The Hottest Boys' Summer
Let Lenny + Takeshi + Kurt + Keanu + Dennis take the wheel.
Hey! In one of my most self-indulgent posts to date, I have chosen to get to stare at five of my masc-leaning celebrity crushes; Lenny Kravitz, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Kurt Cobain, Keaunu Reeves, and Dennis Rodman; and imagine how they’d approach summer styling. Of course, anyone falling anywhere on or off the gender matrix can take a page from these kings of drip, from Keanu’s hottie Moses-core suit to Kurt’s sly little cardigan and beyond, so I hope you find inspiration in the below selection of pics (complete with bulleted lists of what to look for in your own shopping endeavors) and shoppable pieces. Let’s go, boys.
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Lenny Kravitz
Lace-up necklines
3/4 or just-covering-elbow-length sleeves
Chokers and pendants
Deep necklines
Silver shimmer
Animal Print
The camp counselor of all our dreams. Necklines should plunge, unravel, or lace up lazily (tees are best, but vintage collared versions abound and look incredible) in saturated, warm hues or sheeny prints. Silver is the color of the summer, as per Lenny and Viv Chen, and I heartily co-sign. Animal print is welcome (especially paired with an equally attention-grabbing print, both in muted neutrals with interesting textures). Beads, chokers, pendants, cuffs all encouraged.
Kurt Cobain
Simple, sweet cardigan + deep blue jeans + perfect white tee + belt
The cardigan should be small (almost cropped!) and subtle, with a rounded neck and muted colors (not black, try brown, navy, or gray), structured enough that the collar stands up as in the below pic but slouchy enough for rolled-up sleeves. The white tee should be opaque, sturdy, but thin enough to fit under the cardigan without bunching, and the jeans should be the pop of color in their natural indigo (bell bottoms, maybe? To balance out the small top?). A black leather belt with silver hardware is very important but should be kept extremely quiet (the cardigan is the focus here), and a simple silver pocket chain or rounded sunglasses are the only accessories needed for this look (besides a misandrist statement out-of-focus in the background).
Ignoring my paean to simplicity, here’s a pair of jeans that I would definitely commit petty crimes to add to this look:
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Green-y teal chore shirt/jacket/shacket + red trousers
Pompadour hair
Satiny or leather jacket
The genius here is in the de-Christmasifaction of the red-and-green combo (as I have waxed poetic upon before and is coincidentally done in the Wong Kar-wai films Kaneshiro frequently stars in) with details such as choosing vintage, distressed, faded pieces with complex tones, veering on the side of blue with your greens and the side of orange with your reds, avoiding patterns, keeping fabrics rustic/matte, and topping off with a neutral piece (bonus points for a satiny/leathery sheen that allows it to hold its own with the colored items). This is also my official vote for the pompadour hairstyle to make a comeback.
Keanu Reeves
Neutrals in all different shades
Lanyard to hold things
Linen
Stand-neck collars
Toasted hiking boots
You literally cannot fuck this one up. Simply load up on linens in different (even clashing) shades of tan, cream (veer into yellow if you dare), and khaki, and devise a three-piece suit out of your finds. Keep it to just the three, and make sure each piece is thin enough to layer even on a hot day, with enough slouch to subtly evoke a cult leader’s pajamas. The stand-neck/mandarin collar is an underrated tool in sandy fits like the one below, as is a lanyard/neck pouch, and you can finish off with your most thrashed pair of lace-up utility shoes.
Dennis Rodman
More silver! And sparkles
Shiny trench/raincoats
Short shorts (really short!)
Fishnets if you’re cool enough (stick with MINI mesh)
Belly jewelry
Wraparound shades
Tight little tops
Trompe l’oeil pants that look like low-riders with boxers sticking out
Watches! Apparently the latest flex is as a necklace, and I’m not mad at it, nor do I think D-Rod would be
Literally anything Dennis does (ESPECIALLY his thigh displays, as per the below and this week’s I <3 Mess) is golden—well, it’s silver, as I noted above is the color of the summer. Take your pick of a long, metallic trench or raincoat or a tiny (perhaps sparkly, preferably cropped) tank top, delve into the trompe l’oeil trenches with bottoms that give the illusion of boxers blooming from saggy waistbands (SC103 does this flawlessly), adorn thy belly with chains and pearls, and always, always wear sunglasses. Layers of mid-sized silver hoop earrings recommended.
TL;DR: Show thighs, sparkle in silver, can’t lose.
<3 HR
i LOVED THIS thank you for doing the lord's work
that keanu piccccccc