Plus, what to wear in Greece and Finland.

Much of our confusion when it comes to clothes is caused by a change of environment. Perhaps you are moving to another country and need an entirely new wardrobe. Maybe a holiday somewhere hot (or cold) presents a new set of sartorial conundrums. This week, two of our queries fall into this category. One man wants to holiday on a boat in Greece in style. Another needs to battle the elements in Finland. We do our best to answer both, before tackling the broad question of streetwear to another uninitiated gentleman.

As always, if you have a style conundrum, reach out to us via the usual channels (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook), as they say, and we shall endeavour to help.

I’m living on a boat for two weeks in Greece this summer. There will be a couple of stops at restaurants where we need to dress “smart”. How do you suggest mixing swimwear and business-casual attire?

From Teenytinytiger via Instagram

You sure sucked the glam out of that one! You made it sound like you were taking a barge trip up an Athenian canal when you are probably on the yacht of a deposed king or the Aga Khan. If so, revel in it. If not, well, let’s pretend.

Anyway, you ask how to mix swimwear and business attire. The answer is: please don’t. They are different things, very much like yachts and barges. When you are swimming and you want to look smart, go for these Mare swim shorts by Missoni. And when you are off to dinner, go back to your cabin and put on the following: linen Boglioli trousers and a Zegna waffle knit polo-shirt. Wear these and you will stay cool and look it, too.

Finland has volatile weather in the summer. How should I dress for below 10°C in the morning and 25°C during the day? ** From v.rtturi via Instagram**

We can answer this question in one word: layering. An intelligent use of layers is all you need to navigate time, temperature and everything in between in Finland with relative ease.

First, though, let’s clarify something. The difference between 10°C and 25°C is not that great. If you want “volatile”, try the Himalayas. There, you can go to bed with a frost and wake up wilting in the sun. In your situation, you will not need base layers, Canada Goose jackets or drastic head or neckwear.

What we would suggest, however, is that you start with a nice T-shirt or short-sleeve shirt that can be worn under a lightweight sweater. We suggest this striped T-shirt from A.P.C. or this camp-collar shirt by Gitman Vintage and this sweater from John Smedley. We would, however, advise you to cover up as much as possible – if you’re staying in a mökki (cabin) in the woods or by a lake, the midges can be rampant during the summer months.

Then, some outerwear. As we said, 10°C is not mightily cold, so you should wear something that can withstand a chill but can easily be cast off when the temperature starts to climb. Try this boiled-wool-blend jacket by Norse Projects.

You’ll also need a trusty backpack. Once you start peeling off your layers, you’ll need somewhere to stash them. Try this lightweight but durable one by Brooks England.

A final tip: pack an eyemask – you can expect little, or even zero, darkness at night, depending on how far north you go, so assuming you’ll want some shuteye at some point, one of these is essential.

What are the top five streetwear brands every twenty-something should know about?

From _maisonfou_ via Instagram

MR PORTER stocks more than 490 designers, so even though we’re just talking streetwear, we won’t pretend that narrowing it down to five brands is a cakewalk. Still, your question is a pertinent one, so we’ll do our best. Just know this wasn’t easy.

01.  Off-White

It’s impossible to talk about streetwear with any kind of authority without mentioning Off-White. Now that its founder Mr Virgil Abloh is the head of menswear at Louis Vuitton, his brand has taken on a new relevance that elevates it to a cultural marker of cool in 2018.

02.  Fear of God

Founded by Mr Jerry Lorenzo, Los Angeles-based Fear of God sits at the top of the hill when it comes to West Coast street style. Its ripped jeans and tracksuit pants have been seen on everyone from Future to Mr Kanye West.

03.  Vetements

Vetements means clothes in French, which is deceptively straightforward for a brand that markets itself through irony and nuanced nostalgia. No brand has captured the zeitgeist like Vetements in the past few years and its founder, Mr Demna Gvasalia, now heads up Balenciaga. The brand is most known for its DHL merchandise, but you’d also do well to check out its racing-inspired black hoodies and sock sneakers.

04.  Aries

Unlike some of the more out-there stuff you’ll find from the brands above, Aries is easy to wear, won’t cost the earth and will give almost anyone, twentysomething or otherwise, a bit of street cred. In other words, it’s gateway streetwear for the man in the know and prides itself on not gendering its products.

05.  Flagstuff

Japanese streetwear brand Flagstuff is probably the least well-known brand on this list and landed on MR PORTER only a couple of months ago, but its anime references and edgy prints have captured our attention, and are getting snapped up fast.