I took a trip to New York to celebrate my Grandmothers 90^th birthday, spend time with my favorite cousins and sight see so there has been no beach for me so far, this summer.  Although spending time near the water on a sizzling summer day is one of my favorite activities, Cincinnati has been coming through with some amazing weather lately (Please don’t leave).  I embrace these warm dry days with open arms a clear schedule and some bomb ass chinos!

Back to one of my favorite places in Cincinnati way up in the hills overlooking the Ohio River, I caught some amazing photo backdrops that help bring out the unique colors of my clothing.  I’m wearing a white cotton, double breast pocket short sleeve button down shirt.  Cotton is a good pick on hot summer days as it helps to keep you cool naturally.  Cotton is a fibrous material that can be manipulated during garment processing to be much more breathable than wool or other natural materials.  Cotton is made of long smooth filaments that allow air flow right past them and when cotton gets wet it dries very quickly avoiding the sticky feeling you get from other materials.

An essential part of every man’s wardrobe is the white button-down shirt.  This shirt can be styled any way and looks good with the top button buttoned with a pair of creased chinos or dress pants or fully unbuttoned over a graphic tank.

This is a Paper Denim and Cloth slim fit shirt and boasts a patterned sleeve cuff, only exposed when the sleeve is rolled up once.  In my opinion, the shirt looks best when the sleeve is rolled.  This adds an excellent touch of color and gives this plain white shirt some personality.  The cuff color was close enough to a sea foam green that I could use it to pair with my chinos!

I chose my P55 Slim Stretch Chinos from Original Penguin to wear with my white button down.  These pants remind me of the greenish aqua color of the wave foam that rode in on the warm waves in Bermuda.  I usually stay away from pants that have “stretch” in the title because with the way men’s clothing trends are going that most always means the pants have a “legging” look and feel.  Since Original Penguin has never let me down with their shirts I figured I’d give these a try.  In my opinion, Original Penguin gives my Bonobos Weekday Warrior Chinos a run for their money.  These are amazing chinos and it better than expected, my new favorite summer pants.

It took me a year to finally purchase these shoes but I wish it had not.  Nike is always a leader in shoe style innovation and the unique styles at Cole Haan follow suit.  I am wearing the Cole Haan Zero Grand in tan canvas.  These shoes keep the comfort equity of the Cole Haan brand and pair nicely in both a weekend casual and business casual setting.  My feet were comfortable the entire day even with all the walking and standing.  The shoes are light and my feet can breathe.  Breathability is very important to me in the summertime.

Try pairing a plain top with bright chinos for your next happy hour meetup, day party or brunch.  You will be sure to get compliments and turn heads.