Here's the thing about vacation dressing: most guys overthink it or under-think it. You either pack the same tired t-shirts you wear to mow the lawn, or you stress about looking too done-up for a beach town. The sweet spot, and it's a real, achievable thing, is elevated but relaxed. Clothes that breathe, move, and look intentional without looking like you tried too hard.
That's what summer fabrics do for you. Linen, lightweight knits, breathable performance blends — they're the whole game. Below are ten pieces we'd happily pack for a long weekend or a two-week trip, from quiet earthy tones to a few hits of color worth being bold with. Mix, match, and you've basically got a vacation capsule wardrobe.
Start With the Tops: Elevated Summer Polos & Shirts
A good polo or short sleeve shirt is the backbone of every men's vacation outfit. It dresses up for dinner, dresses down for the pool, and, if you pick the right fabric, never looks wrinkled or sweaty in photos.
NN.07 Ryan Knitted Linen Blend Polo in Black
If you only pack one polo, make it this one. The Ryan is a 70% cotton, 30% linen knit with a clean open collar (no buttons, no fuss), and the linen content means it actually breathes when the temperature climbs. Black keeps it sophisticated — it's the piece that takes you straight from a beach walk to a nice dinner without a second thought.
Shop the Ryan Linen Polo in Black →
NN.07 Ryan Knitted Linen Blend Polo in Oat
Same great polo, warmer story. Oat is that soft, sandy neutral that looks expensive and pairs with literally everything — denim, linen shorts, swim trunks on the way to the pool. If black is your evening polo, oat is your all-day one.
Shop the Ryan Linen Polo in Oat →
NN.07 Cale V-Neck Polo
A little more refined, a little more interesting. The Cale is a soft linen-cotton knit with an open pointelle texture; subtle, breathable, and the kind of detail that reads as quietly stylish up close. It's the polo for the dinner where you want to look like you put in effort, even though it feels like a t-shirt.
Mizzen+Main Halyard Short Sleeve Shirt in Cloud Blue Peter Gingham
When you want a collared button-down but not the formality, this is it. The Halyard is a soft performance knit that wears like a polo; stretchy, breathable, wrinkle-resistant in a light cloud-blue gingham that's made for sunshine. Throw it on over swim trunks or with linen shorts and you're done.
Shop the Halyard Short Sleeve Shirt →
Holderness & Bourne The Hanover Polo in Nectarine
Now we have some fun. The Hanover is a performance jersey polo with four-way stretch, moisture-wicking, and UPF 50+ sun protection, so it works as hard as it looks good. The nectarine color (a warm, confident orange) with its subtle geometric print is the piece that makes a vacation photo pop. Bold, but still grown-up.
Shop The Hanover Polo in Nectarine →
Holderness & Bourne The Eaton Polo in Nectarine
Same great color, different texture. The Eaton is a performance pique, one of the coolest, most breathable warm-weather fabrics out there, with a soft stretch, an abstract wave pattern, and UPF 30+ protection. Pique has natural air circulation built in, which is exactly what you want when the forecast says 90 and humid.
Shop The Eaton Polo in Nectarine →
Now the Bottoms: Vacation-Ready Shorts
Shorts are where vacation outfits quietly succeed or fail. The right pair looks tailored without being stiff, and comfortable without looking sloppy. Here are four that hit it.
NN.07 Gregor Casual Drawstring Linen Shorts in Clay Mirage
The vacation short, full stop. The Gregor is 100% linen with a drawstring elastic waist and a relaxed, easy fit — the pair you'll end up wearing every single day. Clay Mirage is a warm, earthy tone that looks great with every polo on this list, especially the oat Ryan.
Shop the Gregor Linen Shorts in Clay Mirage →
NN.07 Gregor Chambray Shorts in Medium Rinse
If linen feels too dressy and denim feels too heavy, chambray is the answer. Same comfortable Gregor build, covered elastic waist, drawstring, easy regular fit, in a soft medium-rinse chambray that gives you that denim look without the weight. Endlessly wearable.
Shop the Gregor Chambray Shorts →
Holderness & Bourne The Harwood Short in Andover
The performance pick. The Harwood is built from a soft recycled-and-bio-based performance fabric with 4-way stretch, quick-dry, anti-wrinkle, and UPF 50+ with a clean slim fit and an 8.75" inseam. Andover is an easy blue that works on the course, at lunch, and everywhere in between.
Shop The Harwood Short in Andover →
Greyson Clothiers Montauk Short in Pink Sky
Your color moment for the bottom half. The Montauk is cut from premium Italian fabric in a trim, tailored silhouette with an 8" inseam, and Pink Sky is the kind of soft, confident hue that says you're on vacation and enjoying it. Pairs especially well with a black or oat polo to balance it out. (Fit note: it runs trim through the thigh and seat size up if you're built athletic.)
Shop the Montauk Short in Pink Sky →
Putting It Together: 3 Easy Vacation Outfits
You don't need a styling degree. Here are three no-brainer combinations:
The Sophisticated One: NN.07 Ryan Polo in Black + Gregor Linen Shorts in Clay Mirage. Quiet, earthy, dinner-ready.
The Easy Everyday One: NN.07 Ryan Polo in Oat + Gregor Chambray Shorts. The outfit you'll wear three days in a row and not care.
The Bold One: Holderness & Bourne Hanover Polo in Nectarine + Greyson Montauk Short in Pink Sky. For the guy who's ready to have a little fun with color — and vacation is exactly the time to do it.
Pack Smart, Look Effortless
The whole point of an elevated vacation wardrobe is that it makes getting dressed easier, not harder. Breathable fabrics, colors that mix, pieces that go from pool to patio, that's the formula. Build your trip around a few quiet neutrals, add one or two pieces with color, and you'll look pulled together in every photo without overpacking.
Shop the full vacation and summer collection at Q.Contrary →
