What To Wear In Summer | Tips & Outfit Inspiration

Richard Biedul’s modelling career was a serious and surprising lateral move. A lawyer by trade, he was first signed as a model in 2011, whilst still practising as a solicitor in London.

Since then, the well-spoken Brit has worked with some of the world’s leading fashion brands including Armani, Dunhill, Paul Smith and Ralph Lauren, as well as branched out into photography, fashion journalism and documentary hosting. He’s also a must-follow on Instagram, thanks to his distinctively elegant yet avant-guard personal style. Just take a look and you’ll see why we’ve dubbed him ‘The Man Who Can Wear Anything’.

While things are still pretty balmy in the Northern Hemisphere and spring has just sprung Down Under, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to pick Biedul’s brain about emerging warm-weather trends. He generously obliged, exclusively sharing with DMARGE his pointers for perfecting one’s summer wardrobe.

“The foundations of my own style lay within three district yet similar groups: colour, texture and tone,” Biedul lays out for us.

“I tend to stick to one core colour or tonal variants thereof, whilst simultaneously mixing in subtle elements of pattern or texture into an ensemble to add richness and depth.”

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A post shared by Richard Biedul (@richardbiedul) on Jul 26, 2020 at 6:31am PDT

“As we move from spring to summer I tend to adopt a more relaxed attitude to my dressing. From Monday to Friday, gone are the structured suits, starched shirts and knitwear, replaced with lightweight, deconstructed tailoring and accessories in breathable natural fabrics. The emphasis here should be on comfort rather than formality. A good reference point for how to execute smart summer casual very well would be Drake’s, E Tautz or Australia’s very own new P Johnson.”

Once the weekend hits, you can be more experimental with your summer attire, Biedul relates.

“When it comes to weekend wear, I’m a believer in ‘the bigger the better’ when it comes to your upper half. Whatever you choose to wear, make it oversized, loose and louche and for your lower half, make sure your trousers are voluminous, and your shorts, well, short. Think Casablanca, Jacquemus or King and Tuckfield.”

Something that can be particularly challenging is finding good summer shoes. It’s something that requires a decent amount of consideration as well as investment.

“I’ve come to realise that a versatile pair of shoes will go a long way,” Biedul shares.

“Over the last few years, I found myself turning to high-shine black Norwegian farm loafers as my staple for all weathers. Not only do they look good with a suit but they work with denim and believe it or not, shorts. I’ve found that the key to making the same shoe work in multiple states of dress is the sock you pair them with… My go-to brand here is Pantherella.”

He’s also collaborated with British shoemaker Joseph Cheaney & Sons on an eco-conscious, performance-driven capsule collection of classic yet contemporary footwear, perfect for classy summer ensembles.

The question on everyone’s mind coming into warm weather here in Australia is how summer fashion will adapt to the COVID-19 crisis.

“Here in the UK we have been on lockdown for the majority of (what is already a very short) summer, so it feels like the whole season has passed us by,” Biedul commiserates.

“Lots of brands here have chosen to launch their high summer collections much later than usual, hoping to capture the holiday and / or staycation market now that we are able to travel and move around with [fewer] restrictions. But the biggest trend we have seen here is the rise in ‘working from home’, comfort-driven leisurewear. Especially from the more flexible, dynamic brands that have been able to refocus their collections to showcase clothing that puts utility and functionality at the forefront.”

Speaking of sage advice from old Blighty, we also asked him what’s his #1 style tip for Australians trying to fit in sartorially in the home of the Big Ben, and he had a particularly hilarious response.

“Lose the thongs,” he laughs, “honestly, for many many many reasons, London is just not the place for open-toed shoes.”

For further summer style inspiration, give him a follow at @richardbiedul.