3 Staples of Euro Summer
Lessons from the French Atlantic coast...
During my recent trip to France, I had the opportunity to visit on of the most famous locales on the Atlantic coast. Known as “the Queen of beaches, and the beach of Kings”, this small city was once a humble whaling village before transforming into a glamorous seaside retreat for European royalty in the 19th century.
Writing about the city following his visit in 1843, author Victor Hugo records:
I have not met in the world any place more pleasant and perfect than Biarritz. I have never seen the old Neptune throwing joy and glory with such a force … Gascony’s sea grinds, scratches, and stretches on the reefs its never-ending whisper. Friendly population and white cheerful houses, large dunes, fine sand, great caves and proud sea … Biarritz is amazing.
Now, at this point you might be thinking: “that sounds lovely, but what does it have to do with menswear?”. I’m glad you asked.
My trip to Biarritz only came about because I was visiting my friend Vincent in Bayonne, and we spontaneously decided to head down to the coast for the afternoon. The original goal was to get some shots for this publication — but, as I hadn’t planned for a trip to the coast, I was sorely overdressed:
Fortunately, Vincent has an apartment in Bayonne, so he was able to change into something more appropriate. The result was a simple outfit, but one quite representative of continental summer style. Today, we’re going to break down not just what makes it European, but what makes it French — and, of course, how you can incorporate elements of this unique style your own wardrobe this summer.
There’s far more than meets the eye in this surprisingly straightforward outfit. As always, the magic is in the details, and three of them in particular stand above the rest as staples of European summer style.
Let’s explore what they are, working from the top down…
1) Upper Body
When it comes to summer clothing, few shirts are as iconic as a white linen button-down. It’s a summer staple and a timeless Mediterranean classic. What, then, is so special about the one Vincent is wearing? What makes it stand out from all the rest?
Quite a few things, actually.
