Summer Trousers: What Every Man Needs to Know





We know what you’re thinking. “Summer trousers? Really? What’s the big difference? You put them on one leg at a time, same as winter.” But if you live in an area where there’s a stark contrast between the seasons, you know exactly what we mean: some pants are just better-suited for certain seasons.

With spring officially here and summer just around the corner, we couldn’t think of a better time to introduce you to all of the summer trouser options we have here at Berle. But before you make any selection, try to keep in mind some of the following lessons about summer trousers:

Fabric Matters

It’s tempting to buy a pair of wool pants during the winter and then wear them year round. But wool can be stifling and way too hot if you’re from a particularly humid area. 

Cotton is the fabric of choice when it comes to summer. True: it doesn’t retain insulating powers like wool—but that’s kind of the point. You don’t want to be well insulated when the summer heat hits. You want your pants to be light, airy, and offer plenty of refreshing ventilation. In short, you want cotton—or any cotton fabric weave such as seersucker.

In short: fabric matters, so pay attention to what you’re buying. And look for a “100% cotton” label on your clothes before you buy them—or at least a good portion of cotton clothing.

Recommendation: Charleston Khakis in Brick Front

Color Matters

It’s summer. Now’s the time to wear all of the fun colors you didn’t wear all winter. After all, there’s an old rule about not wearing white after Labor Day—and we think it’s a fine rule. But now that it’s definitively before Labor Day again, it’s time to think about all of the light, colors you can wear when it’s warm outside. 

The “Brick” color you saw in the Charleston Khakis above are a great start. But we have a few more options for you if you want to guarantee yourself some summer-appropriate attire:

Recommendations:

 

Comfort Above All

Okay, so you’ve mastered two essential aspects of the summer trouser. Now it’s time for that all-important, difficult-to-define aspect of comfort. If your clothes aren’t comfortable, you’re never going to wear them.

When you’re browsing through our trousers, make sure that you pay attention to the custom sizing. Rise, inseam, waist—they all matter now. If you don’t know your numbers, you can always measure one of your current favorite pairs of pants, or even pay a small fee to have a local tailor write them down for you. Size is one of the most important aspects of comfortable clothes, and you don’t want to skimp on this point.

If you’ve done the rest of your homework, you’ll have light, comfortable trousers you can wear all summer long—summer trousers that match with polos, button downs, T-shirts, and the entire range of summer clothes you might expect to wear. Now, if only the entire summer wardrobe was this easy…

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