It’s that time of year again! With summer right around the corner, college students start to get anxious with some important life moments – graduation and finding a job.
The end of Spring Quarter brings a slew of changes. For seniors who have paid their dues, it’s time to suit up and graduate. For others, it’s time to buckle up and find a summer job or internship. And for guys it can be difficult to dress for almost all of these while keeping cool.
While girls have the option of wearing cooler summer dresses, guys who graduate in the ‘Shoe, attend summer weddings and job interviews often battle with finding the right suit to fend off the heat.
Menswear “of the old days” was often bulky and thick. Luckily for modern college guys, this is no longer the trend.
“There are definitely suits that will be more tolerable for summer – linens, cotton, etc. – but these are usually best as the fifth suit in a guy’s collection (not first or second), so many college guys won’t put these high on their priority list,” said Nate DeMars, Pursuit founder and CEO. “So if you want to get a suit, you’ll get more mileage out of a medium to light grey suit (that) won’t soak up the heat like a black suit and you can use it year-round.”
Pursuit, a Fisher College of Business start-up company, is a pop-up suit shop that will travel to college campuses throughout the country to outfit the most stylish students for key events such as holidays, fraternity formals, interview seasons and graduations. Pursuit is stationed in Ohio State’s South Campus Gateway with its second pop-up since October. Its current pop-up will be open through mid-June to accommodate graduation.
Keeping cool in a suit while looking great isn’t easy, but there are some solutions. After recommending a grey slim-fitting suit, DeMars also emphasized that guys should go for a light cotton dress shirt, and not long-sleeve. Designers’ summer collections feature lighter shirts to help battle the summer heat.
DeMars said when shopping for a suit, three rules should be followed.
Opt for a slim-fitting suit.
“Even if you’re not skinny, it still looks better on most guys,” he said.
Opt for a two-buttoned suit jacket, and only button the top. Remember to unbutton when sitting.
Opt for flat-front pants – no pleats.
“They make you look bulkier than you are. Leave them for grandpa. Even dad probably shouldn’t be wearing them,” DeMars said.
And remember, suits might need to be altered for the perfect fit, but be careful.
“Many commission salespeople at the big stores just want to get you out the door quickly, so they tell you what you want to hear to make the least work for them,” DeMars said.
Dressing to keep cool in the summer can be hard, but not impossible. With medium-to-light gray, tailored suits and linen dress shirts, guys will be able to rock their important summer events in style, just like the girls.
