What’s best to wear in summer

CEBU, Philippines - That fun time of the year is here. Time to "let your hair down," so to speak. With school out and out-of-town trips dominant in everybody's mind, it is time too for adapting to the appropriate fashion styles.

As a general rule, summer is a time for wearing something that allows you to move about freely. The reason is not limited to the fact that it is the time to frolic around, with so many activities to engage in. The warm ambient temperatures are a consideration, as well. It's just not practical to wear something that wraps you up like an Eskimo.

A good choice for summer clothing are pieces that lets air in or are open enough for the body to "breathe." Long pants and long sleeves do not quite fit the season. Even if the purpose is to shield their wearer from the burning summer sunlight, they would look odd - especially on someone who's sweating profusely!

Well, something to cover from the sun can be arranged, actually. But it would be a little more work to do. Anything that falls right to the ankles and completely hides the arms - and the body all wrapped up too - should be light-colored and thin and heat-and-sweat absorbent; does not strain the eyes, allows a lot of air and keeps the skin comfortably dry.

But that's only as far as comfort is concerned. What about good fashion sense, please?  On this note, the website www.timeout.com offers a friendly advice:

Don't just throw on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts this summer. Look your best by following some of the season's best trends. Whether you're going to an open-air social event or just enjoying a relaxing weekend in the next town, certain ideas are good to bear in mind, foremost of which is to try to look fresh. And don't forget to accessorize your look with the perfect pair of shades, on very sunny days.

Short shorts

Why it works? It's now okay for guys to wear shorter shorts… as long as they're not too short. The general rule is, it should be just short enough to show off the results of all those squats at the gym.

Ugly sandals

Why it works? Sometimes ugly things can actually look good (take pugs, for example). And this season's sandals fall into that category: Birkenstocks and athletic sandals are back, whether you like it or not.

Knotty accents

Why it works? Twists add an interesting design detail on a range of silhouettes. Meaning, anyone can wear this trend!

And what you should avoid:

Super distressed boyfriend jeans

This so-called trend is perplexing: Why not just wear shorts? Not attractive.

Matchy-matchy

Prints for guys: good. Double helping of prints for guys? Just say no.

Those are just a few things to take note of. Summer fashion is to be fun - aside from stylish, of course. It doesn't have to be rocket science. (FREEMAN)