What I’m looking forward to wearing this summer (’26)

Written by Jamie Ferguson.

The fourth installments are usually the best aren’t they?Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,Fast and Furious,The Phantom Menace… Ah, you too.

Well, I hope this chapter isWhat I’m Longing To Wearthe series is classic, high energyRocky IVand reduce the ‘bat nipples’ ofBatman and Robin.

I’m not going to lie, there’s a lot of pressure that goes into a well-dressed, gladiatorial PS arena. You’d think I’m getting used to it now but alack, I’m not. The weight stems from the belief that you can’t really give advice to suit everyone (as much as I would like to) especially when it comes to something personal like style.

These recommendations are just what they arei amI’m looking forward to dressing and if, on the way, anything happens to see gives inspiration crumbs and I look to win.

As the great Dominic Toretto once said: “Ask any runner. Any real runner. It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile.

So, without further ado….

1. Fishing/photographers vests

Whether you can use it for something else is a style conundrum I often find myself stuck with. On the other hand, I strongly believe that clothes should be functional, especially if they are designed for a specific purpose. And, truth be told, I only wear this Colombian fishing vest when I shoot.

But the problem is, I love the way it looks so much that I’m thinking of abandoning that belief altogether. Sue me. I’m a maverick, I don’t play by anyone’s rules, not even my own.

These vests tick a lot of boxes. They’re a great piece, have lots of functional pockets, and are light weight, so they can easily be packed into a tote if those judge’s eyes get the better of you.

It may seem impossible to find a way to wear this vest without looking weird if you don’t have a stick or camera; but I’ve always enjoyed a challenge.

What I picked up was Colombian sportswear. I had a few requirements. I didn’t really want a ‘fly patch’ or a ‘drying patch’, which is a bit of sheepskin you’ll see on other options; I needed more pockets, obviously; and I didn’t want a collar because of the way I imagined it sitting on top of a jacket or fatigue shirt.

eBay has many great vintage cotton options, which will age and wash well. I would recommend looking at LL Bean or Woolrich.

1^Stcostume

2^n.dcostume

• Shirt: Stan Ray
• Shorts: Stan Ray
• Vest: Marks and Spencer
• Jellyfish: La Meduse
• Hat: Ebbetts
• Name: Stan Ray
• Sunglasses: Resort Co

2. Anthology patchwork madras jacket

I am a big advocate of wearing seasonal fabrics out of season. If it’s easy, put it on top; if it’s difficult, go alone. But there are certain clothes that just look out of place if an attempt is made to wear them at the wrong time. Enter stage right: patchwork madras.

I love this jacket but I can wear it from maybe late May, if I’m lucky, until September. September at a push remember you. The seasons in Ireland can be unforgiving.

Which means I have a limited window to wear this and by golly I will wear it up, down, left and right. This causes you to dress it up and dress it up, which is not always easy.

The jacket and shorts thing is problematic and I don’t think it ALWAYS works. So I developed a tried and tested two step process to find out if it works or not.

First step:Examination of the eyeball. A quick glance in the mirror will usually tell me if someone is moving or not. I’ve been doing this long enough with enough failures to know if I’m comfortable with how the dress looks in terms of palette and fit. I don’t always have to go through step two, but if I get the feeling that I’m pushing any kind of Sartorial boundary, I’ll ask for it.

Step two:The ask the long wife test. As I say this with tongue firmly in cheek, I’ve found that the more my partner objects to the get-up I’ve thrown together, the more convinced I am that he said ‘up is a banger. After all, I don’t dress to please myself but to dress men.

1^Stcostume

• Jacket: Anthology with fabric from OMTC
• Shirt: Kempt
• Liability: Own model
• Belt: Levi’s
• Jeans: Levi’s
• Sunglasses: Resort Co
• Slippers: Stubbs and Wootton

2^n.dcostume

• Shirt: Brycleand’s
• Vest: Marks and Spencer
• Belt: Drake’s
• Short: Radiation +
• Hat: Ebbetts
• Tote: Hennerton
• Loafers: Morjas

3. Denim jackets

If spring isn’t the time to layer, when is? There’s nothing I love more than traveling for work in March to mid-May and having to pack for 27 different temperatures.

