What the homies are wearing this summer

We asked our friends what they're wearing right now, and they delivered.

It’s been a minute since our last What the Homies Are Wearing. But we back!

Summer has been unhinged, to say the least. The heat waves have been relentless, the air quality has felt like smoking a couple packs of Newports before breakfast, the World Cup madness has finally wrapped up, folks have been getting fits off watching JAŸ-Z perform Politics as Usual at Yankee Stadium, and—oh yeah—everyone now knows what Cyclospora is.

So, to help take your mind off a season of bizarre news cycles, we tapped a few friends of ours to show us how they’re surviving the heat while still looking good doing it.

Let’s get into it.

---

Jabari Abasi — Atlanta, Georgia

Talent Acquisition Professional

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this summer?

Shorts! My absolute favorites are these tie-dye linen shorts from Story MFG. I have two pairs that look identical, ha.

How would you describe your go-to warm-weather look?

Comfortable with good colors. Anything lightweight, breathable, and flowy—with an emphasis on wearing interesting colors, textures, and patterns.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

I find myself mainly reaching for mules, slippers, and sandals during the summer. Anything comfy, easy to take on and off, are my go to’s. My favorites right now that I own are Birkenstock Boston clogs, Vibae Roma, Steve Mono fisherman sandal, and KEEN Newport.

Any must-have lightweight jackets you recommend for layering in the summer?

I absolutely do not recommend layering during the summer if you don’t have too, especially with these record breaking heat waves across many parts of the world. But if you must, any kind of lightweight chore coats, over shirts, bomber style jackets, or breathable utility vests. I own versions of all these items, but to highlight one I’m really digging this linen chore coat by Vetra France.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

As an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast, I’m loving the moment technical footwear is having. Approach shoes, climbing inspired shoes, hiking boots, etc. Hender Scheme dropped some new mules that I wished were in my possession.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for summer dressing?

Do: Dress like the internet isn’t watching. I think for those of us who consume or participate in the online style space can sometimes overthink fits. Don’t let social media convince you that simple fits are boring or not doing enough.

Daniel Z. Baraka - Nashville, Tennessee

Photographer

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this summer?

It’s a smock summer for me, so I’m really excited about this textured linen smock I got from Grand Le Mar. I also got a few vintage ones on my eBay watchlist.

How would you describe your go-to warm-weather look?

Basic as hell. I have had the same summer uniform for almost ten summers now: a grandad collar white shirt in cotton, linen, silk, or a blend of two of the three, a pair of medium or light-wash jeans, and some slippers: grecians, Venetians, suedes, velvets, etc. I don’t discriminate much here.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

This summer, I am continuing my exploration of sneakers, which started last summer with the Converse x Lefleur jogger. I picked up a pair of Pane sneakers last month in a beautiful greenish brown color way.

Then, the homies at Todd released the collab with Mister Rogers and sent me a pair of CVOs. I’ll also do Fishermans again; I wear the Ghiaia ones, but I have told everyone who would care to listen that I think vintage Cole Haans were used for Inspo on the Ghiaia and can be found for a fraction of the price and get equal beauty.

I finally found a pair that fits me. I love them. I am, of course, also wearing some slippers. But that goes without saying for me.

Any must-have lightweight jackets you recommend for layering in the summer?

Yellow Brycelands Anorak: We get a lot of summer showers in Nashville, so I keep it handy. It’s a perfect design: great color, great weight, no fluff.

Aeromecano jacket: I have been obsessed with French vintage, so I got one from Anatomica in Sapporo. It’s made from a linen that’s probably less than 150 gsm and dipped in indigo. It’s perfect, except for the bleeding.

P43 loomed linen jacket from Buck Mason: Although, admittedly, I wear mine buttoned all the way like a shirt most of the time.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

I try not to pay attention to trends as much as possible.

I’ve been into French vintage a little too much lately. The problem is that it’s practically impossible to find or way too expensive. So, I have found myself obsessed with Anatomica and everything they do.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for summer dressing?

