Celebrity Stylist Tips: 5 Texture Tricks to Instantly Elevate Your Summer Outfits
Here's what most guys get wrong about summer style: they think looking good means spending more. It doesn't. According to celebrity stylist Britt Theodora — who's dressed Pete Davidson for the Met Gala, styled Kevin Bacon, and worked with Elliot Page — the real unlock is texture. "I love mixing textures," she says. "Textures are a really great way to layer and to just look way more elevated." Translation: swap your flat cotton tee for something with visual weight, and you'll look like you tried without actually trying harder.
Below are five texture-based moves that work all summer, pulled from real styling sessions with Theodora and PIX11 style expert Grace Gold.
Why Texture Beats Price Every Time
Most men's summer wardrobes fail not because of fit or color, but because everything looks the same. Flat jersey tee, flat chino shorts, flat sneakers — zero visual interest. When you introduce texture — linen weave, knit ribbing, waffle patterns, jacquard — your outfit suddenly has dimension. It reads as intentional.
The best part? Textured pieces don't cost more than their flat counterparts. A waffle-knit polo costs the same as a plain one. You're just making a smarter pick.
The 5 Texture Tricks
1. Linen: Your Instant Summer Upgrade
Britt Theodora is direct about this: "Most of these linen fabrics are great for humidity." Linen has a natural slub texture that looks relaxed but never sloppy. It breathes better than cotton in heat, wrinkles just enough to look lived-in (not rumpled), and photographs with depth that flat fabrics can't match.
Where to start: A linen button-down in a neutral — sand, light grey, white — replaces your standard oxford for everything from Saturday brunch to a rooftop dinner. Roll the sleeves once. Done.
The move: Layer an open linen shirt over a fitted tank for a beach-to-bar look that works without a wardrobe change.
2. Knit and Waffle Weave: Built-In Visual Interest
Grace Gold highlighted COOFANDY's knit polo paired with dress pants as a standout look: form-fitting through the chest, relaxed everywhere else, with a surface texture that catches light differently than a standard piqué polo.
Theodora agrees: "I love the knitwear and how it's form-fitting in all the right places but it's also relaxed."
Waffle weave takes this further. Think jacquard fabric tracksuits with quarter-zip metal closures and ribbed detailing — pieces that have architectural interest built right into the fabric.
Where to start: A knit polo in navy or charcoal. Pair with tailored trousers for a client dinner or dark jeans for a weekend date.
The move: Look for pieces with visible weave patterns (waffle, honeycomb, cable) rather than smooth surfaces. The texture does the styling work for you.
3. Color Pop: The Confidence Texture
This isn't a fabric texture — it's a visual one. A bold color in a sea of neutrals creates the same "elevated" effect as a textured weave. Both Theodora and Gold independently made the same call: pink.
Theodora: "I feel like a guy who can wear pink is the coolest guy in the room always." Gold: "I'm a fan of pink on men!"
Where to start: A dusty rose or salmon knit polo. Not neon. Not bubblegum. The muted, textured versions that read confident rather than costumey.
The move: Keep everything else neutral — tan pants, white sneakers, maybe a silver watch. Let one color piece do all the talking.
4. The Open-Shirt Layer
An unbuttoned camp-collar shirt over a solid tee or tank is the easiest summer layering trick — and it only works when the shirt has texture. A Hawaiian print in linen. A gauze cotton in a solid color. A textured stripe. The open layer creates depth and movement without adding heat.
Where to start: A camp-collar or Cuban-collar shirt in a linen or linen-blend fabric. Wear it open over a fitted crew-neck tee.
The move: Match the undershirt to the lightest color in the overshirt's pattern. It looks intentional without being matchy-matchy.
5. Tailored Details on Casual Pieces
The subtlest texture trick: take a casual silhouette (track jacket, lounge pant, polo) and add one tailored detail. Ribbed cuffs on a bomber. A metal quarter-zip pull on a hoodie. Contrast stitching on shorts. These micro-textures signal "I thought about this" without screaming "I'm overdressed."
Grace Gold pointed to a waffle tracksuit as a perfect example — the jacquard fabric and ribbed detailing transform what could be gym-wear into something you'd wear to a Friday lunch meeting.
Where to start: Look for casual pieces with one unexpected detail: a structured collar, metal hardware, contrast ribbing, or a textured weave.
The move: Pair one "detailed casual" piece with one plain piece. Textured track jacket + simple tee. Ribbed polo + clean chinos. Balance is everything.
Do / Don't Quick Reference
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Mix two textures max per outfit | Stack three or more textures (reads costume-y) |
| Let texture replace accessories | Add jewelry AND texture AND print simultaneously |
| Use color as a "texture" accent | Wear head-to-toe bold color |
| Choose relaxed fits in textured fabrics | Size down in knits (they cling wrong) |
| Stick to one statement piece | Compete two loud pieces against each other |
Where to Start Shopping
If you're building a texture-forward summer wardrobe from scratch, prioritize in this order:
- One linen button-down (neutral color)
- One knit polo (navy, charcoal, or dusty rose)
- One open-weave camp collar shirt (for layering)
These three pieces rotate across dozens of outfits and pair with basics you already own. Check out COOFANDY Knit Polo for options across all three categories, or see what's trending in COOFANDY Linen Shirts.
For a deeper look at how Britt Theodora styles COOFANDY pieces, visit the COOFANDY x Britt Theodora page.
FAQ
Q: Do I need to spend more to get textured fabrics? A: No. Textured pieces (linen, waffle knit, jacquard) typically cost the same as their flat-fabric counterparts. You're choosing differently, not spending more.
Q: Can I mix textures with patterns? A: Yes, but follow the one-statement rule. If your shirt has a bold texture, keep the pants plain. If you're wearing a patterned shirt, stick to a smooth-texture bottom. Two visual competitions = costume territory.
Q: Is linen too wrinkly for work? A: Slight wrinkling is part of linen's character and reads as relaxed-confident in most smart-casual workplaces. If your office is strictly formal, save linen for after-hours. For business casual environments, it's perfectly appropriate.
Q: What colors work best for textured pieces in summer? A: Neutrals (sand, white, light grey, navy) work as your base. Add one color pop — dusty rose, sage green, or soft coral — per outfit. Textured fabrics look best in colors that let light play across the weave.
Q: How do I know if a texture is "elevated" or just busy? A: Elevated textures have a consistent, intentional pattern (waffle, ribbing, slub linen). Busy textures look random or low-quality (pilling, uneven knit, overly shiny polyester). When in doubt, touch it — if the fabric feels substantial and uniform, it'll photograph well.
Leave a comment