Hawaï vintage print slim-fit short sleeved Slam shirt by Hartford; ph. @arnolam

THE SUMMER SHORT-SLEEVE, THE PENNY LOAFER… 5 FASHION TRENDS TO TRY NOW

Fashion for men can be risky.  Easy to get it wrong.  Often, being ahead of the fashion game requires nous and chutzpah.  Case in point an early 70s sartorial vibe that’s starting to emerge from a handful of influential fashion editors.  It’s a look that takes a sense of humour to carry off unless, indeed, you are a fashion expert.

That’s why for most of us, classics continue to serve us so well.  The devil is in the detail and as such, here is a handful of timeless style moves that look good now.

1) The short sleeve shirt

It’s an elegant, understated style statement for summer.  Looks great with mid-thigh shorts or turned up chinos.   Keep colour choice simple (unless you’re going for the Hawaiian option, if so see photo, or see Mr Porter’s edit).  Keep styling details minimal, read: single left-hand pocket, small mother-of-pearl buttons (or similar), length below waist to mid-thigh with a straight baseline (no shirt tails).  Fabric?  Light weight cotton or linen.

Heath Heroes: Hartford Slam Pat Short Sleeve Shirt in Indigo Linen, €115, the simple, relaxed short-sleeve to die for.

2) 30s vintage inspired sunglasses

Move on from your wayfarers which, granted, are a bona fide mid-Century classic, but a little over exposed (if you have a pair, stash them away for a few years ready for their return).  Consider casting the net wider and going back a couple of decades to the 1930s for inspiration.  Think clear or tortoiseshell rims and green-tinted lenses and a slightly more rounded shape.

Heath Heroes:  Lunetterie Générale Bon Vivant Sun, £318, from the Canadian eyewear brand with a vintage vibe and contemporary engineering.  Class act.  From Liberty London or Kafka, 5 Alford Place, Aberdeen.

3) Cotton twill shorts

Part utilitarian chic, part military heritage you can’t go wrong with a pair of classic, cotton twill shorts in a neutral, mid grey hue.  Go for a semi-fitted cut that sits mid-thigh.  Team with a plain white t-shirt or a light cotton short-sleeve shirt (see above).

Heath Heroes: Orlebar Brown Bulldog Cotton Twill, in Storm Grey, £145 double up as swimming shorts.

4) The penny loafer (aka Weejun)

Its origins are all-American meets early 80s Mod – and is now a part of today’s mid-Century revival where you’ll see London hipsters donning the shoe from Shoreditch to Peckham.  ‘It strikes the ideal balance between smart and casual – not as formal as a brogue or Oxford or as casual as a sandal or plimsoll.  It’s a great shoe for the city,’ says Heath stylist, Tom O’Dell.

Heath Heroes:  Bass Weejuns (the Larson Penny Loafer) are Tom O’Dell choice shoe.  And for the purist this is probably the original penny loafer, designed in Maine in 1936.  Its inspiration was a Norwegian farm shoe (who knew?). £135 from GH Bass

5) Short back and sides

Classic hair cut that’s seeing a revival, it flatters and slims the face.  At around four or five inches on top, graduated at the sides and neat around the ear it’s good on fine and thick hair.  See British GQ and friend-of-Heath, Joe Mills’ take on the style here.

Heath Heroes:  D R Harris Crystal Hair Cream, £18.  No nonsense non-shiny setting gel from the legendary St James’s Street chemist and apothecary.  Does the job for when the top section of hair requires taming.  Heath’s own version?  Watch this space…

Words Emma Hill