Keepin' it real: summer essentials for guys

Today's guest post is brought to you by the very cool DJ Deadbird! In an effort to bring you more male-oriented content (hey, men deserve to be high maintenance too), Deadbird has kindly offered to give us his take on some fresh fashion advice for men this summer. Not only does Deadbird have cool street-wise style, this guy is also pretty sharp on the 1's and 2's - sorry ladies, this dude is taken!


So i heard the other day was the "solstice"; basically, for those of you who aren't geography nerds, it means we just had the LONGEST day of the year. While you're enjoying your long sunny days and warm patio nights, here are a few tips for the guys to keep your style crisp and clean.

First lets start with what NOT to rock.

1. Any Tap-out, Ed hardy, Affliction, or similar official douche bag wear. Unless you're in some magical world where everyone is rocking out with tight tattoo looking t-shirts, there's probably a good chance someone within a 10 foot radius of you is whispering "douche bag".
2. Polo's with a popped collar. While all the jocks in high school might be getting laid with this look, I'm really hoping the general demographic for this site is aiming higher than their little sister's best friend.
3. Cargo shorts. I don't get how the GAP was able to make these hobo shorts so popular on such a massive scale.

Now don't worry! There still is hope if you're still wearing some of these items.

The big things for this summer seem to clash a little so feel free to mix things up. At one end you've got your bright 80's-electro look with your neon yellows, bright purples, and a general palette of very bright colors. On the other end you've got the classy Cuban laid back look with neutral whites, beige, brown and blacks.

Here are some of my favorites!

"Amy" shirt by The Hundreds, $65

Pair this with a pair of simple black dress shorts and solid white or black shoes (no runners) and you'll be laughing.

"Don Mon" fedora by Livity, $37

Every dude needs at least one fedora that works for them in their wardrobe. Here's a simple one in a neutral color that you can pair with almost any shirt.

"Johnson Mid Blue" by The Hundreds, $95

One FACT of fashion is that the shoes you wear complete your look. Because these shoes are so bright, try pairing them with a pair of simple black dress shorts and a plain tee.

Now I might be a little biased since I used to work at Club Monaco way back when, but Club Monaco has siiiick summer threads. I've always been a fan. They're simple enough to put on for a casual Sunday afternoon outing, yet sophisticated enough that you can wear it out to a fancy restaurant. Although I may not agree completely with the pairing that they do on the site, this link may give you some good ideas for what summer (i think) is all about:








On a side note, linen shirts are AWESOME. This might sound wussy, but at least you'll have a great collared shirt that you can actually wear in the hot heat. Pair linen shirt with a fedora and you're good to go!

"Supercorsa" by Vans, $100

I know what you're thinking, these look weird. Every summer Vans releases some sort of a perforated shoe perfect for the summer and these are no exception. The shoe is made with extremely soft Italian leather, and believe me (I own a pair), they are the most comfortable shoe ever. Also they go awesome with any darker pair of shorts.

"Brockton" by Penfield, $70

Every time I come across any Penfield item I shed a single tear because all their designs are top notch. This shirt is absolutely perfect for the guy who wants to keep it simple, yet have a spark of flare to let everyone know you're fashionable enough to cut it around hipsters. I also need to mention that gingham patterns are HUGE this summer.

Finally, the MOST IMPORTANT thing for guys is to just wear your shit with confidence. Fashion is just following a preset standard, but style is what you make your own. I hope my likes (and dislikes) help steer you towards finding your own style this summer!



Thanks again to Deadbird and all the guest bloggers featured on Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy. If you have any ideas for future posts, guy related or otherwise, please send them to me!

Also don't forget to enter my Perricone MD giveaway - contest is open until midnight, July 1!