The lightweight jackets to buy – whatever the occasion.

At long last, glorious summer has arrived to these British Isles. It’s real “taps aff” weather, to borrow from the Glaswegian phrasebook, but unlike our friends in the north, we won’t be celebrating by whipping off our shirts. No: this is the kind of weather that has us dreaming of light, unstructured blazers.

While it might seem counterintuitive to add extra layers as the mercury rises, there are plenty of valid arguments for working a lightweight blazer into your summer wardrobe. They’re practical, for a start. Think of all the times you’ve smugly left the house in just a T-shirt and jeans only to later find yourself wishing you had a few extra pockets. An extra layer is invaluable for alfresco evening meals, too, when the temperature has a habit of plummeting as soon as the sun dips below the horizon.

And let’s not forget the dress codes that we’re expected to adhere to even in stifling conditions. Sure, we’d all rather be walking around in a tank top and cut-offs, but how many of us could actually get away with that at a restaurant, in the office or at a wedding? Like it or not, we still have to occasionally dress up in summer, and when those occasions arise it’s good to know that we’ve got something in our wardrobe that’s both weather- and occasion-appropriate.

Those, then, are just a few of the practical reasons for investing in a lightweight blazer. But which should you choose? Read on to discover a few of our favourites.

If you’re looking for a blazer to wear when it’s blazing hot, you can’t go wrong with seersucker. This lightweight cotton fabric has a slightly puckered surface, preventing it from lying flat against the skin and giving it an inherent breeziness compared to other fabrics. If the classic blue and white stripes are a little too “Southern gentleman” for you, opt for a blazer in a solid colour, such as this baby-blue one from Officine Generale. We’ve paired it with a navy linen grandad shirt and a pair of white chinos for a look that just screams “Pimm’s o’clock”.

If your office is anything like ours, you’ll spend most of the day at the mercy of an air-conditioning system that appears to have been programmed to simulate conditions in northern Siberia. While you might think that rules out the need for a light, breathable blazer, there’s always the commute to consider. After all, you don’t want to arrive at the office looking like you had to trek through the jungle to get there. Aspesi’s unstructured navy blazer – exclusive to MR PORTER – offers a stylish solution to your workday woes. Throw it on over a classic white shirt and grey trousers combo for a look that’ll satisfy all but the most formal of corporate dress codes.

When choosing a travel blazer, the key consideration should be versatility. With your wardrobe reduced down to the contents of a single suitcase, you should opt for a shade that goes with everything. Neutrals such as beige are not only among the most versatile colours that a man can wear, but they have the added benefit of being great in hot weather, as pale colours do a rather better job of reflecting the sun’s rays. Try this linen and cotton-blend blazer from Incotex, an Italian brand much-loved by the style cognoscenti, over an easy everyday outfit of a striped T-shirt and navy chinos.

Let’s imagine for a moment that you’ve been invited to a wedding this summer. It’s being held somewhere nice and warm – let’s say Tuscany. Lucky you! Not only that, but the bride and groom have been kind enough to specify a casual dress code. While this liberates you from the requirement to wear a suit and tie, it’s not an excuse to make zero effort. It’s still a wedding, after all. Our advice? Use it as an opportunity to employ a little colour. Try this burgundy alpaca-blend blazer from Barena, a breezy option thanks to its partial lining and double vent. Complete the look with a white linen grandad shirt from Theory and a pair of slub-linen trousers from the Neapolitan tailors Rubinacci. And if you haven’t been invited to any suitable weddings, don’t fret – this’ll work just as well at dressy garden parties.

Blazers come into their own on warm weekends, when a walk in the park can easily turn into a drink in the late afternoon sun, which can easily turn into an evening that doesn’t finish until well after sunset. Massimo Alba’s softly tailored, elegantly crumpled clothes feel like they were designed with exactly these weekends in mind. This olive-green blazer – part of a suit – is the perfect thing to sling on when warm summer days ease softly into cool evenings. We’ve paired it here with a casual ensemble of white jeans from Acne Studios and a linen shirt from Frescobol Carioca.