×

Summer fashion

Beat the heat this summer with these fashion tips

COURTNEY HAYDEN/Sun-Gazette Several designs lay on a clothing rack at Patinaz.

By COURTNEY HAYDEN

chayden@sungazette.com

It’s not always easy to stay cool in summer, but with the right fabrics, you can beat the heat. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t wear the latest summer trends. Clothes that are fashionable and practical are making a splash this season.

Colors and Prints

The fashion-forward clothing, jewelry and gift store, Patinaz, 38 W. Fourth St., is welcoming summer with current trends like flowing pants, colors and patterns. This summer, tropical prints and bright colors are in, said Suzette Mason, an owner at Patinaz, and they also are her favorite current trends.

Popular prints include florals, fruits and animal prints and are inspired by the ’70s with an up-to-date cut, said Connie Harter, owner of Retrah, 424 Market St., Lewisburg.

Similar to women’s fashion, men’s clothing has seen a boost in vibrant, bright colors with fruity names such as avocado, melon and raspberry, said Francis Ciccarelli, of The Clothier, 138 W. Fourth St. The colors aren’t crazy, though; they are tasteful.

For styling, jewel tones and richer colors complement individuals with darker hair and complexions while pinks, greens and olives flatter blonde hair and lighter-colored eyes, said Sarah Alexander, sales associate at Patinaz. These color palettes are meant to compliment one’s skin, hair or eye colors, although, you should wear what you’re most comfortable in, too.

Cuts, detailing and wide-leg pants

Fashionable cuts include “ruffles and ruffled sleeves,” “wide-leg pants, like the gaucho pants” and tie waists, Mason said. A popular pant style is the tulip pant, a flowy, moveable pant with an angled cut on the leg creating a high-low effect. People also are loving the cold shoulder shirts, Alexander added.

Men’s fashion shirts now are worn to be untuckable and have detailing along the side and inside cuff sleeves for contrast, Ciccarelli said. Mixing and match patterns this season also is trending but “the key is knowing how to put the colors together.”

Social media and trends

This summer, trends from the ’50s to the early 2000s are popular and can be seen in the high-end thrift store, The Boutique, said Kahlie DeHotman, manager of The Boutique in the YWCA, 815 W. Fourth St. Favorite summer clothes include maxi dresses, jumpsuits and rompers.

“Fashion is being influenced so much by social media right now,” DeHotman said. “The festival circuit is influencing fashion a lot. We are seeing a lot of fringe, a lot of leather, a lot of more bohemian-inspired things.”

From wide- to thin-leg pants, flouncy shirts and unique swimsuits, “anything very Instagrammable, I would say is making a big impact,” DeHotman said. One accessory having an impact in fashion currently is “sunglasses, and the weirder the better, the more unique.”

Short chain necklaces with a pendant or charm and sleek metal bars also are trendy accessories, as they are simple, classic and versatile, Alexander said.

Breathable menswear

One would assume that with hot summer temperatures, it’s difficult to wear menswear, but The Clothier proves otherwise by putting an emphasis on keeping in stock a variety of breathable, lightweight fabrics such as tropical wools, cottons and silks, Ciccarelli said.

Tropical wool doesn’t feel like the heavy wool people imagine. There are a variety of different wools and the higher the thread-count, the lighter it is. Wool has memory, springs back to life and wrinkles fall out, Ciccarelli said.

Seersucker fabric is lightweight and a classic. More modern fabrics have technology, such as moisture-wicking pima cottons for golfing and island zone fabric, which is lightweight and breathable, he said.

Classic, comfortable and relaxed

With 35 years of experience in men’s and women’s fashions, Carl Gaskins, of Colony Classics, 1605 E. Third St., has seen trends come and go, he said. In summer, colors and basics are always popular. Trends now, though, don’t stick to one cut or look, like tunics or high-low hems.

People tend to like a basic bottoms in black, brown, navy and white and change the tops to fit with current trends, such as bright colors and textured fabrics and yarns, he said. People also have a relaxed lifestyle and look for trim and casual fits, such as palazzo pants.

To beat the heat, Harter recommends to wear layers in summer such as a bralette, tank with a kimono so you can be outside comfortably and still go inside to AC and not freeze, she said.

Summer dresses also are a fashion staple, Mason said. “I love dresses in summer because there is no thought — one piece and easy and you’re good to go.”

A summer classic is “a good pair of denim shorts because that’s going to go with everything and as we are seeing with everything this season, it’s in the details,” DeHotman said. “Just something that gives it a little pop so it’s still classic and also now.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today