You know you’ve been there. You’ve got some swank evening party to go to—but the weather outside is smoldering. Step things up in a blazer and button up and soon you’ll be sweating up a storm. Go a more casual and weather-appropriate route and you run the risk of looking too underdressed. It’s fashion despair.

Fear not my friends. The following is my guide to some of the coolest evening looks for the hot summer sun. Pay attention and you’ll be well on your way to standing out in the crowd without looking like the beautiful boys above. Here we go...

The rush of May music albums have all been released and the summer music festivals are in full swing. What could be better than an early summer escape from the daily grind for a few days of sunshine and live music? Absolutely nothing in my opinion, which is why my BFF and I decided to escape New York's crazy pace this June and head down to Manchester, Tennessee for the Bonnaroo music festival. Road trip!

Can we talk some truth for a minute? Despite our waif-like figures and pouty lips, most of us aren’t exactly known for our demure nature. We’ve got eyes that are made for talking and whether they’re rolling, batting or blatantly staring—they’ve clearly got a lot to say. 

Unfortunately it seems that the world might not always be ready to hear or see our feelings. Enter lady shady—the sexy, sassy and cool designer sunglasses that have become the protector and best friend of our sometimes-overcharged emotions. Behind our sunnies we can finally think whatever we want without anyone ever knowing the difference. Truly an accessory to life, sunglasses need to do more than serve and protect. They need to fit your personal style ...

If you wanted to take a master class in becoming a more full, better, understanding human being, it would be nearly impossible to find two more expert instructors than the Noble Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his colleague and longtime friend Robert V. Taylor. On paper, the two may seem quite different from one another, but over the course of their 30-plus years of friendship they have become a vital team in advocating for a more compassionate human race. 

Instinct had the rare and privileged opportunity to sit down with both men to discuss Robert’s new book, A New Way To Be Human (of which the Archbishop wrote the foreword), as well as the push for equality worldwide, skepticism toward religion and, yes, even Lady...

On Elizabeth Street in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, Instincters in need of some retail therapy can find British shoemaker Barker Black. I've passed by the shop numerous times over the years, stopping to drool over the expertly crafted boots and shoes. A marriage of styles, Barker Black manages to straddle the line between the traditional and subversive—not an easy task.

You didn’t think our cover guy Adam Lambert was the only artist coming out with awesome music this month, did you? Actually, much to our delight, some of our favorite bands and singers are dropping albums—all this May! From Garbage and the Scissor Sisters to some seriously fierce females, we’re breaking down which albums to rock this month—and giving you some musical previews, too!

If you thought Courtney Love was the one with all the drama behind groundbreaking band Hole, then prepare to have your mind blown. Former Hole drummer (and out artist) Patty Schemel has taken her years of awesome home video footage and created a compelling and fascinating new doc, Hit So Hard. Now Patty is talking to Instinct about making it through years of addiction, breaking barriers for female musicians and what she sees as Kurt Cobain’s everlasting impact on the gay community.

Last December, photographer Vincent Dilio and I went to Instinct's motherland, sunny and beautiful Los Angeles, to shoot three of our Spring 2012 fashion editorials. It was a quick four-day trip but a welcome change to the chilly northeast weather of New York (at least New York then, not the summer-y N.Y. of late). My trip there was a comedy of errors that started with a cab ride to the wrong airport, then continued with an additional trip to the correct airport and a brisk shoeless sprint to my gate from security as they called my name over the loud speaker for final boarding. Once I finally sat back in my seat for the flight ahead, looking out the window enjoying my Bloody Mary, I wondered if my three giant duffle bags and rolling suitcase...

April cover guy Jason Mraz may be known for his musical talent (and now awesome LGBT activism!), but this superstar also has quite the green thumb. In this Instinct Web Exclusive, Jason talks about the inspiration behind his eco-consciousness, making changes on the most basic level and taking a little boat ride with a vice president.

Follow the jump for more Jason! 

Don’t get me wrong—I love a parade of hunks. Dressed. Undressed. Everything in between. Beauty pageants, however, have always struck me as a bit pointless. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, making it a bit silly deciding if one adorable man looks better than another. In the ladies’ competitions they hit some bombshell with a tough question designed to test her personality, and she falls to pieces as we hear about how she's going to save the dolphins and establish world peace. How then, in a men's competition, would you justify choosing a muscle-bound hunk over a pretty twink who only ever uses the gym as a cruising venue?