Bahrain is an island nation, and its air shows it. Surrounded by the shallow, warm water of the Gulf, the kingdom has summers that are not only hot but heavy with humidity, and winters, from roughly November to March, that are mild enough for long evenings outdoors. Anyone looking to buy a linen shirt in Bahrain is buying for both: a garment that stays comfortable on a sticky August evening in Manama and looks composed at a winter majlis or a terrace dinner in Adliya.

Linen suits that climate. Flax fibre handles moisture readily and holds little heat, and a well-woven linen shirt keeps a little air between the cloth and the skin even when the evening is close. The question is less whether to choose linen than which linen shirt, cut and colourway suit how you live on the island. The Pieter Petros men's shirts are handmade in the atelier in Dubai, most of them in certified Belgian linen, and finished with natural buttons, and they are all in the PP linen shirts collection.

For working days and formal settings, the long-sleeved shirts are the place to start. The Laos Long Sleeve Linen Shirt comes in Beige Cream, Dark Blue and Oyster, quiet colours that read well in an office in the Bahrain Financial Harbour or at a family gathering, and our guide to the Laos Long Sleeve covers its cut. The Bliss Linen Shirt, also long-sleeved, comes in six colourways, from Dark Blue and Grey to Lemon Yellow and Pink, and is the more expressive choice for an evening. The Monte-Carlo Male shirt, in Oatmeal, Oyster or Vanille, has walnut buttons and a refined, clean presence at dinner.

For weekends, the short-sleeved shirts take over. A Laos Short Sleeve Linen Shirt in White, Light Blue or Mint Green suits a Friday at a beach club on the Amwaj Islands or a long lunch by the water at Muharraq, and the Cuba Linen Shirt in Blue, Grey or Pink is a relaxed alternative. On a boat trip to the sandbanks off the coast, the shirt stays dry in the bag; the swimming is done in PP natural swim shorts.

Bahrain's cultural sites reward a little thought about what to wear. Long-sleeved shirts with long linen trousers are right for a walk through the Manama Souq behind Bab Al Bahrain, or along the Pearling Path in Muharraq, the UNESCO-listed trail of merchants' houses and pearling sites that recalls the trade on which the island was built, and a visit to Qal'at al-Bahrain, the ancient fort by the sea. For a wider guide to dressing on the island, see what to wear in Bahrain.

For women, the PP linen blouse in Lemon, Orchid, Pink or Sky Blue goes from a gallery morning to dinner; the Amelia linen dress shirt, cut to the thigh and worn as a dress, belongs to the resort and the private terrace rather than the souq or the Pearling Path.

Where can the collection be seen in person? The nearest boutiques are in Dubai, a little over an hour's flight from Bahrain: Park Hyatt Dubai and The Lagoon Beach Club on Dubai Creek, Surf Club Dubai, and Sofitel The Palm Beach Resort. The full collection is also online; the linen shirt size guide shows how linen should sit across the shoulder and chest, and choosing a linen brand in Bahrain sets out the qualities worth looking for.

From late October the evenings cool, the terraces of Adliya fill, and Manama turns outward again, towards the water and the long tables outdoors.

Read more: Buy a Linen Shirt in Dubai  ·  What to Wear in Bahrain as a Couple