Chinos For Your Legs
As I've mentioned before, I'm a crappy dresser in the summer. Pretty much everything in my closet is described as "rugged," which keeps me from having to replace things every month, but it doesn't keep me all that cool in the summer. I used to end up wearing jeans all summer anyway, just because I'm not big on shorts and they fit me well. So, when we combine the degree of heat-containing clothes I wear on a regular basis, it looks like I'm just begging to get heatstroke. Last summer, however, I found a couple pairs of these on a sale rack in the fall, and I'm noticing I'm wearing them on weekends quite a bit:They look like the khaki slacks that I wear for special occasions, but they're not quite -- chinos are a breed closer to work slacks, and they're made of a bit heavier fabric than your average trousers...which makes them feel more like jeans. Don't get the front-pleat crap: you're not pretending they're dress slacks, so don't go that route, and like I usually say, get functional-sized pockets, not those worthless small slit-in-the-side pockets that they put in most slacks. When I tried them on I found them to be more relaxed than slacks, too, which makes them more comfortable for summer wearing. I still wear one of my work-style shirts with them, cuz thankfully I don't own any of those knit polo shirts like in the above picture; they're always too tight around the neck and sleeves, I just can't wear 'em. The button-down shirt with a square bottom is great for the summer, because they can be worn untucked, and the collar plus khaki pants look fancier than they really are. And I don't feel bad about wearing them to mow the lawn.