For a midlife man in a heatwave, there’s one fabric you need in your wardrobe
The goal is fresh white linen rippling gently in a summer breeze. The reality is often quite different. I’m talking crumples, creases and the nagging feeling that you’re looking a little dishevelled. But as we brace ourselves for another heatwave, linen is the natural solution.
Linen’s particular USP – its light freshness, its breathability – is paradoxically also its downside. Thanks to its particular make-up (traditionally flax, but it can also include hemp or cotton) it creases easily; what starts the day as a fresh-as-a-daisy suit ends up looking like it’s gone 10 rounds in a tumble dryer.
But with the formality of traditional suiting and starched shirts becoming increasingly rare, a less polished approach is no bad thing.
It’s also got a degree of attention recently; during all of his tropical royal tours Prince William has taken to wearing linen shirts by Italian fabric specialist Luca Faloni. Monty Don recently told The Telegraph about how he loves the way linen feels on the body and cricket commentator legend Henry Blofeld is rarely seen in anything other than crumpled linen. Stanley Tucci, in his recent TV show Searching for Italy, has been lauded for his elegant style, partly due to his penchant for olive and sky-blue linen shirts.
At the edgier end of the style scale, Brad Pitt has been attending premieres for his new film, Bullet Train, in a series of hifalutin linen outfits including a shirt-and-skirt set. The more everyman approach would be to pair linen shirts with relaxed drawstring or elastic-waisted linen trousers. But if you really want to show the love for linen, never say never to a linen suit like the 1980s-style two-piece, redolent of Miami Vice, that Colin Farrell is wearing so well.
The suit
As long as you stick to some guidelines, a linen suit can look unerringly elegant. Stick to a loose-ish cut and neutral hues like stone or fawn – as seen on Jude Law – but bear in mind that creases appear more visible on lighter colours. If you’re remotely concerned about rumples or sweat patches looking too obvious, opt for darker colours. Yes, they soak up more heat, but they give less away. Take a tip from our stylish Italian brothers and move less; a very Godfather approach to wearing a suit in hot weather.
The shirt
A linen shirt is a fail-safe summer investment, as complementary to a pink-streaked sunset as a chilled rosé and the chirping of cicadas. Just be careful in your choice of cut here; a roomier silhouette allows for more breathability. A soft-collared variety is the most classic, but don’t rule out collarless versions for a more louche look.
The trousers
The one item in which linen requires a bit of structure is trousers. Soft-fit is well and good, but you don’t want them pooling around your ankle, and a sagging, baggy fit looks a little unkempt. Some linen trousers come with a pleated front to lend a touch of formality and shape. And if you’re anywhere remotely near a picnic setting, go for a darker colour – cream linens seem to attract grass smears like nothing else.
The shorts
For linen shorts the opposite is true; they should be soft-fit and long enough to reach the lower thigh. Your legs are where most of the action and movement are, so you want shorts that allow for that. Should you wear linen on linen? Certainly, but break up the colours – dark blue shorts with a pink shirt – instead of going all one tone, which can look rather cult member given linen’s hippyish associations. Your end goal should be raffish fellow on the Côte d’Azur, rather than Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh devotee. Either way, it’s an improvement on those khaki cargo shorts that do no one any favours.
Linen la vida loca: Get the look
Linen shirt, £115, asket.com
Linen shorts, £99.90, charlestyrwhitt.com
Reiss linen blazer, £190, selfridges.com