DOs:

Invest in proper rainwear. I can’t stand to see adults ill-prepared on rainy days.

Take care of your toes if you intend to show them.

Wear pieces with more eccentricity and character.

DON’Ts:

No thong sandals outside of the beach, the pool, or California.

No jorts.

Toby Okonkwo - Chicago, Illinois

Business Strategist

What’s the one item you’re most excited to wear this summer?

I’ve only recently started getting into my relaxed tailoring bag, and I have a whole list of carefully thought-out pieces I’m working on acquiring over time.

My latest pickup is a black linen DB suit I’d been thinking about for a minute. I was so happy when I finally picked it up that I wore it out of the store and packed the clothes that I wore there into the suit bag.

I’ve worn it one other time since, and I can’t wait to find (or make up) more occasions to wear it to. I still have a few alterations to get it fitting exactly how I want, but it’s pretty close already, and I’m not letting that stop me from enjoying it!

How would you describe your go-to warm-weather look?

It usually starts with a button-up shirt, ideally linen or cotton, and roomy on really warm days. From there, it’s either denim or relaxed trousers. With denim, I lean toward light to medium-wash, ecru, or white in the summer.

I try to stay away from darker denim this time of year; no functional reason I can think of, just my preference. With trousers, I keep things roomy, flowy, and lightweight. Usually linen, linen-cotton blends, linen-silk blends. And it’s all finished off with a pair of loafers.

What does your footwear rotation look like for the season?

I’m partial to loafers year-round, or at least as much as I can get away with it. I’ve come to realize over the last few years that I really don’t love laces, so I avoid them where I can. That means I lean even harder toward loafers in the summer. Apologies to the sock police, but I go sockless as much as possible, especially with the unlined ones, to take advantage of how soft they feel on my feet.

The rotation getting the most wear so far this summer: Alden LHS in snuff and dark brown, unlined Belgian loafers from Morjas in black and taupe, tassel loafers from Alden and Sanders. And to switch things up, I’ll throw in my Yuketen horsebit loafers in black calf and brown suede from time to time.

Any must-have lightweight jackets you recommend for layering in the summer?

I’m going to take this one in a slightly different direction. I have some lightweight jackets I enjoy and look forward to wearing throughout the summer, but the thing I’m most eager to add to my rotation this summer is lightweight knitwear.

I really enjoy cotton and lightweight wool knits, and I’m looking forward to incorporating them more into my summer outfits, especially later in the summer as it starts to cool down, or on cooler summer nights. That way, I can get more wear out of them year-round rather than saving them for just the spring and fall. But with how hot it’s been lately, let’s see how this one goes.

Are there any new pieces or trends catching your eye this season?

They may just be going over my head, but I’m not really spotting any new trends at the moment. At least, none that are up my alley. Many pieces that have been catching my eye lately, though, are from the London-based brand L.E.J.

I first came across their stuff about a year and a half ago, and safe to say they’ve had me in a chokehold since. I have a few of their pieces, most of them summer-friendly, and they’re getting a lot of wear so far this season. I’m partial to their CUTTS and Shell Collector models, but IMO, they DO NOT MISS. I’m saving up and hoping they drop a slubby linen plage coat or Shell Collector piece soon.

Do you follow any personal style do’s or don’ts for summer dressing?

I’m not much of a rules person when it comes to clothes, but a couple thoughts to share here, one practical and one big picture:

Summer is a great time to play with proportions: big flowy linen pants, straight loose jeans, oversized oxford shirts, big chinos. The permutations are endless, and all of it can work depending on how you put it together. In some ways, summer lets you play with silhouettes in a way fall and winter don’t, once layers enter the picture.

The broader point: it’s really not that serious. Experiment a bit, check out some inspo online or in person, see what works and makes you feel good, confident, or more like yourself, and then do more of that. This should be fun. Anything that feels otherwise isn’t it.