Summer is here. The sun is strong. The sweat is real. If you are a man over 30, you know one thing for sure. You cannot dress like you did when you were 21. That old torn t-shirt and those loose shorts will not work anymore. But do not worry. You do not need to wear a suit in summer. You just need some simple casual summer outfits that look good and casual summer outfits for men over 30.
This guide is for Indian men. We face heat, humidity, dust, and sudden rain. Your clothes must handle all of that. At the same time, you want to look put together. You want to look like a grown man, not an uncle, and not a college boy. Let me show you how.
First Thing First Why Your Old Clothes Are Not Working
Look at your wardrobe today. I am guessing you have many tshirts from college days. Maybe some jeans that are now loose from the back. Maybe shorts that you bought from a roadside shop five years ago. These clothes are not helping you.
When you are over thirty your body is not the same. Maybe you have a little stomach now. Maybe your shoulders are not as tight. That is okay. But your clothes must change because your body changed.
If you keep wearing loose baggy clothes you look like you gave up on life. If you wear very tight clothes you look like you are trying to be twenty two again. Neither is good.
The answer is middle fitting clothes. Not loose. Not tight. Just right. I will tell you how to check this.
When you wear a tshirt pull the side fabric near your stomach. If you can pull more than two inches the shirt is too loose. If you cannot pull even half inch the shirt is too tight. You want to pull about one inch. That is the perfect fit for a man over thirty.
Same for trousers. When you wear them and sit down you should not feel pressure near your belt area. And when you stand up the fabric should not fall in big folds near your feet.
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What Fabrics You Must Buy And What You Must Throw?
Fabric is everything in summer. Many men ignore this. They see a good looking shirt and they buy it. Then they wear it and within one hour they are sweating like they ran a marathon.
Let me make this very simple for you.
Cotton is good. But only thin cotton. Not the thick hard cotton that feels like paper. You want soft cotton where you can see small light passing through when you hold it up. That is the right cotton for summer.
Linen is best but linen is costly. If you have money buy linen shirts and linen pants. If not then buy something called linen cotton mix. It is cheaper than pure linen but still better than pure cotton.
Now the important part. Do not buy anything that says polyester on the tag. Even if the shirt looks beautiful. Even if the price is very low. Polyester will make you sweat more. Polyester will also start smelling bad very fast. In Indian heat polyester is your enemy.
Also avoid nylon and rayon. These are fake fabrics. They feel soft when you touch them in the shop but after one wash they become hard and weird.
One more thing. Always check the back of the fabric. Hold the shirt or tshirt near a light. If you cannot see light passing through the fabric it means the cloth is too thick. Do not buy that for summer.
The Only Five Outfits You Will Ever Need
I am not going to give you twenty different outfits. That is useless. You will not remember. You will not buy so many clothes. I will give you five outfits. That is enough for the whole summer. You can mix and match and make many more.
First Outfit For Family And Festival Days
Wear a simple cotton kurta. But not the heavy wedding type kurta. I am talking about a daily wear kurta. Colour should be light. White is best. Then light blue or light green. The kurta should end just below your knees. Not touching your ankles.
Do not buy kurta with heavy buttons or big pocket on the chest. Keep it plain. Plain kurta looks more expensive than fancy kurta. This is a secret that many men do not know.
With this kurta wear loose cotton pants. Not the tight churidar that old uncles wear. Loose pants in cream colour or beige colour. These pants should be so loose that air passes through your legs when you walk.
On your feet wear simple leather sandals. Not the sports sandals. Just flat brown sandals.
This outfit works for navratri, for diwali lunch, for going to temple with parents, for meeting your wife's family. You look respectful but not old.
Second Outfit For Coffee And Casual Meetings
Buy a polo tshirt. Just one good polo tshirt is enough for the whole summer. Colour should be navy blue or dark green or maroon. Never buy yellow or orange or pink polo. Those colours are for young boys.
The polo should have a small collar that stays flat. Not the kind of collar that pops up and looks weird. The buttons on the polo should be two or three. Keep the top button open always.
With this polo wear khaki colour trousers. You know that light brown colour. That is khaki. Not the school uniform khaki but a slightly darker shade. The trousers should be straight fit. Not tight near your legs.
Tuck the polo inside the trousers. I know many men do not like tucking. But trust me on this. Tucking makes you look taller and cleaner. Use a simple brown belt. Nothing fancy.
On your feet wear white sneakers. But keep these sneakers very very clean. If they get dirty wash them the same day.
You can wear this to a coffee shop, to meet a friend for beer, to office on a day when no client is coming, to a date with your wife.
Third Outfit For Very Hot Days When You Cannot Wear Pants
Some days are just too hot. You cannot wear full trousers. Your legs need air. That is fine. But you cannot wear your gym shorts. That is not allowed after thirty.
Buy what is called tailored shorts. This means shorts that have a proper button and zip. Like your office trousers but cut short. These shorts should end two fingers above your knee. Not lower. Not higher. Exactly two fingers above knee.
