Dressing for summer can be tricky. Particularly when you’re fresh off the back of six months of big winter coats, layering up and textured fabrics. It’s not unusual to find yourself suffering from a bout of sartorial amnesia when the sun finally reappears. If you’re not careful, you might wind up falling into the old shorts and T-shirt trap that stifles any shred of style or personality.
What you need to get back on track is a comprehensive guide to the pieces, fabrics and trends to know for the new summer. This way, you can keep your warm-weather wardrobe fresh and up to date, using the guide as a reference sheet whenever you’re struggling to craft a summer outfit.
Luckily for you, we take time to put this together every year here at Ape. We like to keep our ear to the ground for the latest menswear moves, filter out the trash and keep you up to speed with only the best bits.
Below, you’ll find our pick of summer 2024’s key garments, materials and overarching looks we think you should know. So scroll away and get ready to kick your warm-weather wardrobe into shape for another year.
Key Pieces
Striped Oxford Shirt
The Oxford shirt never went anywhere. It’s always been there, propping up everyday outfits and making smart-casual dressing a breeze. Yet staple status aside, the Oxford is enjoying even greater popularity than usual. It has become the menswear set’s throw-it-on summer layer of choice, often styled in sprezzatura fashion over a white tee or tank top with the sleeves lazily cuffed below the elbow.
Throw in some shorts, white crew socks and loafers to complete the look.
Pale Blue Linen Shirt
In much the same vein, a linen shirt is a must this summer… and all summers for that matter.
It’s slightly lighter and more breathable than its Oxford cotton counterpart, but the rumpled nature of the fabric lends it an even more devil-may-care, rakish appeal that works well for smart-casual summer outfits and helps to give simple, everyday looks some purpose.
Statement Short Sleeve
Plain shirts are all well and good, but if there’s any time of the year you might want to think about playing with some pattern and colour, it’s summer. A short-sleeve shirt is the perfect vehicle for doing this, and you could go with anything from simple stripes to an all-over photorealistic print, depending on how bold you’re feeling.
Whatever design you choose, we find that opting for a Cuban collar instead of a regular collar helps to give a shirt an even more laid-back, summery feel. For bonus points, choose a cooling fabric like linen or seersucker.
Short Shorts
For those who haven’t skipped leg day over the winter and spring, now’s the time to bust out those pins with a nice short inseam. We always say shorts should fall at least a few inches above the knee, but this year it’s en vogue to go even higher.
A five-inch inseam is the short length of choice for fashion-savvy guys in 2024, offering the perfect blend of looks and comfort. Check out Patagonia’s classic 5” Baggies for some of the best in the business.
White Crew Socks
In case you missed the memo, trainer, no-show and ankle socks are well and truly out. In their place, white crew socks are now the default option, but make sure they’re worn loose and slightly stacked rather than pulling them right up as high and tight as they’ll go.
Check out any Aimé Leon Dore spring/summer lookbook if you’re struggling to envision this.
Leather Loafers
Who says you can’t wear loafers with shorts? People who haven’t been keeping up with menswear over the last few years, that’s who.
We’d recommend choosing a classic brown pair, either penny or horsebit, so you can combine them with anything and everything. You might be surprised at how much wear you get out of them.
Slim Sneakers
When Rishi Sunak was photographed wearing a pair of Adidas Sambas in early 2024, it was the final nail in the coffin for the first ‘it’ shoe of the 2020s.
Some predicted a return to chunkier styles, but we’ve yet to reach peak slim sneakers, with low-profile models like the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 and the Adidas SL72 continuing what the Samba started.
Knitted Short Sleeve
We’re spoiled for choice in the winter when it comes to textured fabrics. These tactile materials can help to bring outfits to life, making them feel more three-dimensional and interesting – so much so that when summer rolls around, the choices can feel a little, well, boring.
