Spring has arrived, and with it a set of signature fabrics, colors, and styles that will come out to play. While this is an exciting opportunity to try out new threads, some folks may not feel ready for the adjustment. Nearly 80% of Americans already experience daily stress; fashion should not be yet another source of anxiety.
If you get overwhelmed by the various style “rules” associated with different seasons, fear not. You can simply add these key men’s spring essentials to your wardrobe and use them to craft an outfit perfect for the season.
A Linen Jacket
There’s a reason linen is such a coveted fabric for the warm spring and summer months. It has a number of properties that make it an ideal warm weather option, one that should feature prominently in your wardrobe. Some of the key benefits of linen include:
- Its ultra high moisture absorbency rate
The fibers from plant bast, the plant fiber collected from the phloem or “inner bark” of the stem of plants such as flax, are hygroscopic. This means that they are able to absorb a great deal of moisture from their surroundings. As a result, linen garments are far better at wicking away your perspiration on hot days than their cotton counterparts. - Its hypoallergenic properties
As Magic Linen notes on their blog, linen’s breathability and high absorbency also make it somewhat antimicrobial. The extra airflow linen facilitates makes it a better choice for those with sensitive skin. - Its easy maintenance
While they don’t respond particularly well to hot water or bleach and optical whiteners, linen garments can be washed in a washing machine. Just make sure not to shrink the fabric in a hot dryer — most linen items should be hung to dry or put on the tumble dry setting.
Comfortable White Sneakers
No spring wardrobe is complete without a pair of white shoes. You can always go with the timeless white canvas shoe, such as the white Chuck Taylor or Chuck 70 by Converse for a pair that will never go out of style. Or you can get more trendy with a chunkier, sportier shoe such as the ’07 Nike Air Force 1s.
Whatever route you go with your white shoes, classic or trendy, remember that this is one of those men’s spring essentials that above all should be comfortable. If your feet don’t feel good in your shoes, you’re simply not going to wear them. And if you do end up forcing yourself to wear shoes that don’t fit right, you could end up one of the 87% of Americans with foot pain.
Denim Shorts
Jean shorts, or “jorts,” as they are often called, can get a bad rap. However, as you can see from this collection of denim short looks, it’s possible to craft them into a great outfit. Anyone can pull off this men’s spring essential by simply following a few rules:
- Avoid most running shoes, particularly the mesh kind. These don’t pair very well with denim shorts.
- Try to avoid flip flops as well, unless you’re a college student on spring break. Then you can do whatever you want. Spring break!
- Stylish shoes like the white sneakers mentioned above are your friend
- Wear well-fitting shirts and sweaters
If you’re having a hard time figuring out how to integrate these pieces with your existing wardrobe, remember this: the internet is your friend. Over 90% of the time, people hop on the internet to search for something. So hit up that search engine, or a site like Pinterest, for all the fashion guidance and inspiration you need to celebrate spring with style.
