Our Favorite Things This Summer

The term wardrobe essential is often used to describe those generic items in our closet that almost everyone owns (or should own) — a perfect navy sport coat, a pair of raw denim jeans, some oxford-cloth button-downs. But the things we depend on are often random and very personal. They come out of an organic, tried-and-true process of just wearing clothes every day and seeing what we reach for most. So, as we near the end of summer, I asked my Put This On colleagues to share with me what they loved wearing most this season. From sneakers to sport coats, here are our favorite things this summer.

Jesse Thorn: Adidas Iniki Runners

I bought these Adidas sneakers just before summer started. They were the fruit of a search for black sneakers I might wear with tough-to-match San Francisco Giants gear when I’m going to ballgames (this is my cosplay, let me have it). I pretty much failed in that department, because black sneakers almost always end up making you look like a basketball referee, but the side effect was noticing these white Inikis, which are a just-right-for-me mix of high tech and simple retro. Both the uppers and soles are made of weird miracle materials. The bottoms are UltraBoost, which is absurdly comfortable for going on errands or putzing around the house, but fatigues my feet if I actually try to do real walking or exercising in them. The uppers are some kind of weird stretchy stuff, which I actually really like. They’re perfect for straddling the line between classic and contemporary minimalist. Adidas also released a Pride colorway of this model, which features a sort of pasteled-out rainbow palette. A friend bought a pair, and they’re beautiful, though I don’t have the palewave wardrobe that would go with them.

Derek Guy: Chimala Chore Coat

I wear chore coats now more often than I actually do chores, and this recent acquisition from Chimala is my favorite thus far. It’s made from a washed, shirting weight denim, which means it’s easy enough to pair with dark jeans and doesn’t feel oppressive in the heat. It’s also baggy and oversized with a rounded silhouette and dropped shoulder seams. I like how it looks with slim jeans, boxy t-shirts, and side zip boots. And in the fall, I imagine it’ll be nice to throw in a mid-layer underneath like the model above. Like a lot of boutique workwear nowadays, it’s stupidly expensive (I bought mine on deep discount at Mr. Porter, although Frances May also has some left). For true and authentic chore coats, Wooden Sleepers has French deadstock ones for about $150. I’m holding out for a heavily worn, vintage coat like the one you see at the top of this post. Brian tells me he sometimes sells those for about $300.