But don’t despair; arm yourself with a knitted shirt instead. Obviously, you can’t layer up in heavy knitwear when it’s hot outside, so this is the next best thing, and you might be surprised by how comfortable and breathable the material is.
Check out Reiss, Percival and Wax London for some great options.
Summer Fragrance
Temperature affects how fragrances behave, and while the cold weather requires something rich and heavy to cut through the frozen air, summer calls for something lighter and more delicate.
If you have a signature scent for the winter, you should have one for the summer, too. Check out a few to find one that works for you, but our advice would be to keep it zesty, floral and crisp.
Have a sniff of Hermès Terre d’Hermès, Tom Ford Portofino Neroli and Davidoff’s classic Cool Water if you’re looking for a foolproof option.
Light Wash Jeans
You don’t have to ditch the denim just because the sun’s out. Just swap the dark indigo for something a bit lighter and there’s no reason not to enjoy jeans all summer.
We’re big fans of a classic Levi’s 501, or for something a little more special, try Japanese brand orSlow’s 105, which is an upscale twist on the classic Levi’s shape.
Key Fabrics
Linen
Luca Faloni
Linen is big again this summer, partly thanks to the overarching trend for effortless sprezzatura style, and partly because it’s one of the most comfortable materials for hot weather.
It’s lightweight, highly breathable, moisture-wicking and quick drying. If you don’t have at least one linen shirt in your wardrobe, now’s the time to change that. And if you do, you probably won’t take much convincing to add a suit and some drawstring pants to your collection.
Seersucker
The Resort Co
We’re all for any summer fabric that adds texture and keeps us cool, which is exactly what seersucker does. It’s cooling and quick-drying like linen, but it has a unique puckered texture that’s great for giving your warm-weather outfits a touch of personality.
We love it for shirts, shorts and unstructured tailoring – ideal for summer weddings, date nights and al fresco dining.
Towelling
The Resort Co
It might look warm, but towelling is surprisingly breathable and cooling. It’s also highly absorbent and heavily textured, which means you can craft some very visually distinctive summer outfits while staying comfortable.
If you’re wondering where to start, we suggest a short-sleeved shirt or polo.
Silk
Frescobol Carioca
Silk is going to be big this summer, particularly for shirting. Now, we’re not saying you should start wearing shiny business shirts to work, but if you want to throw a summery silk short-sleeve with a floral all-over print into the mix, then we certainly won’t stand in your way.
Check out Frescobol Carioca and Casablanca for some great premium options.
Key Trends
A Return To Rakishness
Brunello Cucinelli
Before 2020, menswear had been moving in a more casual direction for some time. Suits were dying a death, and streetwear had all but taken over the high-fashion world. This all reached a head during the pandemic when people were forced to live in sweatpants and hoodies for a year or two, but when restrictions relaxed, things began to move in the opposite direction.
Now we’re witnessing a full-blown return to tailoring, with rakish double-breasted suits and formal footwear enjoying a new lease of life. To nail the look, keep the cuts classic and the overall look as dapper as possible.
Crochet Away
Wax London
Of all the unlikely menswear trends to emerge in the last few years, your gran’s tablecloth becoming the latest must-have fabric is perhaps the most surprising. Spearheaded by Bode, the rise of crochet shirts, vests and sweaters has been unprecedented, and as the high-fashion houses start wheeling out their spins on the look, it’s only a matter of time before the mainstream catches up.
If you want to be ahead of that particular curve, now is the time to start working some crochet into your life.
Eclectic Grandpa
NOAH
This one has been growing in popularity for a little while now, so this may not be the first time you’ve seen the term. For the uninitiated, this trend born on Pinterest is all about eye-catching sweater vests, tweed, loafers, sneakers and baseball caps. Think Tyler, the Creator or Harry Styles if you’re after a celebrity reference point.
Thanks to its colourful nature, this look is great for summer. Even if you don’t dive in with both feet, you can pick and choose elements of the trend to spice up your personal style in a way that lets others know you’ve got your finger on the pulse.