Colour of shorts should be navy blue or olive green or cream. Never buy black shorts in summer. Black absorbs heat and makes your legs feel like they are on fire.
With these shorts wear a full sleeve linen shirt. Roll the sleeves up to your elbow. Keep the shirt untucked. Open the first two buttons. This look says I am relaxed but I still care about how I look.
On your feet wear simple brown slides. Not the bathroom slippers. Leather slides. You can buy good leather slides for twelve hundred rupees from any mall.
This outfit is for going to a resort, for holiday in goa, for a sunday lunch at a rooftop restaurant, for sitting in your balcony when guests are coming.
Fourth Outfit For Everyday Normal Days
Most days you are just doing normal things. Going to grocery store. Picking up your child from school. Going to nearby shop for milk. For these days you need a simple outfit that takes two minutes to put on.
Wear a solid round neck tshirt. No prints. No words written on the tshirt. No pictures of anything. Just plain tshirt. Colour can be black or dark grey or white. White looks very good but white gets dirty fast. So if you are careful buy white. If not buy dark grey.
The tshirt should be made of heavy cotton. Not the thin type that shows your chest. You want the fabric to be thick enough that it holds its shape but thin enough that you do not feel hot.
With this tshirt wear dark blue jeans. But not the faded jeans with holes. Dark blue jeans that look almost black. No rips. No tears. No white marks. Just plain dark blue.
The jeans should sit on your waist. Not below your stomach. If you have a little belly then do not tuck the tshirt. Just leave it hanging outside. But make sure the tshirt bottom ends near your hip and not below your back pocket.
On your feet wear the same white sneakers that I told you earlier.
This outfit works for everything. Going to the bank. Going to the doctor. Going to pick up a parcel. Going to a friend's house for chai.
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Fifth Outfit For When You Want To Look Smart
Sometimes you want to look a little better than usual. Maybe your office has a small party. Maybe you are meeting someone important. Maybe you just want to feel good about yourself.
For this wear a cotton button down shirt. Colour should be light blue or light pink or white. The shirt should have a soft collar. Not the stiff collar that formal shirts have. A soft collar means you can wear the shirt without tucking if you want.
The shirt should have buttons all the way down. But you will keep the top two buttons open. Also roll the sleeves two times. Not three times. Two times is enough.
Wear linen trousers with this shirt. Linen trousers are loose and airy. Colour should be beige or off white or light brown. The trousers should be full length but you can roll the bottom once to show a little ankle.
On your feet wear brown loafers. Loafers are shoes without laces. You just put your foot inside and go. Very easy. Very smart.
This outfit works for office party, for dinner with boss, for meeting your girlfriend's parents, for any occasion where you want to look like you made an effort.
The Truth About Shoes Most Men Get Wrong
I have seen this so many times. A man is wearing good clothes. Nice shirt. Nice trousers. Then he looks down and he is wearing old sports shoes with dirt on the sides. Or worse he is wearing those black formal shoes with shorts. This makes me sad.
Your shoes are important. Very important. You can wear the best shirt in the world but if your shoes are bad people will only see your shoes.
Here is what you need. Just three pairs of shoes. That is all.
First pair white leather sneakers. Keep them clean. Every evening take a wet cloth and wipe them. Do not wear these sneakers for walking in mud or rain. Keep them for good days.
Second pair brown leather sandals. Flat sandals with two straps. Not three straps. Not velcro. Just simple brown leather sandals. You can wear these with shorts, with jeans, with linen pants, with kurta.
Third pair brown loafers. No laces. No sports sole. Just simple leather loafers. Wear these when you want to look smart but not formal.
Do not buy any other shoes. Do not buy sports sandals. Do not buy black formal shoes for casual wear. Do not buy those weird shoes that have thick soles like a tractor. Keep it simple.
Colours That Work For Indian Men Over Thirty
I will be honest with you. Not every colour looks good on a man over thirty. Some colours make you look older. Some colours make you look like you are trying to be young. You need colours that sit in the middle.
Stick to these colours and you will never go wrong.
White is best for summer. White shirt white tshirt white kurta. White reflects heat. White also makes you look clean. But white gets dirty so you have to take care.
Blue is second best. Light blue sky blue navy blue slate blue. Indian skin looks very good in blue. I do not know why but it just works. Maybe because of our hair colour or our skin tone. But blue works.
Grey is safe. Light grey charcoal grey. Grey does not attract attention. Grey also does not show sweat very easily. Good for men who sweat a lot.
Green but only olive green or army green. Not bright green. Not parrot green. Olive green is a very good colour for indian summer.
Brown but only light brown or tan. Not dark chocolate brown. Light brown looks very good with white and blue.
Now colours you must avoid at any cost. No bright yellow. No orange. No pink. No purple. No neon green. No red. These colours will make you look like a clown. You are not a twenty year old boy going to a party. You are a man over thirty. Act like it.
Small Things That People Notice
Many men think only big things matter. Shirt trousers shoes. That is not true. People notice small things. They may not tell you but they see.