Now some of you may think I’m exaggerating, but what do you get when you go from a cool, but somehow also, Belfast airport, to an inexplicably hot, for some reason, airport lounge, on an air-conditioned plane, to escape in a sweat and run onto a crowded train to the city, down a sweaty tube. where the moment you crouch down to shoot all that accumulated moisture into the back of both knee sockets… and undo the whole series when it’s time to take off?

How does one wear that???

Asking for a friend.

Denim jackets are the silver bullet against this sartorial chaos.

They’re stylish, layerable (seeing a trend here?) and easy to throw on when coming back from the concrete jungle. Honestly, I think machine washing can be an overlooked criteria for men’s clothing.

An extra, extra-special lightning bolt bonus features a regular denim blue and a white denim, like this TWC number. It gives you plenty of combinations to play with, from madras-clad prep to light, architectural toned art prints, all the way back to the double Canadian Tuxedo.

1^Stcostume

• Denim jacket: Levi’s
• Shirt, jeans: Buck Mason
• Vest: Marks and Spencer
• Belt: Morjas
• The sweatshirt: Aubin
• Hat: Hennerton
• Name: Stan Ray
• Producers: Alden

2^n.dcostume

• Denim jacket: TWC
• T-shirt: Buck Mason
• The sweatshirt: Rubato
• Jean: Levi’s
• Producers: Alden
• Tote: Ichizawa Hanpu

4. LEJ Plage Coat

This LEJ Plage Coat in brown herringbone cotton is my favorite Spring/Summer work and I’ve been waiting months and months to get this man out again.

It comes in tons of colors and fabrics online, but it’s the details of the seeing eye that do it for me. As Manish said exactly whenhe and André reviewed the LEJ contributiona long point collar, a half belt at the back and an attractive price point (depending on the fabric) compared to others really sets it apart.

It’s the perfect light layering piece for changeable weather or those summer evenings when the temperature drops.

1^Stcostume

• Shirt and shorts: Buck Mason
• Hat: Ebbetts
• Tote: Trunk
• Sneakers: Buck Mason x Moonstar
• Sunglasses: Kirk Originals x FE Castleberry

2^n.dcostume

• Dress: LEJ
• Jacket: Drake’s
• Hat: Wythe
• Shirt: J.McLaughlin
• Vest: Marks and Spencer
• Belt: Morjas
• Pants: Carharrt WIP
• Boots: La Botte Gardiane

5. Grenson fisherman’s sandals

The fisherman’s sandal is interesting. By now I’m sure we’ve seen this shoe somewhere. It’s been all over the place for the past few years and although it’s not to everyone’s taste I think there’s life in these old dogs at the moment. Hear me.

Personally, I have yet to come across a smart, summer shoe that I feel comfortable wearing with a suit or some kind of dress in warm weather. I enjoy wearing belgiums and espadrilles but I find after wearing them for a long time, the belgiums don’t have enough support and the espadrilles are, frankly, just a touch normal.

Fisherman’s sandals, however, fill that gap nicely. These are Goodyear welted so I can repeat them when needed, which adds longevity, and they are adjustable enough that I can easily wear them all day. Even if you walk around the cobbled streets, the streets of Italy.

If you are confused about what they look like I would also check out David Baroncini from Ghiaia, who often wears the same model.

1^Stcostume

• Jacket: An Anthology
• Polo: Casatlantic
• Hat: Wythe
• Pants: Stan Ray
• Belt: Berg and Berg
• Sunglasses: Resort Co
• Sandals: Grenson

2^n.dcostume

• Sandals: Grenson
• Dress: LEJ
• Sweatshirt: J.Crew
• Hat: Ebbetts
• Shirt: J.McLaughlin
• Tote: Ichizawa Hanpu
• Pants: Carhartt WIP

Denim jacket dress below

• Denim jacket: Blue Blue
• Shirt: Drake’s
• Shirt: Hollywood Ranch Market
• Sweatshirt: Jamieson’s
• Belt: Morjas
• Pants: Carharrt WIP
• Mirrors: Cubits