How British men can compete with stylish Europeans on holiday

Baggy chinos and tattered trainers aren’t going to cut it in 35-degree heat – stick to these summer wardrobe tips to get your packing right

The poolside catwalk of the Mediterranean resort is fashion Scylla and Charybdis for the unsuspecting British male. A non-native of the species, how is the poor, pale holiday maker meant to hold his own amongst Italian stallions with their dark tans, easy pale pink polos, Spanish torsos rippling out of shorty shorts and the French flâneur with their suave savoir-faire? 
This is not an evenly-pitched battle. Forget the Olympics, we don’t even qualify. Those European men and their neatly tailored wardrobes strike horror into the heart of the northern visitor, whose weekend uniform of baggy chinos and slightly tattered trainers will never cut it in 35-degree heat. 
As the co-owner of Agora, the fashion boutique at Six Senses Ibiza, one of Europe’s most high-stakes style resorts (think The White Lotus meets Succession), I have a considered vantage point over poolside dos and don’ts – only last week Orlando Bloom popped into the store for a style top up. So if you want to be less Brad Pitt in a bucket hat and more David Niven at the bar, follow these simple style rules to get your packing right.
It’s the first morning, you’re not hungover and you resolve to use the hotel gym. Try a Pangaia tank/t-shirt, gym shorts (points for a niche brand like Hylo, founded by footballer Michael Doughty, or you’ll get gym bunny kudos for Gymshark) and calf-length socks. Pangaia is for men who care about the planet and like to geek out about material science and alternative fabric technologies. Socks are pulled up to mid-calf for 2024. Emphasise your commitment with a wearable device you can remove at the breakfast table provoking a long discussion about sleep quality and steps.
Shorts, £60, Hylo
Tailored shorts are the thing here. Do not blanch at the prices. They will last you the next five years minimum (provided you don’t tuck into too many frites) and the favours they will do your middle-aged dad bod will make you thank the mirror daily. Seeing is believing – try them on. Mackeene, Orlebar Brown, and Frescobol Carioca for larger sizes are all recommended. Go mid-length and choose a print, (conservative gentlemen should push the boat out with something geometric, rather than the block colour you might be tempted by).
Deep Sea swim shorts, £295, Orlebar Brown
Whatever you do here, don’t go baggy, you will do your tummy no favours. Look at the extra money you spend on the shorts as you would your annual sports club membership: the investment is similar, financially and physically.
Those little beach shacks where your feet are in the sand, the rosé is flowing, and the lunch lasts all afternoon. You will undoubtedly eat too much, jump in the sea, and then require a long nap, so your tailored swim shorts will take you from table to shoreline. Smarten them up with a button short-sleeved linen shirt: Once Milano does the best linen, but John Lewis have some very serviceable versions. Pale colours minimise underarm sweat marks.
Linen shirt, £219, Once Milano
A fashion minefield – you need to score points here. The crochet polo neck is a big style staple for this summer and a good option if it’s breezy. Orlebar Brown does one that is spot on, or try Abercrombie’s in green for something cheaper. Pair with cotton chino shorts, M&S are doing a very good flat-fronted stretch version: make it Mediterranean by choosing coral over beige. Sliders or flip-flops are perfectly acceptable deckside. 
Crochet polo shirt, currently £38.99 from £65, Abercrombie
This is where you can try out a set. A matching pair of shorts and shirt will elevate your look instantly, and SMR Days have the best – try this version in a cotton turquoise geometric print. CDLP do a super light safari suit in a gorgeous stoney beige or pale pink (or navy if you think you can handle a dark colour in the heat). If it’s cooler, dig out those tailored swim shorts and add a towelling polo (they’re ubiquitous now).
Shirt (£170) and shorts (£170), both CDLP
If the pool is really smart, and you think someone might be breaking out the tunes later, then why not impress with a pool blazer? No shirt, one necklace – a simple thin chain Paul Mescal style, or a mandala if you are holding your own with the Ibiza hippies. 
Do colour here, but avoid print if you want to duck any pointed-style faux pas. Terracotta and pale blue are the colours for 2024, avoid pink and red if you have any sort of sunburn. Frescobol Carioca backless loafers will keep your feet cool and comfortable, plus you can make yourself feel really good with a spritz of summer fragrance; Tom Ford Beau de Jour is delicious and dependable, whatever the occasion. (A friend of mine navigates the most difficult issues in his life with the motto “Be More Tom Ford”. An easy win when all you have to do is spritz for style.)
Suede clogs, £185, Frescobol Carioca 
You’ve got a table at Pacha, your wife insists you go. What to wear? Let’s revisit the set. A silk pyjama suit with a matching tunic and trousers is a luxurious enough fabric to get you into VIP, while you will retain all the cool factors for comfort and style. SMR Days are your go-to here: their Malibu silk trousers and tunic manage to be low-key enough not to draw comment, but dressy enough to impress the DJ.
Silk trousers, £595, SMR Days
Time to break out the print. This summer’s big resort-style collaboration from La Double J x Orlebar Brown delivers the perfect floral print shirt. or try Next’s rather cool Navajo version.
Floral print shirt, £345, Orlebar Brown
Short sleeve shirt, £32, Next
Don’t let it all hang out unless you are absolutely sure everyone wants to look. Throw on a linen shirt (recommendation for a ‘pool blazer’, see above, for those who didn’t quite reach the gym targets).
Especially if it’s a mandala (but you should remove all wrist and arm candy before you re-enter the boardroom).
Your head will thank you. Frescobol Carioca do the best Panamas, but most men can get away with a baseball cap.
It’s kinder on your ageing skin.
This shows you appreciate artisanship. SMR Days specialises in Indian heritage techniques, and their Chikenkari embroidery, which hails from the Pakistani border, is low-key enough for holidays.
LGR are beautiful Italian artisan frames in a variety of shapes, but you really can’t go wrong with a pair of Ray-Bans.
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