For example your belt. If you are wearing nice trousers but your belt is old and the leather is coming off it looks bad. Buy one good brown belt and one good black belt. Spend five hundred rupees on each. These belts will last you three four years.
Your watch. You do not need an expensive watch. Just a simple watch with a clean dial. Metal strap or brown leather strap. Not a big plastic smartwatch. Not a gold chain type watch. Just simple.
Your nails. Keep them short and clean. No dirt under nails. This is very important. A man with good clothes and dirty nails looks like he does not care about himself.
Your smell. Use a deodorant. Not a strong perfume that hits people from far away. Just a clean fresh smell. In summer sweat smell is real. Do not ignore this.
Your hair. Keep your hair tidy. Does not matter if you have hair or no hair. Just keep it clean. If you have long hair tie it properly. If you have no hair keep your head clean and shiny. In between looks bad.
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Mistakes That Make You Look Older Than You Are
I will tell you some common mistakes. Do not make these.
Do not wear your trousers too high. I have seen men who pull their trousers up to their chest. Like their father used to wear. This makes you look sixty years old. Your trousers should sit on your waist. That is the bone you feel on your sides. Not above it.
Do not wear socks with sandals. Never. This is the biggest crime in men's fashion. If you are wearing sandals your feet should be bare. If you are cold wear shoes not sandals.
Do not wear vests outside. A vest is underwear. It is for sleeping or for wearing under your shirt. Not for going to the market. Not for receiving guests. Keep it inside.
Do not wear caps with formal or smart clothes. A cap is for playing cricket or for hiding your bad hair day. Not for wearing with a button down shirt or a kurta.
Do not wear shorts that are too long. Long shorts that go below your knee make your legs look short. They also make you look like a school boy. Shorts should end two fingers above your knee. That is the right length.
Do not wear tshirts with big brand names or funny jokes written. You are not a walking advertisement. And the jokes are never funny after you are twenty five.
How To Keep Your Summer Clothes Good For Long
Summer clothes take a beating. Sweat dust sun all these things damage your clothes slowly. But you can make them last longer with small efforts.
Wash your white clothes separately. Do not mix white tshirts with blue jeans in the washing machine. The blue colour will slowly turn your white into grey.
Do not use hot water to wash cotton or linen. Hot water shrinks these fabrics. Use cold water or normal tap water.
Dry your clothes in shade. Direct sun is very strong in India. The sun fades colours and makes fabric weak. Dry your clothes inside your house or on a covered balcony.
Iron your clothes before wearing. I know it takes time. But wrinkled clothes look very bad. Take five minutes in the morning to iron your shirt or tshirt. You will look ten times better.
Throw away clothes that have sweat stains on the collar or underarms. No amount of washing will fix yellow stains on white shirts. Once the stain is there the shirt is finished. Buy a new one.
Do not keep your clothes on the floor. Have a place for dirty clothes and a place for clean clothes. Clothes kept on floor gather dust and smell bad.
FAQs
Many men ask me same questions again and again. So I will answer them here.
Can I wear shorts after thirty years of age?
Yes you can wear shorts. But only tailored shorts. Not gym shorts. Not cargo shorts with many pockets. Tailored shorts that end above knee. Wear them with polo tshirt or linen shirt. Not with vest.
What if I sweat too much?
Wear white colour clothes. White does not show sweat like dark colours. Also wear loose clothes so air passes through. Carry a extra tshirt if you are going out for long time. And use a good deodorant.
I have a big stomach. What should I wear.
Do not wear tight clothes. Do not wear very loose clothes also. Wear straight cut shirts and tshirts. Dark colours like navy blue dark grey black. Keep your shirt untucked always. Tucking highlights your stomach.
Can I wear jeans in summer?
Yes if the jeans are light weight. Not thick hard denim. Light blue jeans or grey jeans are better than black jeans. Black jeans absorb heat and make you feel hot.
How many clothes do I need to buy for summer?
Buy three tshirts. One white one grey one navy. Buy two shirts. One light blue one white. Buy two bottoms. One khaki trouser one dark blue jeans. Buy one pair white sneakers. Buy one pair brown sandals. That is enough to start. Later you can buy more.
Conclusion
I have told you everything I know about summer clothes for men over thirty. None of this is difficult. You do not need to become a fashion expert. You just need to follow these simple rules. Buy clothes that fit you. Not loose not tight. Use natural fabrics like cotton and linen. Stick to simple colours like white blue grey. Keep your shoes clean. Take care of small things like belt and casual summer outfits for men over 30. Do not try to copy what young boys are wearing on instagram. They are twenty years old. Their body is different. Their life is different. You are a grown man. Dress like a grown man.
Start small. Tomorrow go to your wardrobe and take out one bad shirt. The one that is faded or has a stain or does not fit you anymore. Throw it away. Then buy one good tshirt from the market. Just one. Wear it next week and see how you feel. You will feel better. You will stand a little taller. People will look at you a little differently. Not because you spent a lot of money. Because you started caring about yourself. That is the whole point of dressing well after thirty. It is not about other people. It is about how you feel when you look in the mirror.
