As we properly get into summer, MR PORTER’s critical eyes are turning to the people who are navigating the season’s choppy sartorial waters with the most skill. What style lessons can be learnt from this month’s most interesting dressers? We cracked out the proverbial magnifying glass to do some good old-fashioned outfit-analysing. From some naked chests to a very brave pair of purple trousers, here’s what we found.

We often speak in hypothetical terms about what you should wear to a gallery opening. Here, in the case of Mr AJ Tracey attending the London Royal Academy’s summer exhibition, we have a rare real-world case study. So, what lessons can we take away? The enduring appeal of a Burberry raincoat? Or the power of a well-chosen sneaker – in this case a pair of limited-edition Nike Dunks – to take the edge off a more dressed-up outfit? Both valid points, but if you ask us, this is all about dressing tonally: see how the coordinating colours of the polo shirt with the raincoat and the sneakers with the trousers combine to create a look that’s more than the sum of its parts.

Perhaps Mr Nic Kaufmann had too many kir royales at après-ski and, after picking up a larger gentleman’s jacket at dinner, collected a pair of workmen’s shoes when he went to swap his ski boots. Perhaps. We can’t be sure because he is checks notes a TikTok star, and most members of the MR PORTER team are old enough to remember VHS and Teletext – we inhabit different worlds. But we know a confident vibe and energy when we see one. Hats off. Which makes us wonder – did he lose that, too?

Male cleavage has been gaining an unprecedented momentum in recent months – with sheer, cutouts and “shirtless suits” trending everywhere from the runway to the red carpet – and if there’s anyone we’d take style advice from on that front, it would have to be Mr Tanner Reese. The NYC-based model and influencer is a seemingly unspoken advocate of the latest “there’s no such thing as too much chest” mantra. Case in point, the open Prada shirt he wore at the Italian brand’s SS23 show in Milan, which he teamed with ivory shorts, calf-length socks, a pair of polished leather Derby shoes and plenty of jewellery.

It takes a killer outfit to grab our attention at the menswear mecca that is Pitti Uomo. And while most attendees will strain to show out in their Sunday best for the mere possibility of being papped, Mr Samuel Hine of US GQ has landed a coveted spot on our style lessons list this month with what appears to be zero effort. How, you ask? By way of one woefully underrated accessory: the neckerchief. Worn against an otherwise low-key combo of sleek all-black suit, white T-shirt and chunky-soled Derby shoes, the silk scarf injects a joyous yet subtle dash of colour and an unexpected old-world panache. Consider this your 10-second trick to standing out amid a sea of suits this wedding season.

Even when he’s not throwing in a surprise appearance as a model – as he did at Prada’s January show – Mr Jeff Goldblum steals the show. Holding forth from his front-row seat in Milan, he entertained the assembled press with his boundless enthusiasm for the brand’s understated new collection, describing them as “clothes with the best kind of character”. At first glance, his almost-but-not-quite matching ensemble says “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, but make it luxury”. But we’re here for the washed-out, utilitarian palette that draws attention to the few visible details; the buttons, the sheer size of those turn-ups. Note, please, the ghost-white sunglasses at hand to complete the outfit. The take-home lesson? Commit to the look, and where possible, it helps to be Jeff Goldblum.

We’re going to assume Mr Yilmaz Aktepe is on his mobile, although he could be stroking his rather tactile-looking beard. Either way, the stylist and editor of Best Fashion magazine, the style offshoot of German Men’s Health, is not phoning it in when it comes to this outfit, as displayed at the year’s Pitti Uomo. On paper, a riotous red print short-sleeved shirt worn with a tiny mustard print cross-body bag and trousers seemingly borrowed from Batman’s archnemesis The Joker, much like the Suicide Squad, should not work as a unit. Although, in Aktepe’s deft hands, this ensemble is more for dancing down the stairs to “Rock And Roll (Part 2)” than one to fling in Arkham Asylum. Aktepe made the call, and got it bang on.

This Japanese gentleman is a celebrity of the Ms Kim Kardashian ilk: famous for being famous. But that’s just fine with us because he has been delivering full looks that we very much enjoy. For example, this head-to-toe JW Anderson swan-adorned situation. Though we all know (or should know; consider this a PSA) that swans are nasty little things, they do look rather sweet on this trouser and jacket set. Got to love a nature-enthusiast fit.

The people featured in this story are not associated with and do not endorse MR PORTER or the products shown