15 mistakes every man over 40 makes in a heatwave (and how to correct them)

As a warm band of air makes its way across the UK this weekend, temperatures are set to continue rising – even beyond the mid-twenties. But what exactly does that mean for men in their forties?

Put simply, a series of style etiquette conundrums that can feel nigh-on impossible to get right.

We spoke to two style influencers with sunny dispositions for their thoughts on the snares fortysomething men commonly fall into. Phill Tarling is a celebrity stylist who has worked with the likes of Hugh Bonneville and ITV's Ben Shepherd, and David Evans is a sartorialist and style blogger whose Grey Fox blog caters to an older demographic. 

Without further ado, here are the mistakes men make, and how to fix 'em:

1. Pairing a formal shirt with shorts

"My theme is a about going for a classic, tailored look once you're older", says Evans, who avoids being too prescriptive with style rules, but does have his fair share of suggestions.

"You see men wearing shorts with the same sort of formal shirt they would wear with their suit, but the proportions are too long on formal shirts. Look for a nice linen or cotton casual shirt that isn't too long so you can wear it outside the waistband."

2. Gradually wilting beneath a wool suit

We've all been there. In a meeting, on the tube, in a job interview or stuck in traffic, looking smart while slowly melting into the chair.

"You can get some fantastic lightweight wool suits" says Evans. "Cotton, linen, silk and other lightweight combinations work too. They look fantastic because the lighter colour reflects the light and they're much more comfortable to wear than the wool that most suits are made of."

3. Fraternising with enemy fabrics

"Anything man made such as a polyester suit or a nylon shirt, knock on the head", advises Tarling. "If you have the ability to wear separates to work, then a pair of cotton chinos and a linen or cotton shirt will be perfect. Natural fibres are your best friends."

4. Wearing baggy, 3/4 length shorts

Stop Hammer time. Yes, you are correct in noticing that the previous sentence is devoid of a colon. In your forties it's time to put away the cargo shorts and low-slung baggy trousers and opt instead for neat and structured tailoring. When it comes to shorts, try and choose a pair that rest an inch or so above the knee.

If you're firmly against shorts, try lightweight trousers. "Find a really nice pair of linen trousers or light cotton chinos", says Evans. "Don't be afraid to go for a bit of colour such as a light blue or a lime green."

via GIPHY

5. Sweating beneath a heavy tie

"Why not find a nice cotton or a knitted tie in a nice bright colour?" asks Evans. "It'll go with the sun, unlike the dark red paisley tie that you might wear when the weather's not as bright."

6. Rocking brogues without socks

"I'm not a great lover of brogues without socks, because I just think that if you're going to not wear socks you should wear shoes that are designed for not wearing socks" says Evans. "Brogues are designed to be worn with woolen socks".

"There's a great fear of wearing socks but I think it's okay as long as they're trainer socks, the sort a cyclist might wear.

"I tend to wear suede shoes or loafers. They're often lighter coloured browns and tans, and they tend to look and feel a bit cooler than brogues, Oxfords and derbies. With shorts I'd wear loafers or even Converse."

7. Ignoring received wisdom

"It's a classic", says Tarling. "Socks and sandals is never a good look."

8. Wearing dark colours

Tarling's advice is to lighten up your colour pallette. 

"They might be flattering, but dark colours absorb light so you'll have to decide whether you want to look thinner or feel cooler."

9. Sporting a baseball cap

"I tend to avoid American baseball caps. The baseball cap is a bit of a badge of youth - you'll look much more stylish and self-confident in your own maturity if you wear something a little bit more classic", says Evans.

"Kempadoo Millar make caps up in Yorkshire and they're about to produce a range of cotton caps in the traditional flat cap rather than baseball cap style, and I think that's a style we could see come back. A nice straw panama is good too. It'll keep the sun out of your eyes so you're not squinting all of the time."

10. Whipping out the short suit

Now is not the time to try out that interesting orange short suit option.

There will be the odd slim bloke who can pull it off, but the general outlook is less positive. By 40-odd, the very small window when such behaviour was acceptable has long since passed. #sorrynotsorry

11. Choosing the wrong shades

"A cool pair of shades tucked in your breast pocket is good for this weather", says Evans. 

"There are some great vintage looks around now, the sort of sunglasses that Clark Gable might have worn. It really depends on your face shape and hair colour, and it's about pairing. Classic tortoise-shell sunglasses will look better with a suit than aviators which look better on the beach with a pair of shorts."

"You have to protect your eyes", confirms Tarling.

12. Succumbing to sunburn

Tarling is unequivocal on this one. "Any moisturiser will have a sun protection factor and even if you don't wear moisturiser", he says. "I'd recommend a travel bottle of Pizbuin to take with you during the day, it's a factor 30 and it protects your face."

13. Falling foul of the sweat patch

Try and imagine your personal stylist is a Transylvanian police officer: every morning he will place you under a vest.

"I regularly see guys on the tube in rush hour holding on to rails or just standing sweating and the sweat is seeping onto their shirts. What I would do is I always wear a cotton vest", Tarling, who has plenty to say on the topic, advises. 

"A lot of fabrics are techno fabrics that'll keep your body cool in winter and warm in summer. It's a sweat absorber and as grim as that sounds, it's better to have a vest or a t shirt doing than job than your shirt."

14. Keeping sleeves down

"There's nothing wrong with wearing a long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up", says Evans. "To be honest, I prefer that to short sleeves."

15. The nuclear option: going shirtless

via GIPHY