Okay, so let’s get one thing straight: I use the term “fall” a tad loosely when it comes to Columbia, SC. The city’s slogan is “Famously Hot.” The weather here is reminiscent of the (gags)…erm, lovely Jacksonville, Fla. area, where I had the misfortune of being raised. But this isn’t about me. This is about men’s fashion, people! Like Jacksonville, the heat is just plain sinful in Columbia near summer’s end. You can suck the humidity out of the air with a straw…and by 8:30 a.m., it already feels like a sauna.
Since it’s going to be cooler—albeit, not much cooler, there’s some leeway here. Allow me to present you with a list of suggestions to add to your wardrobe so you can be more prepared for the autumn weather.
Light Cardigans
Light color or light material, you can’t really miss. Actually, scratch that. Cardigans are simple, but they don’t exactly pair with everything. Take the cardigan below, for example. You don’t want to wear that with colored chinos or jeans and/or a bright shirt. You’ll have people asking you to repeat yourself because your outfit will be too loud for them to hear you.
Chinos
Chinos are simply khaki pants in the style of jeans. They have a more casual look to them and tend to pair well with just about any pair of shoes or shirt. Seriously, you would kind have to try to mess them up. They come in basically every color too so, no worries about matching mishaps. The best part of chinos is that, as my friend (and senior USC student) Mason Branham so eloquently said, “…you don’t have to look like a hoochie in your booty shorts and short khakis.” I’d take Mason (and my!) advice and slip into a pair of these bad boys ASAP.
Flannel Shirts with Hoods
This one is pretty self-explanatory. It’s a flannel shirt with a hood. Okay, I’m not going to lie: The first time I saw a flannel shirt with a hood, I lost it because I thought it was one of the cutest things I had ever seen. These would pair very well with a pair of chinos and a solid colored pair of shoes. I’ve never worn one but, I’d imagine the material can be heavy, so try a white V-neck underneath in case you get to hot and need to start stripping.
Henleys
A henley shirt is a long or short sleeve shirt with buttons on the collar. It’d serve you best to make sure the material on your henley is light. We can’t have you passing out from heat exhaustion. I snagged a really light henley from H&M last year for only $15, so they’re rather affordable depending on where you go.
Zip Front Hoodies
Again, this item has a self-explanatory name. Just a hoodie with a zipper on the front.The best thing about the zip front hoodie is the simplicity. It can be solid colored, multiple colors, designs, paired with a band tee, a V-neck, etc. They can be paired with virtually any shirt or pair of pants or shorts. Or, if you decide, they can be paired with no shirt or pants. I don’t know your life. Forgive the cliché, but the possibilities are endless. Or don’t forgive the cliché. Either way, it happened.
So, there you have it. Take this knowledge and apply it to your wardrobe. Or not. The choice is yours.
I’d like to dedicate this first article to my friend Chris for giving me the opportunity to actually write my opinions on men’s fashion in a published, public forum. Thank you.
Questions, comments, concerns, requests and complaints (not that I actually care if you have complaints…but hey, that’s your prerogative) can be directed to sewellmj@email.sc.edu with the subject line “G&B Online.”