Summertime and the linen is easy

There was a time when the only men you’d find wearing linen shirts would be a specific type of expat living in Malaga on their ill-gotten gains. Oversized, blowsy, often collarless, they were the go-to for men who didn’t need to work too hard for a living. Then something changed around the turn of the millennium; linen shirts, in less flouncy fits, went mainstream.

Pure linen shirts are the holy grail in a heatwave, allowing the body to breathe, but by the end of the working day you look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. Or used to. Brands like Flax London and Sweden’s Arket are leading the way in crease-resistant linens. Arket’s, in an airy, plain weave, is the answer if you are looking for a classic white shirt (it actually comes in 11 colours) that will keep its shape for both casual or formal occasions; Flax London, a British brand that specialises in using mid-weight and heavy linen from Belgium and Ireland, is the place to go if a more traditional, workwear-inspired style is what you are after.

But by far the safest way to stay crease-free is to focus on mixes or blends, where the fabric has been woven with a combination of linen fibres and something else, usually silk or cotton. M&S Collection has a stellar shirt (52 per cent linen, 48 per cent cotton) which features moisture-wicking Cool Comfort and easy-iron technology.

Other great options can be found at Cos, Zara and Octobre Editions, a specialist in wardrobe staples with Continental savoir-faire.