A walk in the park
A lockdown pastime, walks in the park have kept their appeal. This is just one simple way you could dress for such an occasion while adding a couple of extra touches.
Outfit pictured above: LUAN J SHIRT by SAMSØE & SAMSØE, CLASSIC T-SHIRT by SUNSPEL, CONVERTIBLE HIKING PANT by KESTIN and MADE IN USA 992 by NEW BALANCE
Astroll in your nearby park was the it activity of lockdown. Deprived of pretty much all social activities, the best you could hope for is one xl walk with your household and possibly seeing a friend from a safe distance. It was deemed the highlight of your day. Though we may now be back to normal service and walks may not score so highly - minus the ridiculous temperatures this week - I think we’ve come out of lockdown with a new found appreciation for putting one foot in front of the other. I went for one such walk with Natalie in Leicester and limited ourselves to one roll of film.
So, what does one wear to the park? Well, you can pretty much wear whatever you want. There’s no rules or restrictions to stop you from choosing a seersucker two-piece or a fun new shirt fresh from the postman and you simply want to show it off. We might be just going for a walk, yet we we still want to feel good while getting those steps in. For myself, I opted for the high-low approach. I threw on a Samsøe & Samsøe shirt for a light layer with a light silk-like sheen. For me a t-shirt on its own during the summer months feels a little bare when it’s as lightweight as this one with a slim neckline. It also made for a nice contract to the outdoorsy nature of the trousers.
As someone who likes to keep their wardrobe streamline, trousers that turn into shorts is pretty ingenious. Decamping into shorts when the weather heats up is nothing new to those who regularly go on climbs and hikes, but for the casual fashion crowd it’s been dialled down and refined enough for the everyday. Purists might somewhat begrudge walking gear being transformed into coveted gorpcore fashion, where toggle count is an important factor on clothes (read: these Kestin trousers have two), it’s another welcomed shift in my book; we’re moving away from structured formal clothes to items that make us feel comfortable and functional.
It’s not too long ago that wearing Common Projects was a daily occurrence. While my style has stayed pretty consistent these past few years, my biggest shift would be moving into different footwear. Loafers, Birkenstock or in this case New Balance 992s have all been fair game. Mixing up what goes on foot has been a fun decision to make, though I do seem to be missing a thin sock to complement my summer footwear rotation. While I like to wear these Rototo slub socks, they can get a little too thick when there is an uptick in temperature and you just need a thinner option as going sockless is never fun. Recommendations welcomed.
The only regret from this afternoon walk? Not making a trip to the ice cream van parked up in the middle of Victoria Park.jbicon