All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
It’s been a weird year for getting dressed. If you’re shaking off the style cobwebs, breaking free of your sweatpants, and need some pointers on where to go next, we’ve got you. All week long, GQ Recommends is exploring What to Wear Now: the clothes, designers, bold moves and big vibes that matter at this precise moment.
You’ve been hearing the whispers everywhere for months now, over and over again, starting right around the time that “Pfizer” and “Moderna” entered the common lexicon: This is gonna be one HELL of a summer. It’s true. There’s already a celebratory mood in the air, and it’s only going to grow stronger and stronger as the temperatures keep rising. Whether you’re cruising to the beach, crushing a few cold ones on the patio, or just enjoying a little peace and fresh air on your own, you deserve to let loose and get a little freaky—especially when it comes to the clothes you wear.
To help ease you into that wild, carefree mood, we’ve assembled everything you need to beat the heat in righteous, outrageous style: barely-there tanks, funky hats, spicy loafers, and much more. Get out there and bring the heat.
Summer-Ready Polos
Nine months out of the year, we love a knit sweater polo. But when the humidity starts creeping higher and your pits start feeling damper, you’re going to want to smarten up in something lighter—like easy, breezy mesh or beach-towel-y boucle.
Bottega Veneta neutral mesh polo shirt, $980
>Buy Now at Matches Fashion
Wales Bonner “Jose” mesh polo
Todd Snyder short sleeve boucle “Johnny” collar polo
Sport Utility Carryalls
Three things you need from a proper beach bag: it’s gotta be roomy enough to jam in everything from a blanket to a Bluetooth speaker to a weekend’s worth of clothes; hardy enough to survive getting plastered with sand and sun and residual SPF; and stylish enough to complement all your fits. These three hit all the marks.
1 Moncler JW Anderson JWA tote, $1,050
>Buy Now at Moncler
Engineered Garments jacquard tote bag
All-Day Trunks
The best swim trunks give off a beachy, poolside vibe—but are so versatile and practical you’ll want to wear them even when you’re nowhere near the water. Thorsun’s well-appointed collaboration with Parisian shirt masters Charvet, Prince & Bond’s sunny tailored shorts, and Banks Journal’s ferocious leopard joints will get you there no matter how much coin you’re looking to drop.
Thorsun + Charvet mid-length printed swim shorts, $395
>Buy Now at Mr Porter
Prince & Bond Golden Hour solid hybrid nylon swim trunks
Banks Journal Wilder elastic boardshorts
Camp Shirts for Grown-Ups
Midway through the last decade, old-school vacation shirts mounted a roaring comeback—in all their over-the-top tropical glory. Since then, they’ve only gotten zanier and zanier, doused in hypnotic prints that look like the watercolors your brother brought home from his ayahuasca-laced “field trip” in the Peruvian jungle. Which is why, right now, we’re self-correcting with camp collar shirts that are a little less flashy. They’re loud enough not to be missed, but won’t shout over the rest of your look.
Marrakshi Life Cuban-collar striped cotton-blend shirt, $325
>Buy Now at Matches Fashion
Monitaly vacation camp-collar printed linen shirt
Saturdays NYC Canty Peace SS shirt
Mean Buckets
You know how we said we’re feeling slightly toned-down camp shirts? When it comes to bucket hats, ignore that advice. Get weird, man. Go brash, go bonkers, go obnoxious.
Marni floral-print cotton bucket hat, $395
>Buy Now at Matches Fashion
Dries Van Noten “Gillian” print bucket hat
Universal Works Mexican blanket bucket hat
Full Tanks
Summer is a constant negotiation between wanting to dress as fly as possible and wanting to wear as little as possible. A top-shelf tank lets you do both—whether it’s under one of those camp shirts or flying solo.
Nicholas Daley Blue Knit Garment-Dyed Vest
Saint Laurent stripe-print tank top
Swamp-Free Slip-Ons
Wearing woven footwear is a little like ripping down the freeway in a convertible on a warm, sunny day: once you’ve felt that freedom, nothing else will do.
Dolce & Gabbana woven goatskin slip-on shoes, $795
Keen x Engineered Garments drawstring leather slides
Chamula “Cancun” huarache shoes
Finishing Touches
When you’re battling the heat in light and airy clothes, it’s the little things that help to turn your looks into looks. A legendary nautical watch, louche gold bracelet (try it as an anklet for maximum vibes), and movie star shades can get you there individually. But wearing ‘em all at once will send your vibe to a whole other level.
Panerai Luminor Marina watch, $7,700
>Buy Now at Panerai
Miansai 5mm Figaro chain bracelet
Odessa 1919 vintage inmate sunglasses
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Photographs by Martin Brown
Styled by Jon Tietz and Liz Serwin