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One of the core tenets of dressing for summer is that you shouldn’t mix a patterned short with a patterned shirt. (I mean, I suppose you can, but this is where you will probably end up.)
For most guys, this means stocking up on a slew of chino shorts in various summer pastels and then pairing them with an equally deep roster of patterned shirts. You are not most guys, though. You are interesting and swashbuckling and brimming with sartorial derring-do, which means that you will not hesitate to flip this paradigm on its head by buying a pair of patterned shorts from time to time.
Just beware that once you do, you’re going to need a comparatively tame shirt to offset them. And for that, you can’t beat a plain white short-sleeve oxford, like this one from J.Crew, which will cost you a very manageable $60. It comes in three cuts — Classic (roomier), Slim (more form-fitting) and Tall (longer hem and sleeves) — and it’s made from soft, structured pima cotton.
It’s also available in blue and spearmint, the latter of which is on sale in limited sizes for an astounding $23 when you used the code SUNNY.
We've put in the work researching, reviewing and rounding up all the shirts, jackets, shoes and accessories you'll need this season, whether it's for yourself or for gifting purposes. Sign up here for weekly style inspo direct to your inbox.
