The best pieces from Onia – available on MR PORTER now.

Summer basics. Sounds simple, right? T-shirts, shorts, swim shorts – sorted. Still, there’s nothing wrong with devoting a little more thought to dressing for the summertime, and Onia, a brand new to MR PORTER this month, does exactly that.

Onia - which translates as “boat” in Hebrew – began in 2009, when its founders Messrs Carl Cunow and Nathan Romano were working in the contemporary denim market together, and somehow got onto the subject of swimming shorts. "We could never find swim trunks that were well-made, had a simple clean aesthetic and were priced reasonably," Mr Cunow tells us. So, they did what any entrepreneur with the knowledge and wherewithal to do so would do, and made their own.

Almost a decade later, Onia has evolved into a summer outfitters of sorts, with a keen focus on fabric. And, as Mr Romano explains, this focus is integral to the brand: “We create pretty unique product in the sense that we source fabrics from all over the world,” he says. “We look for fabrics that are functional but also that have very specific properties that we stand by, for instance quick-drying fabrics [for swim shorts], and fabrics with the right amount of stretch that will withstand a lifetime's worth of wear.” When it comes to the clothes, Mr Cunow says, “nothing is overlooked”.

It seems he isn’t just saying that – everything from the cargo shorts to the linen shirts boast fabrics with a point of difference: “Traditionally, linen felt rough and came wrinkled, so we wanted to make [our] linen different. We enzyme wash all our linen shirts, shorts, trousers and other items to make the fabric very soft,” says Mr Romano. This attention to detail extends to its T-shirts, which are “made with a custom-blended fabric in Korea that is a cotton/modal blend. We did not want to use the traditional 100 per cent cotton, we wanted something that would be really soft (hence the modal yarn) but that would last longer throughout more washes, wouldn't fade and would retain both its shape and fit over time.”

In other words, if you were looking for a selection of well-crafted and longwearing summer basics that’ll look the part on the beach, down the pub, or anywhere else you’re likely to find yourself while the sun’s out, well, you’ve found them.