Seersucker, "mandals", and all things summer

It's Memorial Day weekend and we are kicking off summer with lots of fun social activities with friends, which require appropriate summer attire. Today Luke is wearing his seersucker shorts and a white polo shirt, and he looks like such a preppy little boy! We ran some errands this morning, and while Mark and I were unshowered and a bit bedraggled, Luke was dapper in his outfit, resulting in several compliments from strangers referring to our cute child. (I wonder if they felt pity for his homely parents!) Nothing says summer in the south like seersucker, and one of the most exciting fashion aspects of being the mom of a boy is knowing that there will be many summers of those lovely blue and white stripes in my son's future... that is, as long as Luke allows me to dress him & pick out his outfits, and before we hit the "I want to wear my Spiderman costume everyday" stage. It is a consolation prize, since there are adorable sundresses everywhere, and dressing a little girl in summer clothes allows for so many more choices. I tell people that I am saving so much $ by having a boy (vs. girl), as I don't have to resist the temptation to buy all those sweet floral prints, beautiful Easter bonnets, and frilly skirts and dresses.



Continuing in the theme of summer fashion, Luke has several cute pairs of boat shoes that he wears with many of his outfits. However, we decided that he needed summer shoes, too- hence the introduction of his "mandals".




For those of you unfamiliar with this term, the Urban Dictionary defines mandals as:
mandals: (noun) man sandal; a men's summer shoe, that consists of black or brown leather that covers more than 50% of the foot, buckles and a thick sole.

We have a pair of such sandals for Luke, and he looks so funny wearing these shoes. Since he is not quite an independent walker yet, Luke clomps about, with the weight of his heavy mandals echoing off the ground as he steps. In case you are unclear about the neccessity of the mandal, we found a slightly hilarious article online entitled: "Tips for Wearing Men's Sandals, or Mandals", and here are some my favorite excerpts:

"Mandals are casual footwear...The more seriously one takes the mandal, the more ridiculous one looks."

"It should be simple, easy and summery. The mandal should not be a fashion statement...But should you choose to sport fancier fashion mandals, the rest of the outfit has to back it up."



What says "summer casual" better than this surfer dude?!

And lastly, just in case there is still any confusion out there:

"Just so it's clear, mandals are not appropriate in any season except summer. That means no socks - ever."

Ok, we've got it. And thanks to our little man for being our fashion guinea pig and model today. We love those little feet!!



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2008/08/19/2008-08-19_tips_for_wearing_mens_sandals_or_mandals.html#ixzz0GM9gvIPN&B