By Patty Soltis, Guest Columnist

How many of us are enjoying the longer days of summer? It is such a treat to live somewhere that we can watch the sunset on the water from so many different locations, from the multiple bays to the glorious Gulf of Mexico.

With the longer days of summer comes the heat and humidity. You open the door, and it is like a heat wave hitting you full force. This makes you rethink the clothing, shoes and overall attire that you put on each day. Add to the complication of how brutally hot it is outside compared to cranked up air conditioning inside, which often makes it so cold. So you are searching for what to wear in the variations of temperature, then trying to find the trends for the season to stay updated and modern.

So let’s discuss the summer trends.

Quite often trends vary for men and women — what is seen on the runway needs to be translated into our real lives. Runway fashion shows are spectacular, showcasing the vision of the designer or the couture house. While we all want to be updated, wearing what is on the runway could seem a little odd, so let’s translate those trends into the real way we live.

For summer, there are always the forever trends of stripes, bold color and
white head to toe. Add all of these to your wardrobe — and all of them work for both men and women. Disregard the myth that horizontal stripes are unflattering; it is all about the placement of the stripes on the body, the width of the stripe and the colors.

Bold color, which you can add to your wardrobe with color blocking or in prints, is welcome in the summer months. If the idea of wearing bright colors make you feel a bit too loud, add a splash of color to your wardrobe on the lapel of your jacket, the placket of your shirt or the cuff on your sleeve.

For women, add a handbag or shoe where the color says WOW! For men, a whimsical pair of socks can be just the spot for that pop of bright color. Not much is more chic than all white in the summer months. While we live in the Sunshine State where we can put on white any time of year, during the summer months, all white is the epitome of sophistication. As the temperature rises, add white in cotton or linen to your wardrobe. For this stunning look, throw on a pair of shoes or sandals in a light beige or even metallic-like brushed silver or gold.

 

Add a stylish shoe to your summer wardrobe/ iStock photo courtesy of STYLEdge®

The last forever trend is floral. Typically, this is more for women, and who doesn’t love flowers! For the summer months, floral attire should be brightly colored to reflect the season. For men, add a bit of floral with your neckwear, jacket pocket square or as an accent on your dress shirt. The lining of your jacket is another place to always add a bit of floral print flair.

Trends for women this season include disco. Remember the ’70’s? Some of us may choose to forget it, but your toe does tap when the song Staying Alive plays. For this trend, add shine to your wardrobe. A bit of metallic, maybe not in chrome, silver or lame’ gold, but a bit of a metallic sheen, especially on the lighter colors, is a great way to embrace this fun trend. And it’s a great way to go from day to dinner as these pieces can work in multiple ways in your wardrobe.

For women, add a handbag or shoe where the color says WOW! Plaid is typically a trend for the fall season but has sprung up for the warmer months. But instead of plaid in heavy flannel, wear plaid in a soft fabric like lightweight cotton or chiffon. (Note: Ruffles have moved on from the Little House on the Prairie days, and are not chic and sophisticated as accents on attire.)

Skirts, loose leg pants, and jumpsuits — admit it, you thought immediately about a trend for women.  All three of these are for men.  Now let’s translate.  Basically, this means that silhouettes are loosening up for men.  The days of the skinny suit and snug trousers will never seem to fade, but just are not at the forefront.  For summer, loose linen pants with a button-down shirt can be perfect for the weekends to translate the loose leg pants trends.  Jumpsuits, not sure what to do?  Here is what you do.  Wear an unlined jacket with a pair of trousers in a monochromatic look for the perfect translation.

 For summer, a forever trend is white head to toe/iStock photo courtesy of STYLEdge®

Easier trends for the season include Hawaiian shirts and tailored shorts, all cut to emphasize the body, not engulf it nor cut off your circulation.

The last trend is the continuing emergence of “ath-leisure” for both men and women. Look for zippers in lieu of buttons on your jacket. Perhaps for more business casual, a hood is added. Stripes down the side of the arm and the leg become more prevalent with this look, and the stripe can be in a complementary or contrasting color and in a different fabric such as silk satin. Caution: this trend of “ath-leisure” is not giving you permission to wear your athletic wear outside the gym or yoga studio, it is about accents on pieces.

Have a question? Please send your questions or ask for more specific information to me at patty.soltis@styledgefashion.com.