Cotton suits

It's a dilemma faced by men the world over. How does one stay sharp while the sun blazes overhead? She's a tough one. All around you stand guys wearing the wrong stuff. Looking comfortable wearing the wrong stuff. Singlets, board shorts, jandals. But you can't close a business deal in singlets, board shorts or jandals. Worry not. We've got your answer: cotton suits.

Like their woolen counterpart, cotton suits look, feel and act like a suit. They're structured, hold their shape, look great with a shirt, tie and leather shoes, but that's about where the similarities end. Cotton suits are cool. They're breathable. They won't leave you sweating all over the show. They're more casual than a woolen suit, which is perfect for summer. They come in a plethora of different colours like beige (pictured above), navy blue, brown, and you get away with it because they're cotton. But best of all, they have a very European air to them. Do you know who wears cotton suits in summer? James Bond, that's who. Case closed.

One last thing. If you don't feel like wearing the full suit, or a shirt and tie, or even your business shoes, that's fine. Split it up. Wear the jacket with a good pair of jeans, or the pants with a short sleeve shirt. Try the suit with a polo shirt and leather sandals. The possibilities are endless.

Splitting your suits

Film still: An Education

You'd think we'd be the last people you know who'd be trying to convince you to break up your suit, but here at Working Style we've had a little change of heart. Don't get us wrong, we're still big on the full suit, but what with the advent of casual Fridays and all, we'd like to give you some more options.

Casual Fridays. Two words, which, when used simultaneously, herald the demise of the formal business uniform as we know it. It took us a while to get our heads around the idea, but then we had an epiphany. Casual Fridays don't just have to mean bad Obama-esque jeans and ironic slogan tee shirts. A man can still dress like a gentleman and keep it casual regardless of the slobs with which he is surrounded. The answer - splitting your suit.

The key to splitting your suit is knowing your cloths. A quick rule of thumb is to make sure to keep the more formal elements on top. Wear a wool suit jacket with a pair of cotton or corduroy pants; a tweed jacket with flannel pants; a cotton jacket with jeans. Don't be frightened by colours - sometimes the greater the contrast, the better the effect. Pair a navy blazer with grey or beige pants; a charcoal blazer with navy or black pants; a black blazer with just about anything.

You can wear it as formally or casually as you like - keep the tie, add a cotton pocket square. Lose the tie, unbutton the shirt and cuff the pants. Throw some knitwear under the jacket - a merino or cashmere v neck sweater looks great with a knitted tie and a pair of jeans. If you need any further ideas, go watch the film An Education - set in the 1960s, it has some of the best split suits we've ever seen.

The result, a more professional looking worker. Somebody people can trust. After all, who wants to take advice from a guy in an 'I'm with stupid' tee shirt?