you can dress up, you can dress down that has a structured placket and collar. attached to a shirt made from a performance fabric that has a four-way stretch is incredibly breathable, easy to wear. Basically, they mix comfort with classic good looks enabling you to look your best and feel comfortable. And if you're looking for an item to start with,
check out their apex dress shirt. Because let's face it, every man needs a white dress shirt. Well, when you grab the apex dress shirt, you have a shirt that you can use in casual situations, you can dress it up with a suit, you can dress it down with a pair of chinos or even jeans. But in every situation, whether you're layering or you're just wearing it, on its own, you are going to feel comfortable, you are going to feel cool because that's what these shirts are designed to do. And, by the way, with that dress shirt, get over and check out their blazers.
In particular, their Maverick line, their Performance Blazers. I personally love these because who likes to take their jackets to the cleaners? I don't. What I love about some of these Maverick Blazers is you can throw them into the wash. They are very durable. They're made for the modern traveler. The guy that doesn't want to think about his clothing, he just simply wants to put it on look good, that is the Maverick Blazer. And they've got so many great options now, so many different patterns, so many different colors. Guys, get over to Collars & Co. If
you haven't been over there for a while, they've got all new clothing. Check out their new arrivals, they always have new stuff coming in. So, again, gents, if you want to get the best deal over at Collars & Co., use that link in the description of today's video. Get over, check them out. I love this company. I love how you can put together full outfits, they've got you covered for the seasons. Yeah, don't sleep on their quarter zips. Guys, go check them out, Collars & Co. I'm linking to them down in the description. Now, the next shirt you see me wearing right
here is a featherweight performance polo. This one from Collars & Co. Hence, that really strong collar. I love it because I can dress it up, dress it down. I can wear it with a sweater, wear it with a jacket. I don't have to worry about that collar going underneath. And that's what gives this whole look right here a little bit more of a dressier look is because of that strong collar that helps to frame the face and create an overall more structured look. And because it's made from a performance fabric that's really breathable, this also has nice
contrast with the linen trousers. Linen in general is going have a little bit of a rougher hand to it. So, when you look at it, even a light color like white, it's going to have a bit of texture to it. Yeah. So, this featherweight polo, a great option for the summer or maybe even for the winter when you layer and if you run really hot, it's nice to have those lighter materials because, again, you can always layer them. Now, really quick, side note, notice I'm not wearing a belt with these trousers. And that's because these trousers were designed
with side tabs. Basically, they don't have belt loops, they are designed to be tightened on the side. I think it's a really nice elegant look. In addition, the trousers are going to be a little bit higher than what you would see jeans, they're going to sit closer to the natural waist. And we're talking only a small difference about one inch, but it does lengthen the leg line. And if you're looking at trousers like this, make sure that they've got a double buttoned front. What it does is it enables the trousers to lay flatter versus all of the pressure being
on a single point. spreads it out. Now, on top of that polo, you can see right here I have thrown on a blazer. And notice that this blazer has a bit of a pattern. This is a window pane pattern, classic in menswear. It's a bit distinctive and memorable. Hence, I don't recommend these type of jackets as your first jacket. I like to go with a solid or a very small repeating pattern maybe in a sports jacket. But, as I've got about 40 to 50 jackets in my collection, I have this one. And as you can see, we're being pretty consistent in the colors. blues on tops,
blues with my jackets in general. I really like this color especially for jackets. It's so easy to match with most trousers out there. Like I said, you don't always have to go with white. I mentioned all those colors. This colored jacket would work with any of them. And since this is a summer jacket, it's made from a linen material, it's also going to be breathable, which is really nice in hot weather. Because let's face it, there are events that you still got to get dressed up for that wedding. Yes, it's going to be outdoors or maybe it's indoors,
but in any case, it is hot outside. This right here would be a great outfit. Maybe not to wear to the wedding because you don't want to wear anything white. It's one of those rules. I think some brides get crazy about it. But, yeah, for a summer beach party, yeah, this would be a great look. Now, for this next shirt, I am not going full on white here, although you probably could. I know there are parties like that people like to have during the summer. And I think a linen shirt with these linen trousers could work fine, but I
still like to have a little bit contrast between the top and bottom. Although, if you are a little bit of a heavier set guy, in general, you want to go for more monochromatic looks. But, this one right here especially because we don't have the belt, although I probably would go with a lighter colored belt if I had to wear one. But, yeah, as you can see here, this light blue shirt with a small pattern in it I think works relatively well with the combination, but I would still add something to it. Yeah, as you can see, throw that jacket on and all
of a sudden it becomes a much better outfit. And this is, it's going to be hot outside, but the shirt I'm wearing underneath, this is a performance shirt. It's made to wick away moisture. It's made to be lightweight. And the same with the jacket. So, even though the temperature seems to call for light dressing, when you've got to dress up for the occasion, guys, make sure you've got the right gear and you can look good and still feel amazing. Now, when it comes to a jacket, does color matter? And the answer is yes. The darker the jacket
