Relax, the coming season is a breezy one. Here’s how to sail through its major themes and incorporate them into your wardrobe .

It may be early March, but MR PORTER can already visualise the sun setting through the haze of our negronis, seagulls circling overhead, palm fronds rustling in the soft breeze, that sort of thing. Yes, we are here to tell you that the spring 2016 collections are that blissed out. The bad news is the above scene will probably not materialise until July at the earliest. The good news is you can dress the part anyway, thanks to the extremely labour-unintensive nature of this spring’s trends, all of which seem purpose-built for the breezy, laid-back, beachcombing lifestyle that dreams are made of. Of course, looking effortless often takes more effort than you might think. Well aware of this fact, MR PORTER has put together the following guide to making the season’s trends work for you. Get it right and relax in the knowledge that this summer, no one but no one is going to look more chilled out than you.

This piece harks back to occupied Japan in the post-war period, during which American soldiers would bring their jackets to be embellished with Japanese embroidery. The 2016 version – offered by Valentino, Saint Laurent and, naturally, Blue Blue Japan – draws heavily on this East-meets-West look with sharp graphics of exotic flora and fauna on tactile silk and satin fabrics.

The souvenir jacket tends to be an elaborate-looking thing, so should be worn with simple, casual classics. A pair of slim jeans and a white T-shirt should give you just the right amount of retro cool.

This zip-fronted, shirt-collared jacket (typically drawn in slightly at the waist via tabs or elastic, hence the name blouson) makes a welcome return this spring in a wide range of shapes, styles and fabrics, from dense check tweed (Acne Studios) to leopard-print satin (Saint Laurent).

This is a trend that needs minimal exertion on your part. A sharp blouson in black or navy will look great with tailored trousers and a crisp white shirt. At the weekend, you can dress it down with jeans (why not try them neatly turned up?) and some chunky Derbies.

Loose and easy, with a casual spread-collar, the bowling shirt sums up the relaxed, 1950s trend that seems to be everywhere for spring. Look out for pyjama-like varieties, embellished with piping, from Marc by Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana.

You can think of the bowling shirt as a light piece of outerwear for spring – it looks great (and even more 1950s) layered over a T-shirt or vest. Avoid wearing it with a suit, unless you want to look more cartel than cool.

Another quintessentially 1950s detail, the humble crepe sole branches out this spring, also appearing on Chelsea boots and simple, brilliantly light Derbies from brands such as Common Projects. Opting for one of these is a discreet way to inject some attitude into an otherwise classic shoe style.

A crepe sole shoe is perfect for summer situations where smart and casual combine. At such moments, we’ll be wearing ours with a pair of light-coloured chinos and a sports jacket in a contrasting colour.

Suede? In spring? Before you scoff, this season’s suede is not only light as a feather, it also comes in warm and eminently summery shades of tan, brown and caramel. Here, of course, touching is believing. Throwing on one of the new suede jackets from Loewe and Gucci should be enough to assuage any doubts.

Channel the laid-back style icons of the 1970s (think Mr Robert Redford or a young Mr Robert De Niro) and wear your suede jacket over a light linen or cotton shirt, with the collar unbuttoned. Colour-wise, off-white, beige and grey will complement brown shades particularly well.

Originating in medieval Catalonia, these rope-soled shoes have always been welcome at the beach, but this season they bring a holiday feel to everyday casualwear. Look out for tropical-print varieties from Saint Laurent and unusual-but-appealing sneaker hybrids from Valentino.

Much as we love the idea of a versatile wardrobe, espadrilles should always be filed under “summer” and “casual”. Wear with rolled-up, washed jeans or shorts and a beach-ready short-sleeved shirt. At the risk of stating the obvious, don’t even think about socks.

Whether it’s Breton stripes from Japanese brand Sacai, twisted pinstripes from Haider Ackermann or the wild variety of checks and plaid being fielded by Raf Simons, everything seems to be lining up nicely pattern-wise for spring.

Partake in the season’s geometric mood by using different pieces to mix stripes and checks together, contrasting different sizes and directions.

People of Britain (and other rain-sodden places), rejoice! This spring, it seems, designers are interested in not just making you look good, but keeping you dry. In fact, there’s a bounteous range of rainwear on offer, from streamlined parkas from Jil Sander to hi-tech, performance-focused pieces from Arc’Teryx Veilance.

Don’t think of these coats purely as rainwear. Most pieces are light enough to be used as a smart, all-season coat, which can be layered over a light jacket and/or shirt.

This spring’s prints are all about adventure, whether it’s the nautical motifs proposed by Alexander McQueen or the exotic varieties of floral and Orient-inspired patterns in the collections of brands from Gucci to Dries Van Noten (and you can read more about this particular designer here).

Be intrepid and choose a single-print piece, keeping it in check with plain separates. Err towards understated colours, such as black, navy and grey, in your accompanying garments, lest you end up looking like a piñata.

Sport-inspired details continue to creep into the everyday male wardrobe, the latest being the drawstring waistband. Look out for a slew of smart trousers that can be tied to fit, with brands such as New York’s Public School leading the way.

Because they’re not quite smart and not quite casual, tailored drawstring trousers are rather versatile. Wear with an unstructured blazer and Oxford shirt to dress down tailoring, or with simple jersey sweats to spruce up the weekend milk run.