3 Outfits + 3 Records to Beat the Summer Heat

Survival mode

100% of any affiliate link commission will be donated to ICW - a 501(c)(3) organization that supports adults with developmental disabilities <3

Oh yayer, it’s Mayer, your DJ for the affair. Cork poppin’ and needle droppin’ on your station with style so don’t touch that dial. I took a little Summer siesta but I’m back with more love notes para la gente. Ok I’m just gonna go ahead and say it… I can’t stand the heat. A little part of me dies every time the weather forecast says it’s gonna be above 85 degrees. I have a lot of cool clothes and I love to wear them. Alas, in the dog days of Los Angeles summer, dressing becomes purely about survival. This however, is not an excuse to look like a schlub in public. Here are three outfits and three records I’m digging right now to beat the summer heat.

Bode shorts that I had altered to be a little shorter. Vintage camp-collar shirt. Marni raffia slides (the only slides I’ve ever found that I think look good on an adult man). I broke my own personal rule here of no short sleeves with shorts because…well…it’s too damn hot for rules.

A note on tank-tops: they can look great under a collared shirt or even a light jacket or blazer and provide crucial air ventilation when it’s hot as hell. The old-school ribbed tank that your zayde wore a.k.a. the “wife-beater” “partner-respecter” is probably never going to fully disappear from circulation, but thankfully there are better options in 2026. I’m personally loving this plain “broken-in” cotton version from J.Crew. It has slightly more coverage than your average tank, so it looks good even if your body isn’t quite ready for your Calvin Klein billboard. I bought 3 of them and I wish I had more.

Ahmad Jamal “Live at the Alhambra” 1961 - just looking at the sexy ass cover art cools you down a few degrees. There’s even a song called “Snowfall”. The Alhambra was a short lived jazz club in Chicago owned by pianist Ahmad Jamal that also served Middle Eastern food.

Vintage shirt from Everyone Wins, shorts from Micah Cohen’s Shades of Grey that I absolutely love (these are similar), Bally leather boat shoes. The mesh tank which I first learned about in Jamaica, is an advanced move for the more confident dude but wow does it feel great when you catch a little breeze. If you’re gonna roll up the sleeves of your collared shirt (and you should) please watch this first.

Hiroshi Sato “Awakening” 1982 - peak Japanese gangster City Pop sung mostly in English. All killer, no filler. I keep filing this record away only to pull it out again the next day.

Ralph Lauren linen shirt (Lacoste version on sale here) - a nice white linen dress shirt is a true essential that every man should own! Linen does get a little wrinkly but it breathes so wonderfully and is a fantastic fabric for the summer. Orlebar Brown shorts, Vans, and Oliver Peoples sunglasses.

Ralfi Pagan “I Can See” (1975) - the Latin lover himself - Ralfi’s falsetto was pure gold. His final album for Fania Records (they’re all good!) and his most psychedelic. Dude had great style too.

That’s all for now - stay tuned for more unsolicited opinions on mens style etc… If you’re in the LA area, I’ve got some vinyl DJ sets coming up in Santa Monica and Malibu which will hopefully be 10 degrees cooler than the east side.

Peace and love,