in general, the more dressed up of a look it's going to be. So, you notice just went with a darker blue, we also went with a solid looking material. All of a sudden, the outfit looks like it's stepped up. And if I wanted to double down on that contrast, look all of a sudden I change out the shirt. I go with right here we've got a bangle stripe. This is going to be a thicker stripe, it's not a pinstripe. And this right here on shirts I think it looks really well. But, understand it's actually a bit more casual than a solid white, but still
for most people they're just going to say it's going to be a shirt, it's going to be a combination. that's going to stand out, one of my favorite looks from Collars & Co. Yeah, straight up, I have worn this combination before because I really like it. And, feel free to steal this look because, you know, I did. And, guys, really quick, I think it's an important point to make is that you don't have to be incredibly original with these outfits. If you want to have classic style, look to history, look to inspiration, find looks that you like. That's
what I love. We've got so many options nowadays. Find a guy that maybe has your complexion or whose style that you like in recreate those looks. Because, gents, my goal with this channel is to inspire you to take action to find a look that just resonates with you and you don't have to wear a suit to dress up. There are so many different ways to do this. But, guys, I do want you to put your best foot forward because you have something to contribute to the world. Now, when it comes to casual shirts and let's get over we talked about linen on
linen. So, here I have a dark blue linen shirt. You can even wear this untucked. This is going to be a very casual look, but I personally think it looks better tucked in. And, fact, for me to complete this look, what I would do is I would even roll the shirt sleeves because I feel that would give it a more casual overall laid back feel. I mean, I like it. It probably wouldn't be my first pick. I would probably go back to the polos. But, yeah, I don't know. Let me know in the comments. What do you guys think of this combination? Maybe I should change
up the color, keep the fabric the same, but go with maybe a light brown color. What do think? Now, know for me, I do gravitate towards this color because I've got brown hair, I've got brownish skin, so my complexion I think works for this. But, yeah, some of you guys with darker skin, you can pull off brighter colors. If you've got lighter skin, lighter colored hair, you probably want to go with maybe a pastel. So, getting back to polos, you don't have to go with any outlandish colors. Again, you can keep this very simple. Right here again,
we've got a linen cotton blend, we've got the three buttons in the front. We've got a classic knit polo here and a classic combination. Although, most of the time we see this, the trousers are going to be darker in color and the polo is lighter in color. Here, we've reversed it. I think it's a fun contrast. And, again, if you haven't noticed throughout this video, I've just been changing out one item at a time, but keeping those white trousers consistent because I wanted to make the point that even an item that a lot of guys consider difficult
to wear, white trousers, yeah, there are tons of combinations, there are tons of easy ways to pull this off. to even build a whole wardrobe around this so you can just add a few items. I mean, if you just had a few of the pieces I'm laying out in today's video, you'd be able to easily elevate your entire wardrobe. I mean, take the shirt I'm wearing right here. Yeah, it works with those white trousers and those same shoes that we've had throughout this entire video. And this shirt is interesting, it's a mesh fabric. Now, a lot of guys hear
mesh and they go running. And for good reason, there are some really bad mesh shirts out there. But this one right here, you can't see through it. Overall, it's a very soft elastic weave. This one in particular is made from a cotton and modal blend and I like the contrasting colors. It's not over the top. It draws a little bit of attention to the eyes to the chest and it works really well with those trousers. But, understand anytime you've got contrasting colors in a polo, it is going to be more casual, which I think in most situations is perfectly
fine. Another option is going to be terry cloth. This one has a towel-like feel, but it's still breathable. This one became really popular about a hundred years ago whenever they started making clothing from towel fabric. Now, terry cloth initially became popular because it did an excellent job of soaking up sweat. And I get that a lot of guys avoid it because, one, they're not familiar, it's not commonly sold out there anymore. But, I still like it especially it is a casual. This is the type of shirt that you could wear to the pool or to a pool party.
It just has a natural type of feel in those situations. But, understand it is of all the polos we've talked about today, the most casual. Now, I talked about that white on white, not a look I'm normally going to go for, but what if I changed out the trousers, brought in a pair of shorts? Boom! All of a sudden, we've got contrast, I roll up the sleeves. I like this look and I think it works for a lot of situations. Again, the aforementioned pool party, you got a weekend get together with friends, it's going to be hot, you're going to be in
and outside. You got a collared shirt, sleeves rolled, but you're still showing off a little bit of leg, a casual, but fun combination. But, that's too much for you, just go back to the polos that terry cloth we talked about, this one in white. Again, a very casual fabric, perfect for a pool party or just going out with the family on the weekend. Yeah, terry cloth, a really underrated yet stylish summer material. And with that being said, let's go back to the polo that started this video off. Boom, that combination. Notice how I brought it full
circle. So, guys, if you enjoyed today's video, let me know in the comments and continue watching here at Real Men Real Style. I want you dressing well this summer. I want you looking good this summer and I've got more content for you right here. So, take action, become the man you know yourself to be. That's it, gents. Take care. I will see you in the next one.
