“School’s out for summer,” declared Mr Alice Cooper in his 1972 anthem for misfits and delinquents. “School’s out forever,” he added. A jubilant repudiation of the structures and strictures of the education system, perhaps, but this same rebellious spirit floats on the breeze come summer. No more teacher’s dirty looks, indeed – we’re into the dog days of the season, where ties are not only loosened, but thrown off completely, along with shirts, shoes and the paraphernalia of the modern-day teaching facility or, more likely, workplace. Honestly, once the sun is out, it’s a miracle we’re even dressed at all.

But before we begin to tackle such issues as temperature and humidity, knowing what to put on in the morning can prove problematic. Thankfully, there are men who are still out there, taking the heat, and doing so in style. Guys for whom slinging on a pair of Speedos and shuffling off to the nearest paddling pool isn’t enough. They have places to go, and suitable attire to wear. And, even though they’re so hot right now, they appear to be five to 10 degrees cooler than those around them. In short, they know how to dress for summer – whether or not that entails shorts.

Here, then, are eight men who wore it best during the sweltering month of July, and without breaking a sweat. There is plenty to learn, so pay attention, because class is in session.

“Hakuna matata” is a phrase seemingly built with mid-July in mind. “It means no worries for the rest of your days,” as Timon and Pumbaa, The Lion King’s comic relief, inform us (as does Wikipedia when checking its translation from the original Swahili). Comedian, actor, producer and Emmy-nominated game-show host Mr Billy Eichner, who voices the aforementioned meerkat in this summer’s remake of the Disney classic, seems to have taken this problem-free philosophy on board. Seen here in London, he’s head-to-toe in Mr P., our own brand, which is noted for breezy clothes that ain’t no passing craze (OK, we’ll stop). The camp-collar shirt would certainly look the part loafing around the jungle – urban or otherwise.

Ever heard the theory that black rather than white clothing keeps you cool in the sun? Apparently, this seeming nonsense has some scientific framework, being based on a 1980 study of Bedouins. But for a more up-to-date inquiry into the thermodynamic properties of attire from the darker end of spectrum, note Mr Alexander Skarsgård above. Here is the Swedish actor, last seen on Ms Nicole Kidman’s iPad in HBO’s Big Little Lies, swanning about in Paris wearing an outfit that adds weight to the thesis. Of course, he was on his way to the Giorgio Armani AW19, where he ended up seated next to Ms Kidman. And while the brand might have provided the wardrobe, the unruffled swagger is all the actor’s own.

While San Diego’s Comic-Con is generally associated with cosplay, panelists – whose day jobs often involve wearing Spandex superhero costumes – tend to come dressed in, let’s say, more conventional attire. (Not always: Mr Bryan Cranston once rocked up dressed as Walter White, complete with a rubber mask based on his own face, while last year, Mr Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, avoided detection dressed as one of the space saga’s stormtroopers.) Riverdale star Mr KJ Apa, meanwhile, seems to be courting attention with his oversized, half-tucked camp-collar shirt, unbuttoned far enough to reveal a vest and pendant, not to mention a Van Halen tattoo. Probably easier to assemble than imperial blaster-proof armour, and it’s no doubt a lot cooler, too.

Mr Paul Bettany is also no stranger to the Comic-Con circuit, having popped up in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars’ galaxy far, far away. But he’s even better acquainted with the dress codes here on Earth; the conventions outside the conventions, if you will. Last year, we asked if he is in fact the best-dressed man in Hollywood (it was a rhetorical question: he is), and nothing here suggests his standards have slipped. Here he teams his trademark glasses with a cream fine-knit polo shirt, dazzling white jeans and sockless brown shoes that display just the right balance of care and overuse. The glint of gold from his watch lifts, rather than swamps, the sweater. He could just drop the mic and flounce off stage, but he’s too much of a gentleman for that.

Just last month we featured actor Mr Matt Bomer with a similarly striped Mr P. T-shirt in this very slot. Then, he wore it with a dark denim jacket, cream chinos and grey suede sneakers. Now he’s switched it up for high summer, bringing in sunglasses, Goldilocks shorts (as in not too long, not too short) and gleaming white kicks, all in keeping with the colour scheme. It might appear effortless, but given that his outfit here even coordinates with the road markings, you know he’s thought about it. Here’s a man who plans what to wear on pedestrian crossings, and what he’s chosen is anything but pedestrian.

The other half of Pride Rock’s comedy double act, Mr Seth Rogen, who provides the voice for Pumbaa in The Lion King, took a surprisingly smart approach to dressing for the film’s London premiere. And not just in the sense that he was well turned out, although he was. But also, that the textured, midnight-blue, shawl-lapel tuxedo jacket he’s wearing is the canny choice, given that it will pick out a camera flash better than a comparatively flat black. Likewise, the patent shoes also shine. The nonchalant hand in the pocket and slightly wonky bow tie suggest a man at ease with his surroundings – no mean feat given the world press boring down on him – while the ruffled hair, bushy beard and gold-rimmed specs give Mr Rogen a Spielbergian touch.

The Fast Company European Innovation Festival, it says, is “a first-ever leadership summit that will bring together business and creative leaders for two days of urgent conversations around the potential presented by emerging superintelligent machines and technology”. And, rather than be facilitated by any standard means, it is “powered by Gucci”, by which we assume the Italian superbrand is providing the wardrobes rather than the electricity. Although when it comes to Gucci model and ambassador Mr Jared Leto, there is certainly dynamism to be harnessed. The shirt alone is loaded with mixed messages: is it the top half of a pyjama set or borrowed from someone else, what in womenswear is known as a “boyfriend shirt”? Is it undone for fun or tucked in to mean business? The vivid red trousers, which collect over the scuffed sneakers, draw the eye, as if to say that algorithms do not apply here. This is an outfit that only a human could construct.

When revamping the interior of Le Royal Monceau, Raffles’ prestigious five-star Parisian hotel, Mr Philippe Starck drew inspiration from Mr Lewis Carroll’s fantastical (and often nonsensical) adventures of Alice. As by now we all know from the video that accompanies last summer’s single “This Is America”, unpicking the work of Mr Donald Glover often requires deep-dive textual analysis, and in this respect, his wardrobe is often no different. We’d like to think, then, that the shirt here – tucked into cream shorts, with both neatly rolled up – is a nod to the whimsical psychedelia of Mr Carroll’s stories, but it most definitely suggests its wearer is confident to play with the dress code of one of the City of Light’s stuffiest institutions. In any case, Mr Glover has nailed the ideal midsummer look.

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