The Colours of Summer
After weeks of light rain and grey skies, the great British summer is finally beginning to heat up. Temperatures are set to rise in London over the next few days, reaching sweltering highs of 38 °C (over 100 °F). When confronted with the challenges that the hot weather brings, choosing what to wear can be a tricky prospect. For many men, opting for the casual t-shirt and shorts combo is the sensible approach - this has always been the easy option. Although it’s no surprise to hear that we think you can do better than that!
If you intend to enjoy exceptional sartorial standards throughout the summer months, the aforementioned outfit is simply not an option. SJC’s Summer ‘19 offering is in part an effort to relieve you of the difficulty of finding clothing to keep you cool and keep you looking dapper simultaneously. In this article, we’ll explore the imperative and historic role that colour plays in the way we dress for the most vibrant months of the year. The colour of our clothing is often more important than simply for determining appropriate garment combinations. It can change the way we feel internally and, more obviously, is a way to express ourselves thoughtfully in the external world of style and dressing with confidence. At SJC we build summer collections with a variety of colour as a fundamental principle.
Below are three of our favourite hues from the Summer ‘19 collection which we promise will help to assuage the problem of heatwave apparel anxiety.
Cream
Cream always has, and always will be, a classic. We love it at SJC and continue to feature it in all of our collections. There are a plethora of ‘off-white’ tones to sort through such as ivory, beige, buff, bone, cosmic latte (my personal favourite) and of course, cream.
The popularity of cream in menswear notably emerged during the rise of the colonial aesthetic of the late 19th century, pioneered by the British in India and the French in North Africa, and over time its wear became heavily associated with its frequent use in cricket and polo during the early-20th century.
For us, its youthful confidence and collegiate connotations mark it as a clear classic for any menswear garment. From the Astor and Ellington Trousers to the Fitzgerald Jacket and Merton Sweatshirt, cream has a home at the heart of what we do and we love it!
Russet
A heritage colour in its truest form, though the first mention of russet was made in 1562 its name is derived from the coarse cloth worn by English peasants throughout the middle ages. Being an autumnal colour, russet is associated with sorrow as is referenced in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost: “Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd / In russet yeas and honest kersey noes”.
It is a colour that has been worn by men of England for hundreds of years, yet in modern times it hasn’t been seen for decades. Here at SJC, we like to incorporate russet where we can in all its variations.
From the more traditional, earthy tones found in our Balmoral Boots to the more vibrant and outlandish Deco Polo or Clay Chinos, russet in all its various manifestations will always be a source of inspiration for us.
Green
(Claude Monet, Près de Monte-Carlo)
Green is a menswear colour that has seen a resurgence in recent years, and it's easy to understand why given its long-standing legacy of casual-cool. Of course, we are not surprised, since green of various shades makes up many heritage styles. Green is less formal than most classic menswear colours and yet is incredibly versatile.
That is why it is why we incorporated a season array of green in the leisurewear for our Summer ‘19 collection. The Elba linen shirt, taking inspiration from the holiday isles of the Tyrrhenian Sea, our Astor and Ellington Trousers in jade and even featuring it subtly in our ever-popular silk neckerchief.
Summer ‘19 is not at an end - with yet more items waiting to be released, we couldn’t help but save some of the best until last. So, stay tuned for what is yet to come - it’s certainly colourful!