Dapper Picnic in the Park: Dapper Q style

June is one of the busiest months for our community no doubt; Pride month is in full swing with tons of parties and events to go around. However, some of our readers have been asking, “What if club hopping and sharing a crammed space with hundreds of your closest friends aren’t necessarily your thing?” dapperQ’s got the answer. Have a Dapper Picnic in the Park!

Choosing a Park
Most State parks are perfect for such outdoor occasions. I’m lucky enough to be residing in Florida, where there are State parks out here by the dozen. For this particularly dapper event, I chose Sanlando State Park which is in the central Florida area. Be sure to scout around and search for the park that fits best for you! If you’re in New York City, Select All mixers often have summer picnic soirees. Follow them on Facebook here.

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What to wear at the Park
Proper attire is a must, and I just don’t mean aesthetically either! Going out in a park mostly likely means hot temperatures, even if you’re in a shaded area like we where! If you’re considering binding for the day, I recommend a wearing a tri-top or a tight sports bra. Less fabric means less heat that your body is going to absorb.

For your general picnic attire: short sleeves and shorts are going to be your best friend. If you happen to have just long sleeve shirts, consider rolling up your sleeves like what our friends Trey and W Elijah did.

trey

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Want to wear a pocket square, but not not planning on wearing a vest or blazer? No problem! Here, Nickle shows us how to sport a fancy pocket square that matches your bow tie.

nickle

Ariel also shows us that you can be dapper sans the bow tie with these spiffy neck clips. Ariel was also nice enough to let me photograph their lovely cane.

ariel

cane

No doubt femmes can bring their dapper best too, as Kara shows us with her sailor shorts and thrifted boots!

kara

Food
What’s a picnic without some food? When planning your menu, try a standard picnic fare, but with a bit of gravitas. Instead of ribs, why not try BBQ sliders or black bean sliders? For our dapper picnic, I made a sweet potato macaroni salad and a tasty three bean salad. Ariel made the group some nice cucumber sandwiches. And to drink, I made an Arnold Palmer (or Half and Half as it’s sometimes called), which is lemonade and iced tea mixed together. Perfect for a day out in the park!

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Remember fellow dapperQ’s, when having your own dapper picnic at the park, besides looking snazzy in your oxford short sleeves and chowing down on some delish finger food, be sure you’re having fun out there too.

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