Struggling with a styling conundrum? Wondering how to wear… anything? Got grooming questions? Drop us a line at asky@mrporter.com and we’ll do our best to sort it out — or we’ll ask one of the world’s leading lights to shine the way. Welcome to Ask MR PORTER.

Loafers are indeed the undisputed king of summer hard-soled shoes this year. In agreement is Mr Chris Black, creative director and co-host of the podcast How Long Gone, who is fond of loafers sans socks (he has a professed affinity for G.H. Bass & Co. and J.M. Weston). Here is what Mr Black thinks.

“There is not a more versatile shoe than the loafer. It slides on your foot, no pesky laces to tie and I would argue that most varieties look best without socks. You might think of them as a prep staple, something stuffy, something your father might wear, but you are dead wrong! This is a democratic shoe, one for the ages, one for a man at every stage of life. 

“I am partial to the penny — the most classic and wearable. The right pair can take you from the boardroom to the beach without missing a beat. They look especially good in the summer months with shorts, but will work perfectly with your blue jeans. The key is to actually wear them, don’t be precious, treat them like a pair of canvas Vans, let them experience sun, rain and sand. Put a birth-year penny in for good luck. Get them shined or repaired when necessary. 

“If you feel like getting a little looser, the Belgian is a great choice. The perfect loafer for shuffling around the neighbourhood or maybe the deck of a friend’s boat moored somewhere in the Med. The bow is cute, but not too cute, a fun adornment for a wearable shoe that looks as good with a tux as a pair of linen trousers. Just don’t spill your spritz on the suede.”

We are turning over the mic to one of the most adventurous dressers we know and certainly one of the most stylish men on the planet, Mr Bohan Qiu.

He says, “I am starting to get into ties. For millennials and Gen Z, ties never seemed to have made it into our lives. But from the latest runway shows and the streets of Seoul and Shanghai, this classic formal-attire accessory is being twisted into casual everyday styling in a nonchalant way. Wear a wider tie in a slim Windsor knot for a retro look over a slightly oversized shirt and pair it with urban technical fabric shorts and clean sneakers, or a slimmer one over a printed silk shirt for a rock ’n’ roll look à la Mr Hedi Slimane. It’s even good to unbutton the top of your shirt for a refreshed off-duty allure. This old-school tradition can easily become a cool new addition to our contemporary weekend dressing.”

I mean, do you, without question. If your no-shorts rule is nigh on religion, we’re not going to try to change your mind. What we will say is that maybe give a pair of 5in inseam shorts a run around your house – and in front of a full-length mirror, perhaps – and see how they make you feel. With loafers and a polo shirt, for instance? Or with a jazzy camp-collar shirt, even? Would you feel pretty groovy walking through the park like that? If so, take a look at our guide to shorts for some more inspiration.

At the very same moment we received this query (and about a dozen other very similar ones), we happened to be reading the new book from Mr Scott Schuman, AKA The Sartorialist, called The Sartorialist Man, which includes an entire section on dressing for one’s body type. In it, Mr Schuman writes, “The challenge  for  many  shorter  gentlemen  is  not  to  look  like  a  fire  hydrant:  short  and  thick.  Short men can overcome this obstacle by wearing clothes that fit close to the body (but not tightly), including  slim-fitting  pants  that  give  the  impression  of  longer  legs,  and  jackets  and  shirts with sleeves that are also on the slim side. Creating long, lean lines is the goal.”

In order to do this Mr Schuman, says, “Shorter gentlemen could benefit from a one-button jacket whose lapel rolls to just above the belly button. The shape of the jacket should stay close to the body (but not too close), with the waist having a contoured shape. A ventless jacket will look slim around the hips. In my opinion, jacket sleeves are cut much too wide these days – just as getting pants tapered creates a more flattering silhouette for the short gentleman, a subtly tapering sleeve will have the same effect. Shirts for a short man can be more fitted at the waist with darts or a contoured cut. Keep sleeves slim, with a high armhole. Every shirt I own has had the sleeves shortened. The length and spread of a collar are especially important – too long or wide will overwhelm the face.”

On the phone between bike rides around Manhattan wearing his signature navy-heavy uniform, while taking pictures of the colourful New Yorkers beginning to emerge again in the city, Mr Schuman said, “There are two guys who are inspirational to me, style-wise, both about my height. One is Giorgio Armani – I can look at the way his style has evolved over time. Not only things such as fit (which he’s always kept close to his body), but in his fifties, he started to go very monotone – a lot of navy and black – and very slim. He’s always been in great shape. And the other guy is a tailor in Paris, Lorenzo Cifonelli. He’s a little more formal, more tailored than me. When I got a double-breasted jacket made a while back, it made me look too square. It didn’t have the right suppression at the waist, the right button placement – all things Lorenzo understands really well. He wears double-breasted jackets all the time and he looks incredible. Whereas I maybe once wore basketball-style shorts, now I keep them slimmer in the hips; it makes all the difference.”