Linen: it's always been a bit, well, linen, hasn't it? What graces the backs of moneyed oligarchs on Capris doubles as the battle armour of pensioners on the Algarve. It was cool, yes, but only in the practical sense of the word. That's changing, though.
You can thank Chris Hemsworth. At a press conference for his latest film, Men In Black: International, the 35-year-old made it okay to admit that, actually, you like linen, and how it's so very practical and comfortable for the pressure cooker into which the UK will plunge this summer.
It's a move long anticipated by the runways, too. For SS19, Brunello Cucinelli repurposed the classic tux in an ivory linen, proving that a slouchy, crease-prone fabric can undergo some polish. Ralph Lauren pushed things further. Pouring linen into an elevated, hyper-dandy suit (think lapels on steroids and graphic ties), it became less a thing of substance over style and more a happy marriage of both. Linen has come a long way since the yacht parties of Simon Cowell circa 2005.
Still, you needn't go fully suited to pull it off. Make like Hemsworth, and opt for simplicity: cream trousers, classic watch, and a practical, holiday-appropriate linen shirt. Just keep things relatively fitted to avoid the swamping fabric of your Top Gear-watching uncle, and you'll be cool. We mean actually cool, too.
Get your own version below.
