If you want to know how to look smart in the heat, ask the tailors of Naples. Specifically, Mr Luca Rubinacci. The third generation of the Rubinacci tailoring family and the company’s creative director, he also happens to be a famously well-dressed man, his personal style a contemporary twist on the Neapolitan sartorial tradition. 

“When my grandfather started the business in the 1930s, his clients were counts and princes, men who dressed for pleasure, not for business,” says Mr Rubinacci. “He was designing jackets to be worn in Naples, which is a very warm place. So he took out everything that wasn’t essential – the canvas, the shoulder padding, the lining – until the suit jacket looked more like a shirt than a traditional English suit. This became the Neapolitan style. It’s a more relaxed shape, but it’s cooler, too, which is why it’s a good choice for summer.” 

“If you want a casual or sporty look, choose a cotton twill. For something with more charm, choose linen, but be prepared for it wrinkling. If you need to appear more formal, the best fabric is hopsack. It’s an open-weave woollen fabric that breathes like linen but doesn’t wrinkle. You can travel with this fabric. You can sit down and it won’t be creased when you stand up. For a more formal look, choose a jacket cut from Tasmanian summer wool. Loro Piana’s take on the fabric has a slight shine.” 

“In the summer, it’s better to have a comfortable fit. A looser suit allows the air to pass through as you move. It’s good to have a slightly shorter trouser hem, too – just touching the top of the shoe and no higher. If you have a more comfortable trouser with more fabric, a pleated construction will look a lot better and will keep the fabric from wrinkling. Never have pleats on a slim-fit trouser. Pleats on a slim trouser leg are like pizza with chips – it should never happen.”

“A gentleman should always wear socks. Me? I never wear them. You must understand the rules, but you should also know how to break them. The foot should never sweat, so even if you are not wearing full-length socks, always wear ‘invisible’ socks. If you are wearing full socks, look for ones made from a lighter material, such as a filo di Scozia. And socks worn with a suit should come up above the calf. Shorter ones are for wearing with chinos and denim.”