Once shorthand for prep-school privilege and Ivy League weekends, boat shoes are back amongst us. Invented in 1935 by Paul A. Sperry – a sailor from Connecticut who used his dog’s paws as inspiration for a new, grippier deck shoe – they’ve been reclaimed for a 2025 audience who isn’t necessarily planning to be on a boat, or even adjacent to one.

In menswear, whether or not you can wear shorts past a certain age is a hotly debated topic. The late fashion designer Hardy Amies said that a man should “never wear shorts except actually on the beach or on a walking tour”. Some are still in this camp, believing that shorts should be left in the school playground and exist in a grown man’s wardrobe exclusively for gym sessions or running marathons. Others – thankfully, most – are of the opinion that shorts can be worn at any age. Here at MR PORTER, we firmly fly the flag for the latter. Just look at stylish guys such as Pedro Pascal, who wore Valentino Garavani shorts to the Met Gala, or Jacob Elordi and Donald Glover, who have been papped running errands in their very-short shorts. For Londoners, it’s more surprising to spot Paul Mescal in anything else off-duty.

Have we seen the last of what’s known among fashion insiders as the “trans-seasonal months”? The dog days of summer might still feel a long while away, but we trust you’ve got some exciting sunny getaways on the cards. This is your time to truly be stress-free, so let us think about the essentials, leaving you to dream up the itinerary. Some shorts and sandals, for instance, some sportswear for the hotel gym, a trusty pair of sunglasses – tick off your packing list below. It’ll be here sooner than you think.

It is the great catch-22 of being built like a demigod: you’ve lifted the weights, guzzled the protein shakes and dry-scooped the creatine, but now you have nothing to wear. Pumping iron often means outgrowing your wardrobe, but when the burly or muscular man then looks to clothe his new build, he might find he is not so well catered for. It is reason enough to avoid any form of heavy lifting, as the actor and model Mr Luka Sabbat succinctly explained in a viral tweet earlier this year. In response to a tongue-in-cheek prompt asking why more men don’t build muscle, he replied: “Clothes don’t fit right, Fits would be mid…”

Once shorthand for prep-school privilege and Ivy League weekends, boat shoes are back amongst us. Invented in 1935 by Paul A. Sperry – a sailor from Connecticut who used his dog’s paws as inspiration for a new, grippier deck shoe – they’ve been reclaimed for a 2025 audience who isn’t necessarily planning to be on a boat, or even adjacent to one.

In menswear, whether or not you can wear shorts past a certain age is a hotly debated topic. The late fashion designer Hardy Amies said that a man should “never wear shorts except actually on the beach or on a walking tour”. Some are still in this camp, believing that shorts should be left in the school playground and exist in a grown man’s wardrobe exclusively for gym sessions or running marathons. Others – thankfully, most – are of the opinion that shorts can be worn at any age. Here at MR PORTER, we firmly fly the flag for the latter. Just look at stylish guys such as Pedro Pascal, who wore Valentino Garavani shorts to the Met Gala, or Jacob Elordi and Donald Glover, who have been papped running errands in their very-short shorts. For Londoners, it’s more surprising to spot Paul Mescal in anything else off-duty.