It’s a very British cover-up

Our unpredictable British summers rarely permit us to leave the house without some sort of cover-up. The thing is, you don’t want to overheat as a consequence of wearing something too cumbersome.

In my view, bomber jackets and Harringtons offer the solution; usually unlined, unstructured and versatile enough to suit casual or formal occasions. They are also a godsend if, like me, you aren’t very tall, and they are an appropriate alternative to a tailored blazer. The classic MA-1 bomber jacket, originally created for the US military in the 1950s, has benefited from a civvy makeover recently, with many brands recreating this utilitarian staple in superior fabrics. Oliver Spencer’s Bermondsey bomber dips its toe into the MA-1’s rich heritage, but is delivered in a very contemporary way.

There is a wealth of authentically styled Harringtons on the high street at the moment, but it’s commonly acknowledged that it all began with heritage brand Baracuta. Its signature G9 jacket, with Fraser tartan lining in

Clockwise from top left: Classic G9 Harrington, £295, Baracuta (baracuta. com); Wide wale cord Harrington, £345, Sunspel (sunspel.com); Signature ochre Harrington, £95, Ben Sherman (bensherman.co.uk); Navy check Harrington, £35 (was £55), Burton (burton.co.uk); Walnut nylon Harrington, £94.98 (was £189.95), Scotch & Soda (scotch-soda. com); Bermondsey bomber, £175 (was £349), Oliver Spencer (oliverspencer.co.uk) breathable Coolmax material, is a cult item every midlifer should own. Burton has an affordable spin on the style, in a navy check that would look the business with selvedge jeans. Ben Sherman’s ochre-coloured Harrington-bomber hybrid would add a shot of colour to a dark denim outfit.

There are other spin-off styles that sit between a Harrington and a bomber; Sunspel’s wide wale cord Harrington and Scotch & Soda’s weather-resistant bomber are stellar cases in point.