The Summer 2024 Fashion Trends GQ Employees Are Shopping For

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In the GQ offices, the end of spring means one thing: it's time to start thinking about summer and more specifically the summer 2024 fashion trends that have been eyeing this season. Nothing will ever replace the foolproof must-haves for sunny days, which we of course turn to year after year. But these essentials represent just the foundation of an elite summer wardrobe, a starting point to help you launch into even drippier cuts. Because once you've laid your foundation, you're free to explore the splits, bends, and just-enough-crazy style moves that promise to make this summer even hotter in the best way possible. So we tapped a whos who of our colleagues to tell them about the summer trends they're excited about right now, and we've jotted them all down here as friendly suggestions, or even a sort of selfish manifestation. Appreciate.

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7 Hot Summer Trends We're Watching

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Airy checked shirts

There is a very specific genre of classic buttons that I've been favoring lately. He has a normal collar, not a camp collar. It is checkered or checkered, usually in darker neutral colors, not striped. It's big and light, perhaps with a touch of linen in the mix. Best of all, it looks like something an extra would have worn on a teen drama that was canceled after one season in 1997. These shirts are comfortable, reliable, and just put together enough to not feel totally sloppy compared to my sweet spot in summer time. I like to wear them with just a few buttons up, to better show off the pleated shorts or loose pants or whatever I have underneath. Yang Yi Goh

Yacht-ready shoes

Boat shoes are all the rage right now. Sure, back then they might have been divisive, but it was only a matter of time before the preppy pendulum swung back in their favor. Unlike the last crest of nautical footwear, which arrived on a wave of skinny jeans, the 2024 comeback is supported by loose, flowy pants and generally looser silhouettes. Gerald Ortiz

giant shorts

After years of dominating the 5-inch inseam, the shorts pendulum is swinging the other way. And what a swing! In 2024, hemlines are falling faster than voter confidence, rising above the knee, flirting with capri territory (gasp) and generally providing a welcome course correction to that photo of Harrison Ford in Cannes you keep seeing in line. Live some '90s skater style in a pair of calf-grazing jorts, or drive the quiet luxury crowd crazy in Willy Chavarria's deliciously swishy pleated jersey joints. Avidan Grossman

High-flying shades

Aviator sunglasses never went anywhere (see: the silhouette's resurgence after the Top Gun: Maverick box office bonanza), but this summer will see the return of even more classic metal frames, especially ones that take the usual teardrop shape and update it to read a little less Tom Dozing. Tyler Chin

Baseball jerseysLicensed and not

I'm not sure how much information you can actually glean from sidewalk vintage racks, but anecdotally it seems like the baseball jersey business is booming. True mesh seals typically reserved for batting practice or spring training seem especially new right now, but they're not the only versions getting a call from the bullpen. Whether you're swinging one open off a tee or with your collarbones fully exposed, like you're playing for the Phillies 2023it's a short-sleeve (sorry) change from the typical camp shirt fare. Reed Nelson

Not so sweaty sweaters

Most people look forward to summer to bask in the sun and wear as little as possible. But I? A Canadian who thrives in the cold and tends to get eczema whenever I forget to put on sunscreen? I spend the warmer months patiently waiting for those blessed, breezy evenings when I can throw on a light sweater and enjoy the pure joy that layering never fails to provide. YA

Dress Shorts

Our current golden age of shorts means all styles and seams are welcome. So it may seem redundant to say that shorts are in style this summer. Dressy shorts, however, offer a slightly fresher take on the silhouette than, say, super high-cut shorts or jorts. Instead, it's a refreshing take on the corporate wave, and the easiest way to add oomph to a simple white t-shirt and sneakers, your likely go-to outfit for these torrid months. GO

Fish shoes

We said it last spring, but it seems even more true today: it's going to be a huge season for fisherman sandals. Dude-adjacent slip-ons have always been cool, your grandpa probably wore a pair on his honeymoon, but his vibe is perfect for this particular moment: dressy enough to class up a vintage t-shirt and jorts , relaxed enough to give this lightweight linen suit a beachy feel. ready for marriage. Venerable French shoemakers Paraboot offer a version that looks like a close relative of your cap-toes, but you don't need to drop the generational guap to get your feet in a pair: Gardenheir sells a pleasantly earthy riff for less of 200 dollars. AG

Retro hikers

Performance-oriented hiking shoes broke away from their trail-oriented origins years ago, and given both their utility and availability, they're unlikely to go anywhere. However, at present the clock is ticking in the other direction. Sure, Salomon and Merrell still make futuristic heaters, but the old-school, earthy-toned, low-slung hikers are going crazy, and they might be sicker than their more technical counterparts. RN

Brutal sewing

They'll sell work at a summer wedding in a pinch, of course. But the two pieces I'm coveting the most right now tend to be a little more casual and creased, better served with a vintage tee and canvas sneakers than a tie and loafers. YA

Patinated pants

Fashionistas have always fetishized patinathe character that clothes develop after years of use, but these days, men's clothes are so weathered that your grandmother might ask them to come home and change. To make Kapital's work pants look like an ultra-rare vintage grail, the finest Japanese jeans pre-bleach each pair, then painstakingly attach a few faux-slapdash patches, like a mad science experiment that went from improbable way. Much to your grandmother's dismay, patina actually costs more, but thanks to a growing number of vintage dealers, you can bypass designer tags entirely and go straight to the source: someone's closet other. However, skate carefully, guys; If you're wearing the patchwork painter's pants, you probably don't need the repaired chore jacket either. AG

A shot of Mary Jane

Cool-girl shoes have officially crossed the menswear rubicon, which means it's time for Mary Janes to debut on your feet. The best of the bunch make you look like an innocent little schoolboy, but pair them with one of the other summer trends here (pleated dress shorts, for example, and a breezy plaid shirt) and you'll look like the kid cutest of the first year. CT

Sports caps

In 2019, my colleague Yang-Yi Goh revealed the biggest news in the field of millinery since the broadcast of Bruno Mars: everyone GQ HQ was obsessed with a nondescript Nike tennis cap. I thought of Yang when I dusted off my own Dri-Fit mattress topper a few weeks ago; attribute it to Challengers mania or rising stars in tennis fashion, but hats with smaller brims, sleeker finishes and sportier curvature seemed perfect. Even Italian fabric maestros Loro Piana are getting in on the action: their signature wool baseball caps, New Era snapbacks for the .01%, are now made from lightweight waterproof fabric and in a range of muted hues. It's time to give this musty trucker a break. AG