When it comes to summer shoes, Soludos has proven there’s life beyond flip-flops—and the name, a combination of the Spanish words sol (sun) and salud (cheers), is the perfect qualifier. When founder and designer Nick Brown moved stateside, he set out to recreate the simple, laid-back espadrilles he wore growing up—the ones sold in the markets and along the beaches of the Mediterranean: “We use authentic weaving and dyeing techniques, so they’re just like their international counterparts.” The jute-soled, eco-friendly styles have a few special twists, like three exclusive-to-us colors and fabrics. And since they’re the price of just a few cervezas, we recommend stocking up on more than one pair. Salud!

Clockwise from top left:
Founder Nick Brown shows off his espadrilles; inspiration for the Soludos for J.Crew collaboration; A Perfect Summer Day shot in Montauk, New York.

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(images courtesy of Soludos®)

A few of our favorite things to come out of the South: jazz, mint juleps and the unofficial fabric of summer—seersucker. First gaining popularity in the U.S. for gentlemen to beat the heat below the Mason-Dixon Line, it’s made its welcome way up the coast into the closets of New England neo-prep sets and now, our beach totes. We just couldn’t resist splashing these stripes—in smoldering charcoal, sunny citron and classic baby blue—into our swim collection. To create the perfect poolside-pinup fit, we outfitted our one-piece with figure-flattering stretch fabric, a supportive underwire and tie-and-go halter straps. Bring on the sultry days of summer…

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The great tuxedo wearers through the years: Cary Grant, James Bond, Jack Donaghy…One thing they have in common? They didn’t rent. Follow suit and finally bid farewell to the days of cheap tuxedo-rental shops stuffed with ill-fitting cuts and shiny-pattern cummerbunds. Instead, heed our stylist Jack’s advice: “Spend on a quality tux. Even if you only trot it out once a year, it’s the wisest wardrobe investment a man can make.” Our modern yet timeless Ludlow tuxedo fits the bill in fine Italian wool from Italy’s Lanificio di Tollegno mill with bespoke details (a satin stripe down the leg and pickstitching inside the jacket), all for under a cool grand. It’s your perfect excuse to make sure “black tie optional” is never an option.

Our tuxedo all-stars: Cary Grant in the 1946 movie Notorious; Roger Moore as James Bond;
Alec Baldwin as 30 Rock’s Jack Donaghy.

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(image credits: top, right, bottom)

You might have heard how in love we are with Madewell here at J.Crew. Quick style backstory: Madewell started in 1937 as a denim brand, and now, besides being jeans makers, they’re our go-to for easy dresses, indigo tees and cool scarves. Here’s something new that’s making a cameo in our closets this summer. On a weekend trip to Los Angeles, Joyce, one of Madewell’s accessories designers, snapped an iPhone picture of a few palm trees against the azure California sky. She brought the image back to her fellow designer, Nichole, who hand collaged a turn-of-the-century map of LA over it. “We found this vintage atlas with all these amazing maps,” says Nichole. “The simple typography adds a nice graphic element over the vibrant blues of the snapshot.” The final product is a truly unique scarf worth building an entire outfit around.

A snapshot of Nichole’s sketchbook—and a peek at how it all came together.

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Not all bags are created equal. Founded in 1999 by brothers Chris and Kirk Bray, each of Billykirk’s rugged, minimal pieces is constructed by hand in Pennsylvania—in the heart of Amish country—using master-craftsman techniques. As our men’s accessories designer Addi puts it: “The integrity and artistry is incredible—a throwback to the days when things were made with so much care and attention.” Crafted in vegetable-tanned leather from one of America’s oldest and most renowned tanneries, this satchel’s a choice work bag—large enough to hold a 15” computer and tough enough to withstand coffee spills and subway doors. In with the old, we say…

Chris and Kirk (aka the Brothers Bray) show their wares.

(image credit)

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Forget “borrowed from the boys.” This is one style we’re never giving back. The third piece from the gentleman’s trifecta of black-tie dressing—the tuxedo shirt—is arguably the sexiest thing in a woman’s wardrobe. Immaculately tailored in pure Italian cotton from Thomas Mason, the English mill that’s been outfitting gentlemen since 1796, it strikes just the right balance of timeless elegance and come-hither allure. But we can’t take all the credit—we took a cue from tuxedo-donning ladies throughout the ages, from 1930s silver-screen icon Marlene Dietrich to Helmut Newton’s sleekly suited models of the 1970s. Our stylist, Gayle, tells us how to give it an of-the-moment spin: “Pair it with skinny white pants and our citrus-hued Viv flats—and push up the sleeves for a sultry, rumpled summer look.” Like we said, we’re never giving it back.

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Let’s step into our time machine for a moment, shall we? It’s 1796 and the English Industrial Revolution is in full force—ships are docked in Yorkshire harbors, loaded for the first time ever with cotton from the West Indies, and an industrious textile merchant named Sir Thomas Mason heads to Leeds to found one of the first-ever cotton mills. The fabrics quickly become a favorite of West End tailors outfitting the aristocracy, and in the 1920s, Thomas Mason is appointed the exclusive supplier
to the royal family’s shirtmaker. Today, the house continues to create shirting using the most luxurious two-ply Italian cotton that’s worn by the best-dressed men this side of Savile Row and Madison Avenue. Two hundred years later and long story short, these are some seriously nice shirts.

The official Thomas Mason handbook (aka the history of our favorite shirt ever).

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On a recent quest to redecorate her Brooklyn apartment, one of our women’s designers snapped
up a roll of vintage wallpaper featuring this painterly floral. Working with our in-house print
illustrator to reinterpret the design, she played around with the scale and injected lively splashes
of color among the flowers to recall “a late-summer garden that’s at full bloom—totally wild and unrestrained.” We’re pairing it with stripe styles for a bit of laid-back pattern play—and a little
Palm Beach via Park Slope vibe.

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We’re dreaming in Deco…Our classic envelope clutch gets a punch of graphic glamour
courtesy of our handbag designers. The collage of inspiration on their mood board?
Parisian wicker bistro chairs, Cubist paintings, marble-floored salon interiors—
even some great black-and-white photos of expat types spilling out of Left Bank cafés.
In luxuriously textured leather handwoven into an intricate geometric pattern and
topped with gold hardware, this is one retro closet extra we can’t keep our hands off.

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We’re taking you back to the sands of Bells Beach, Australia, in the 1970s, when the boards were longer, the waves were cleaner and the shaved ice was sweeter. Aussie surfer Alan Green was tired
of the same old surf gear he’d been cruising the tubes of the Pacific in, so with his fellow wave riders, the idea for Quiksilver—board shorts with personality—was born. Fast-forward to today and the brand (still run by seasoned pros) remains the go-to for surfers and wannabes alike. Our exclusive collection revisits the glory days of hanging ten, with slightly sun-faded styles featuring old-school details and Quiksilver’s original aloha print. Pretty gnarly, huh?

Surf’s up: Some seriously cool shots of old-school surfers, plus a vintage Quiksilver ad.

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