As the spring semester comes to a close, the last thing on a man's mind is what he's going to wear to class the next day. However, there may be a few guys who are tired of wearing the same old t-shirt off the floor (or, for the more organized fellas, off the back of a desk chair). Typically men fall into the routine - if it smells okay and doesn't look too wrinkled, it's good to go.
Summer time brings hot weather and hot new styles for men. The theme for the season is vintage. Wrinkled, worn-out and faded clothes are in. Tight muscle shirts, snug- fitting jeans, and retro shoes are also extremely popular selling items.
Clayton Raider, a Fort Wayne clothing store manager, claims musical entertainers are to blame for the new styles.
Radier said the garage band look continues to bring people into his store for track jackets and grandpa shirts. Grandpa shirts are button up plaid shirts.
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According to a representative of Structure in Indianapolis, color is really popular. It seems that gray, navy blue and white are a thing of the past. Polo shirts in pink and purple have been really big sellers for J. Crew.
J. Crew offers a wide variety of summer fashions for men. The biggest selling shorts include the plain-front 7" chino shorts for $34, rec cargo shorts for $38 and linen shorts for $48. Polos and tees are also available for $23 to $40.
The nearest J. Crew stores are in Indianapolis in the Fashion Mall at the Keystone Crossing and in Fort Wayne at the Jefferson Pointe Mall.
According to Tony Renzi, a manager of Banana Republic, shirts in white and different shades of blue have been a top seller for the store. When asked about selling bright colored shirts, he pulled out a light peach dress shirt, the brightest colored shirt they had, and said they hadn't sold one yet.
"I think it's a little much for Fort Wayne," he said.
Dress chinos are a hot new item for summer. The cotton is fabricated differently than the typical cotton dress pants. It's brushed for a cleaner look. Gavin, Dawson and Emerson dress chinos all cost $78 each at Banana Republic.
When it comes to fabrics, cotton is the dominating material. Linen is also a popular fabric for shirts, jackets and pants.
"It's a breathable fabric and it is really popular for hot weather," said Renzi.
Linen items can be found at Banana Republic, J. Crew and Old Navy.
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The Old Navy store located in the Muncie Mall has tanks on sale for $5 and shorts for $20. Button-front shirts start at $20 and polo shirts are $18.
"White polo shirts go really quick in the summer," Joel Peterson of Old Navy said.
Summer fashion wouldn't be complete without a pair of shades. The Sunglass Hut in the Muncie Mall offers styles made by Ralph Lauren, Ray-Ban, Bolle, Gucci and Arnette.
"The preps like brown Armani's, while the stylish people are into clear." Sarah Khaliq, also of Sunglass Hut said. "Every person has their own style."
Sunglasses start at around $25 and go up to $300 depending on the style and name brand. Shades come in a variety of shapes including aviator, cat eye, oval, rectangle, round, shields, tea cups and wraps.
Some of the Hut's best sellers are Ray-Ban Predator Square shades for $100, Arnette Catfish sunglasses for $65 and the Ralph Lauren Rimless Rectangle shades for $80.
According to Amina Advany, an employee of The Sunglass Hut, the price of sunglasses depends on the level of polarization (or the amount of sun that's blocked) in them.
The Hut sells sunglass cases for $7 to $25 and cleaners typically cost $6. Clips and cords are also available for $7 to $35.
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