Lisbon is one of the most visually beautiful cities in Europe and one of the least formally dressed. The city's aesthetic is defined by its setting — the seven hills, the terracotta and azulejo tile facades, the miradouros looking out over the Tagus — and the people who live here have a relaxed but considered relationship with how they present themselves. The wardrobe that works in Lisbon is not formal, but it is attentive.

The summer climate in Lisbon is warm by European standards — July and August regularly exceed 30 degrees — but it is drier and less extreme than the Gulf or the Mediterranean in high summer. A breeze from the Atlantic moderates the heat, particularly in the evening, making Lisbon one of the more comfortable European cities in summer. Linen performs correctly in these conditions throughout the day.

For the historic neighbourhoods — Alfama, Mouraria, Bairro Alto: the cobblestone streets, the fado houses, the small restaurants in tile-fronted buildings are contexts where linen in a natural colourway reads as both appropriate and considered. A PP linen shirt in white or oyster with linen trousers and leather shoes or loafers is the combination that carries from the Alfama viewpoints in the afternoon to a late fado dinner in the evening.

For the modern waterfront — Belém, the LX Factory, the Parque das Nações: these are contexts where Lisbon's contemporary creative scene sets the standard. The same linen shirt, slightly more casually worn, with linen shorts or rolled-up linen trousers, works from afternoon to evening in these neighbourhoods.

For the Atlantic coast day trips — Cascais, Estoril, Sintra: the short train ride from Lisbon to the Atlantic coast and the royal palaces of Sintra is one of the great day trips in Europe. Linen in natural tones carries correctly through the heat of a Sintra morning and the sea breeze of a Cascais afternoon.

What to Wear in Marbella  ·  What to Wear in Florence  ·  Men's Linen Collection