This Is The Single Easiest Way To Elevate Your Look This Summer

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This Is The Single Easiest Way To Elevate Your Look This Summer

Words by The MR PORTER Team

28 July 2022

If there was one simple styling tip that everyone should follow, regardless of height or weight, it would be this: wear more texture. Contrasting different fabrics will make an outfit look better because it adds depth and an element of interest. Think about the tactile charm of a mohair cardigan. The richness of a pair of embroidered jeans. The satisfying crinkle of a shell jacket. Distinctly textured clothing is pleasing both to wear and to look at. Or, perhaps, we’re all just giant babies who have swapped the touchy-feely books of our childhood for expensive Japanese denim. In any case, read on for some suggestions of the textured pieces to start wearing now.

Were the Marni design team listening to the Sesame Street song “Fuzzy And Blue (And Orange)”when they made this cardie? It certainly looks that way. The Italian brand has somewhat of a monopoly on mohair; its psychedelic knits are instantly recognisable, and have been worn by A$AP Rocky, Mr Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Quavo and more. Cookie Monster hasn’t been spotted in one yet, but there’s still time.

Who needs a leash when you can just walk your dog by the tail? New methods of dog walking – inspired by a piece of needlework from the 1940s – aren’t the only reasons why we like this BODE shirt so much. The breathable cotton-canvas and retro collar make it a great layering piece for summer, too.

Is that a Kubrickian couch? A handbag? A reupholstered car seat? No, silly, it’s a pair of latte-coloured quilted shorts by Dries Van Noten. A master of incorporating unusual fabrics into his designs, the Belgian designer has made this head-turning pair of wide-leg shorts out of vegan leather.

Light, crisp, and wonderfully luminescent – we don’t know whether to take this jacket out for a hike or a pint. Either way, it’ll be accompanying us come rain or shine.

Yet to master the art of making a style statement? Look no further – this bright pink jumpsuit from Gucci will make you stand out for all the right reasons this summer. The silk-satin is light and airy and what’s more, you won’t have to worry about getting the styling with other pieces right – a win-win.

Holy Mary, Mother of God… is just one of the many patterns, patches and prints thrown at this pair of jeans by KAPITAL, of course. And there’s a lot to take in. Made from 14oz denim – and suede and velvet and corduroy – the cult Japanese brand here doubles down on its Americana inspiration, turning out something like a wearable heritage quilt for Merry Pranksters. Quite unlike anything you’d see on Little House On The Prairie and all the better for it.

MF Doom claimed he’d “got more soul than a sock with a hole”. But what of the hoodie? This item of leisurewear has been reborn a thousand times, from the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art to Silicon Valley’s corridors of power. Perhaps this is its holiest incarnation? Or, at least, most holey. The ever-changing atman is reimagined once more by Balenciaga.

This is 1990s Californian style, but not, perhaps, as you know it. If it wasn’t for the sequins, we might call this shirt downright macabre. In reality, it’s really rather fabulous.