The Fashion Spot

6) Just about the most fun you can have in the summer is to meet up with old friends and talk about what you were doing together that summer ten years before.

7) Swim trunks should always be modest, functional, and always, always have that sewn-in net.  Vilebrequin makes a stunning line of men's swimsuits every year (but there's no law saying you must have the latest suit ever year.  Also, isn't it a wonderful feeling the first time you pull that old swimsuit out of your wardrobe?)  As far as swimwear goes you just need to be honest with yourself.  Speedos are for speed-swimmers.  Board shorts are designed to be long and protect a surfer's legs from getting waxed by the edges of the surf board.  They also protect him from pretty girls.  You may notice that surf shorts do not have any underwear sewn in.  This is because you are supposed to wear a more tasteful swimsuit underneath it.

 

8) Summer reading is for children, beach books are for menopause.  Summer is a great time to challenge yourself with a great book.  This summer, the Modern Gentleman re-read Hemingway'sThe Sun Also Rises, which is basically a fun-to-read guide for early 20th century Americans about continental European manners, styles, and fashion.  There is bullfighting, cocktails, and dressing-for-dinner.  

 

 

After that, it is on to Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, which is daunting at 800+ pages.  But it is more fun to cut the paperback edition into the original 10 books (literally - with an Exacto knife), and slip it into your pocket.

9) Sunglasses are one of those things that's like having a nice wristwatch: you can buy one, wear it for the rest of your life and never worry about matching it to your clothing.  Also, like wrist watches, they can be passed down for generations.  The Modern Gentleman wears his grandfather's folding aviators from World War II.  If you don't have family heirlooms on hand, remember that Ray Ban has never made an ugly pair of sunglasses.

10) If you have even the slightest curl in your hair, the humidity and salt water are going to have a lot of fun at your expense.  Embrace it.  First of all, a shorter crop might be easier to manage.  Second of all, millions of women spend hours with a curling iron because they would give anything to have your hair.  So enjoy it.

 

Read Part 2 - The Modern Gentleman's Guide to Grooming:  Skin and Teeth, here.

Read Part 3 - The Modern Gentleman's Guide to Grooming:  Hair, here.

Read Part 4 - The Modern Gentleman's Guide to Grooming:  Tanning, here.