Men are always hot, women are always cold, so goes the adage. Yet curiously, the latter has all manner of summer-appropriate apparel to combat the heat, while the former seems to have a harder time of it. Shorts at the office? Still a no-no for most. Open-toe footwear? Also risky territory, particularly if you’ve got the sort of pasty unpedicured feet that don’t seen the light of day for 11 months of the year.

When the heat does reach a crescendo, your first instinct might be to strip off your layers, but there are certain occasions that require dressing with a bit more decorum – a wedding in Tuscany, a race meet in Berkshire, or just that Monday morning pitch meeting after a sweltering commute on the Central Line. So, what’s a chap to do? We looked to the streets for some pointers and specifically, those of Florence during the biannual menswear tradeshow, Pitti Uomo – which, this June, was brimming with men who nailed summer tailoring without breaking a sweat.

There was once a time when wearing a T-shirt with a suit was considered a fashion faux pas – unless you were a member of The Rolling Stones, of course. However, the gentleman in the centre of the above photograph demonstrates that by teaming a colourful cotton two-piece with a crisp white tee, you can look smart and summer appropriate – and crucially, stay comfortable in the midst of a heatwave. And – as Messrs James Dean and Marlon Brando have shown us – the white tee is one of the most simple, yet stylish items in a man’s wardrobe. Just remember the fit is key – not too tight, but close enough to sit beneath your jacket with ease.

Heavy English woollen cloths might be de rigueur on drizzly autumn days, but they aren’t going to do you any favours when things start to heat up. The smart alternative? Seersucker. This cotton fabric, which first came to Europe in the 18th century via India, is woven with a mix of loose and tightly pulled yarns, which gives it a puckered appearance. Its crinkled texture is in fact key to the cloth’s curious name, which is derived from the Hindustani for “milk and sugar” on account of its appearance and handle. The bubbly weave traps small pockets of air in the fabric, boosting its breathability and it also has a natural resistance to creasing, making it an adept traveller. Little wonder it was so popular with the British during the Raj – after all, they don’t call it an Indian summer for nothing.

From bucket hats on the runways at Fendi, Prada and Jacquemus to the rustic straw styles at Ann Demeulemeester, hats are back this summer – albeit in a fresher, more contemporary guise. The gentleman in the centre here proves that modern headwear, however traditional, needn’t be starchy – his slouchy, Gallic beret, worn with a deconstructed tweed blazer and clashing checks, strike just the right balance of casual cool, without seeming to try too hard. His companion on the left also knows the value of a decent bit of millinery – in this case, a classic Panama hat – an effective tool for keeping the sun off your head, while also making a dapper finishing touch to a summer-weight Italian suit.

Navy and grey might be your safety net in the cooler months, but warmer weather offers the chance to lighten up – both in terms of the weight of your cloth and your hue. Shifting your colour spectrum towards the neutral end of the scale – think white, ivory, cream and beige – will not only help to deflect the sun’s rays, but make a suitably elegant impression. The gentleman here demonstrates his fluency in warm-weather dressing with a cream linen two-piece, a fresh white shirt, silk cravat and tassel loafers – worn sans socks, of course – topped off with a natty Panama. It’s a million miles from the heavy charcoal flannel two-piece you might favour in winter, and a tad more cheerful.

The days when a tie was a compulsory companion to tailoring have gone the way of the dodo, and so when the thermometer pushes past 28ºC, going sans tie is definitely a wise move. By losing the patterned tie, you can afford to be a little more experimental when mixing your prints. These two gents have cleverly combined a contrasting check and stripes with Neapolitan trousers, resulting in the sort of easy sophistication that Italians own. Just nonchalantly pop your collar and feel that breeze.