The heat is on – so here’s how to stay cool under the collar.

London is in the grip of a heatwave. A heatwave by our standards, anyway. Which basically means we have experienced temperatures above 25ºC for about a week or so. But that has not stopped people feverishly Tweeting about just how hot it is, or complaining to anyone who will listen about how hot it is, or Instagramming shots of pasty legs in parks, ice-cold cocktails and screengrabs of the iPhone weather app indicating, yes, just how bloody hot it is.

It is hot. Let it be known. You may laugh at us if you, say, live in Australia, but this is as extreme as it gets for us. And it isn’t all hysteria this time around. Statistically, Wednesday was the hottest June day since 1976 in England. Thankfully, the MR PORTER office is equipped with an air-con system that makes our work environment positively fridge-like. It has afforded some of our colleagues the unique luxury of simultaneously moaning about how cold and hot it is. But, more importantly, it has allowed us to think with a cool head, especially while picking through the latest products available on site today. As you can imagine, long sleeves, jeans and thick materials are all off the menu – so here are three items that will allow you to keep cool in public (without going shirtless).

If you’re going to put anything on your skin in this heat that isn’t an ice cube, it had better be thin and lightweight. So we feel this James Perse polo shirt– which has enough about it to be considered on the smarter end of the polo spectrum – might be a good place to start. The Supima cotton-jersey from which it is made is incredibly soft and, crucially, very forgiving in the heat, which is of course the name of the game here. That sea-blue hue will only help matters – even if just psychologically. Pair with some Wayfarers and you’ll be cool as a cucumber.

Lighter still – in terms of fabric, at least – is this tee by Sunspel, which has been making easy garments such as this since 1860. A little more casual than our friend above, it has Breton stripes, which give off a nautical air. In hot weather, you should wear the clothes for the situation you want to be in, not the situation you’re actually in. So you might well be sweating on a Tube, but in your head you’re on a yacht off the Côte d’Azur. Some shorts such as these should do nicely, then.

If you want to be a bit bolder, or perhaps a little more refined, in the heat, try this shirt by Burberry. It’s cut from a crisp, light-mauve cotton – adorned with an ornate leaf design – which should help prevent sweating, and the signs of sweat, respectively. If you want to keep your look on the smart side, pair with these light cotton chinos.