What to Wear to Best of Philly: Men’s Edition

Dress codes for guys can be tough, especially in summer. I convened with some of the most stylish guys on our staff to give you the do’s and don’ts for Best of Philly dressing. Keep these seven rules in mind, check out the shopping inspiration above, and be sure to snag tickets to the August 12th event now! You can buy them here.  (Oh, and girls, I’ve got your rundown right over here!)

1. No jeans. They just won’t work here.

2. But leave the tux at home. This is a summer cocktail party, not a black-tie affair.

3. No sneakers. Even if they’re crazy-expensive designer kicks, it’s best to leave ’em at home.

4. Break out a suit. But don’t feel constrained to a dark charcoal wool one. Now’s the time to break out a lightweight summer option—think linen, seersucker or a suit in a light grey or tan.

6. Not a suit guy? Then at least wear a jacket. An unstructured blazer with dress pants and sleek shoes works perfectly.

7. Loosen up your look just a bit. The fete has garden-party leanings (think croquet and cornhole), so you can ditch super-formal styling. Try ditching the tie (if you forgo a tie, though, opt for a crisp white shirt so the look stays clean and sophisticated), or wearing shoes with no socks. (As our always dapper creative director Michael Wilson says, “Think Don Draper on vacation.”)

 

Your Shopping Inspiration

From left:

Ludlow Traveler suit jacket, $450 at J.Crew.

Sienna light grey suit, $639 at Suitsupply.

Suit jacket, $198 at Banana Republic.

Jacket, $595, and pants, $178, both at Nordstrom.