“Simplify” is the art director and menswear consultant Aaron Levine’s mantra in summer. “I do have a formula for a uniform,” he says. “Light. Easy. Comfortable. Woven shirts, lightweight flannels that feel great on sunburned skin. Big dress shirts, maybe unbuttoned to a scandalous degree. Big trousers. Easy denim. Baggy shorts. Short shorts. Vans. Birkenstocks. Boat shoes.”

“For me, if it’s too hot to wear a tailored jacket, then you can do a camp-collar shirt or a polo shirt,” Guy says. “I prefer a polo shirt with a skipper [open] neck. If you can pull it off, you can wear a ribbed tank with a lightweight layer over it. That could be a chambray shirt.”

“In the summer, my absolute must-haves are a pair of shorts (five-inch inseam or less), a set of good-quality tank tops that I can wear under an open, short-sleeved button-up and a few cool T-shirts,” says the menswear enthusiast Henry Duffield (aka @henrythekidd_). “I’m usually mixing in a vintage find with whatever I’m wearing.”

“Don’t try too hard,” Levine says.

“The way something sits on the body and what it’s made from is everything,” says Rachel O-Williams, Assistant Personal Shopper at MR PORTER. “I would gravitate towards loose, breathable clothing that moves with you and lets the air flow.”

But it’s not just about ventilation. “Tighter clothes lose the visual interest” of a fuller silhouette, Guy argues. “The clothes are just the shape of your body – you might as well be naked.

“The weight of the fabric is very important in terms of how it traps the heat,” Guy adds. “But more important is the weave. If you have a very open-weave fabric – what’s sometimes called a tropical wool – that is sometimes the most breathable fabric in a heatwave.” To check, Guy suggests holding the fabric up to the light. “If you see a lot of light pouring through, then it’s breathable.”

“There’s something really elegant about linen,” O-Williams says. “The creases, the folds, the way it softens throughout the day. It tells a story. But, honestly, if you’re on holiday, the rules kind of go out the window. It’s about comfort, confidence and dressing for the moment.”

“Hot temperatures result in physical fatigue, and the more fatigued we are, the harder it is to engage in anything that requires effort – including deciding what to wear,” says Shakaila Forbes-Bell, fashion psychologist and author of Big Dress Energy. “However, a 2024 paper published in The Journal Of Neuroscience found that the way to overcome fatigue is to incentivise yourself with a reward.” She suggests a spray of that fragrance you keep back for special occasions to encourage you to get dressed. Or – why not? – an ice lolly.

Summer “gives you more freedom to play,” O-Williams says. “It’s the season to get a bit bolder with colour and pattern. Anything goes. A great print or a splash of unexpected colour can bring personality to even the most relaxed look. It’s about striking that balance between ease and intent.”

“I naturally gravitate towards lighter tones in warmer months,” Duffield says. “Browns are always my go-to colour, though, but my vintage-tee collection gets a lot more eclectic.”

“The colour for today is black,” says Mister Señor Love Daddy, the radio DJ played by Samuel L Jackson in Spike Lee’s seminal 1989 heatwave movie, Do The Right Thing. “That’s right. Black! So, you can absorb some of these rays and save that heat for winter. So, you want to get on out there, wear that black and be involved!”

He might not be wrong. A 1980 study of Bedouins found that exposure to heat was the same whether black or white robes were worn. What was found to be more important was the fit. Looser clothes allow the heat to dissipate before reaching the body – and black clothing can even keep that absorbed heat away from the body.

“Black will always be cool, season aside,” O-Williams says. “There’s something timeless and sharp about it, even in the heat.”

“To me, a five-inch short is super-classic,” Guy says. “You can go a bit longer, but you have to channel that Giorgio Armani energy. See if it works for you.”

“I love short shorts,” Duffield says. “Five-inch inseams for a casual look, three-to-four inches if I’m going for a run. I work too damn hard for these quads not to show them off. I’m also 5ft 9in, so I think shorter inseams suit my body better.”

“Controversial opinion, but I’m firmly in the pro-flip-flop camp,” O-Williams says. This does depend on context, she concedes. “If you need something a bit more practical for everyday wear in the city, I’d go for an espadrille. They’re lightweight, breathable and effortlessly easy to wear. A solid go-to for hot days when you still want to look considered.”

“If you’re wearing a business suit, you have to wear socks,” Guy says. “No compromise. But if you’re in casualwear and you’re wearing espadrilles or sneakers like Vans, I think it’s natural not to wear socks.”

A good hat is essential, O-Williams says. “They’re practical, they protect you and, when styled right, they look effortlessly cool. But one thing people often overlook when dressing for the heat? Jewellery. When the sun’s out, it’s the perfect time for pieces that catch the light and bring some colour to your look. Think earthy beads, bright tones, mixed materials. Find that balance between playful and polished.”

“If you feel comfortable with jewellery, they make dressing in the heat more interesting,” Guy says. “Just make sure it coheres with what you’re wearing. If you’re wearing a preppy outfit, then a chunky ring doesn’t really go with that. But if you have a more casual look, then a chunky ring or necklace is just part of the style.”

“Jewellery is always big,” Duffield says. “The two silver chains around my neck always stay on, and I have a few rings that I’ll put on if I’m going out in the evening. This year, I’ve also been experimenting with silk scarves as an accessory – they’re fun, but I’ve missed the mark with them a couple of times.”

“For some reason, beaded necklaces make sense in the summer,” Levine says.

“I’m a big believer in sunglasses all year-round, but, during the warmer months, they really come into their own,” O-Williams says. “One thing I always go for in summer is a lighter lens. You want to protect your eyes, sure, but also actually see the beautiful day around you.”

O-Williams also suggests tailoring your eyewear to the occasion.“For something more relaxed, I lean towards solid-colour acetate frames, greens, light browns, those softer earth tones that feel casual but intentional,” she says. “Jacques Marie Mage does some incredible pairs that really hit that sweet spot between statement and subtlety. If the occasion calls for something dressier, I’d switch to a slim metal frame in silver or gold. There’s something very refined and effortless about it. Think Cartier – elegant, classic and always the right amount of extra.”

For heatwave inspiration, Guy suggests researching old photographs of men in places like Southern Europe, the Caribbean, West Africa or Southeast Asia – where uncompromising temperatures didn’t stop them dressing well. “What you’ll see is that many men looked really stylish for two reasons,” he says. “First, their clothes had shape. Their camp-collar shirts had their own shape, the sleeves are shaped, the trousers aren’t suction-fit.

“The other thing is the proportions are better. If they’re not wearing a jacket, they’re wearing a slightly higher rise of trouser to create an interesting proportion between the torso and legs. There was more of a distinctive silhouette with the clothes.”

Guy says he once went to Thailand, where he encountered a tailor who was making suits from fabrics such as tweed. “I was like, ‘Who is wearing these suits in Thailand?’ And the tailor told me that, to him, a sports coat is actually an indoor garment. With the air conditioning, inside is cooler than outside.”