There are obvious reasons that short-sleeved shirts are more suitable in summer – the short sleeves, for a start. And it’s possible to boost those benefits and embrace extra ventilation. Lace shirts have been around for a long time, but they’re currently in the spotlight for their mix of form and function. Admittedly, wearing a lace or semi-sheer shirt might be too daring for some, but for others it’s the perfect opportunity to make a statement while staying cool and comfortable in the warmer months.

However, a lace shirt is about more than just keeping things airy. The intricate pattern of these shirts, such as the one shown above, is an eye-catching detail in its own right. It manages to keep things smart and sophisticated, helping to transform the humble short-sleeved shirt from a warm weather necessity into something altogether more elegant. Here, it’s been styled with black trousers and a black crossbody bag, both of which keep the focus squarely on the shirt.

If there was one time of year to embrace colour, print and pattern, surely it’s the summer. Put your black knitwear and sensible shirts away and lean into the bright and bold for your summery dressing. If you’re used to dressing in monochrome, it might be difficult to see yourself wearing something in brighter-than-normal colours (never mind purple and orange). But there is a way to do it right.

When you’re styling a shirt that’s on, shall we say the louder side, the best advice is to turn it into the focal point of your outfit. So, try pairing it with a more muted pair of trousers – here’s where your monochrome comes into play – and relatively few accessories, allowing the spotlight to stay on you and your technicolour piece.

This BODE shirt is a perfect example of the way that menswear has embraced heritage and craft over recent years. The New York label is known for its handmade pieces, and particularly the way it incorporates woven, crochet or embroidered details. As the shirt shown here demonstrates, these little details can help to elevate something like a plain white short-sleeved shirt into something altogether more exciting.

Such details – whether that’s a red and black zigzag line, the natural dyes of Story Mfg. or the intricate embroidery of Kartik Research – differentiate your shirt from others out there. Craft-inspired details give another level of interest to your outfit, often adding something that most people won’t be able to get their hands on.

Whether it’s through colour, fit or styling, there are a lot of ways to wear a short-sleeved shirt in your own way. This punk spirit can be seen in the one above, which mixes a contrasting colour palette – green and orange checks might not be for everyone – with workwear detailing in the form of two chest zip pockets. Maybe the most interesting detail, however, is the fit. This shirt comes with a boxy and slightly cropped fit, meaning it’s about as far from a stuffy, office-appropriate shirt as you can get.

If you’re going to go for skater take on the short-sleeved shirt, we recommend really going for it. That can be achieved with key details, such as a baseball cap. Or, sure, keys, fastened to your waistband. The tattoos obviously help as well.

Whether they’re checked or brightly coloured, almost all of the aforementioned shirts have been made from the sort of materials we’d often associate with classic shirting. It doesn’t have to be like that, though. While it’s a completely different style of short-sleeved shirt, a knitted shirt is a classic item, managing to sit somewhere between a standard shirt and a reworked take on a cardigan. While that might sound more appropriate for colder days, it works just as well in summer.

To get the most out of your knitted shirt, introduce other layers – such as this vest, here – which manage to keep you cool and complement the overall aesthetic. In this example, the cream colour of the shirt is the perfect tonal accompaniment to the black and white of the outfit.