THE STYLE CLINIC SHOW - EPISODE 3!

Episode 3 of the MR PORTER TV show that answers your sartorial problems. SHOP the looks featured at: MR PORTER

MR PORTER is currently taking submissions for future episodes, so if you've got a query pertaining to style don't hesitate to get in touch with them at styleclinic@mrporter.com!

MUMBAI LOOK: MR MATHIEU LEGUILLON!

As head of fashion and design at Bungalow 8, Mumbai's leading concept store, Mr Mathieu Leguillon deploys the skills that he learnt working in Paris under Lanvin's designer Mr Alber Elbaz. Mr Leguillon, 35, has lived in the Indian city since 2008, and in MR PORETR's shoot, below, he demonstrates that the easy style of Italy's casual tailoring specialist Incotex looks as good under the powerful Asian sun as it does in its native Europe.

How does life in Mumbai compare with life in Paris? In Paris, everything is readily and abundantly available, while in Mumbai you have to do more than pick up ready-made foods or goods. An example: there are very few supermarkets, but lots of markets where you find raw ingredients. It's up to you to use them as you want. The same is true with garments. At almost any level, the city pushes you to be creative and connect with people. 

How does life in the city affect the way you dress? As there are no drastic changes in temperatures, I mainly wear lightweight cottons and linens. I hardly have any knitwear except for what I wear when travelling. I've also adopted a lighter and brighter colour palette. It helps me to beat the heat and feel fresh, and, frankly, you don't often feel like wearing dark colours here. It must be the tropical light. 

How would you describe your style? It's a global mix: Indian and Western, unstructured and structured, a combination of classics from both worlds. 

What influence has Mumbai had on your style? I've been really inspired by India's traditional men's clothes - garments such as the dhoti, a piece of fabric draped around the hips and tied to form big trousers. I can pair them with a tailor-cut blazer, a formal shirt or even a knit. The geometric cut of a kurta, a heritage shirt from the Middle East, is another good example that offers loads of possibilities for contemporary mixes and styles. But I'm inspired by street style more than anything. The blogger Manou, who posts his work on wearabout.wordpress.com, travels a lot in the mountains in the north east and collects images of beautiful indigenous looks, many of which might surprise you. 

What is it about Mumbai that would most surprise a first-time visitor? I love Mumbai's architectural heritage - it's incredibly diverse and rich. My favourite style is Art Deco, and Mumbai has the second highest concentration of Art-Deco buildings in the world, right after Miami.

SHOW THE SHORT-SLEEVED SHIRT SOME LOVE!

It's time to show the short-sleeved shirt some love. Let us cast aside any dated associations with IT technicians, missionaries and Homer Simpson, and remind ourselves that a shirt with short sleeves can be just as stylish as its longer-armed brother - with a few provisos, of course. The first is that short-sleeved shirts should never be worn with a tie or any sort of neckwear, unless you actually are at the controls of a jumbo jet. The second, and no less important, condition is that you must choose the right short-sleeved shirt to look good: think well-cut, and not baggy, with sleeves that fall at least a few centimetres above the elbows and won't flap about like a pair of wings. This is where MR PORTER brands, from Burberry to Saint Laurent, come into play, with their breezy interpretations of the style jumping straight onto our summer wish lists. Whether you go for the 1950s counterculture and rockabilly aesthetic (embodied by the likes of Messrs James Dean and Eddie Cochran) or prefer to think tropical or preppy, click through the gallery, below, to discover some of our favourite short-sleeved shirts as well as the men who wear them well!

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OFF-DUTY ELEGANCE: OUT OF OFFICE NEEDN'T MEAN OUT OF STYLE!

Any fool can look sharp in a suit. However, as politicians the world over discover every summer, dressing down successfully is far harder than dressing up. In 1971 President Richard Nixon, keen to co-opt some of the late President John F Kennedy's youthful appeal, posed for some photographs on the San Clemente shore in California. The result was that he was widely mocked for wearing suit trousers and dress shoes on the beach. In the end his awkward appearance contrasted so unfavourably with JFK's exemplary off-duty style that the stunt did nothing but accentuate the differences between the two men. 

The reason for this is that relaxation is the key to the success of any holiday, and so the ideal vacation wardrobe should look and feel relaxed. Aside from underwear nothing that a man sports in the workplace deserves a space in your suitcase. Because we spend our days in an air-conditioned office we need to be reminded of what works on holiday, so we've dug out these old photographs to conjure up a mood of off-duty elegance. The images remind us that it's vital to get the fabric and fit of clothes right. Substantial natural fabrics (we're talking cotton and linen here) are the key, not only because they "breathe" but also because they wear well and can be thrown into the washing machine when dirty. It's hard to be relaxed around sun cream, sand and melting ice creams if everything you're wearing has to be dry-cleaned.

 As far as fit goes we believe that slightly looser clothes work best in the heat. They allow the air to circulate, and the way that they feel is conducive to relaxation. So save your slimmest trousers and close-fitting shirts for the city, and take a leaf out of Mr Gregory Peck's book and wear clothes that can move with the breeze. Colour is the final part of this puzzle, and strong light provides a great opportunity to wear brighter colours than usual. Whether that means a lavender-coloured pair of J.Crew's Stanton shorts, or a Burberry Prorsum shirt with a bold print, is down to taste. But either way the summer is the time to turn up the brightness, although if you have very pale skin it's best to wait until you've caught a tan before going for the boldest shades of orange, red and yellow. Check the gallery, below, to see seven men whose off-duty style was exemplary. 

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STREET STYLE: NEW YORKERS!

Have a nice evening!

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THIS WEEK'S TOP PICKS: SHORTS!

Your choice of swimwear speaks volumes about your character, so even if your day-to-day wardrobe is of a more modest colour palette, look to swimwear for an opportunity to go for bolder and more playful prints. From Hollywood actors to professional cyclists, check the slides, below, to find out the swimwear picks of 10 members of MR PORTER's Style Council..

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MONDAY INSPIRATIONAL!

It's mostly about the attitude!

FIVE WAYS TO WEAR: SHORTS!

Every man should own at least one good pair of shorts. Comfortable and relaxed, they're the perfect fair-weather fall-back, and, as MR PORTER's Style Director Mr Dan May demonstrates in their new video, there are a number of ways to wear them. To illustrate this point, they have chosen J.Crew's Stanton chino shorts. Constructed from rugged cotton twill, they are available on MR PORTER in a wide range of colours, but to emphasise their versatility we've chosen just one: a sun-bleached shade of lobster pink that brings to mind an East Coast sensibility, and imparts a summery, preppy flavour to each of our five looks. Shorts are inherently informal, and will likely never be appropriate for dinner at The Ritz, but it's possible nevertheless to dress them up or down to suit a variety of laid-back summer scenarios. 

Shop J.Crew's Stanton chino shorts here!

EFFORTLESSLY SUNDAYS!

Have a peaceful day. Shop your Sunday's favourites here!

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MAGIC CITY, MIAMI'S GLAMOUR OF THE 1950s RETURNS!

The second season of STARZ's highly-addictive, Miami-set drama, Magic City, premiered last night!

STREET STYLE S/S 13!

Tip for the summer: The closest a man should ever come to touching denim shorts is helping a woman out of them.

..Before you cut off those nice pairs of jeans (just give them to charity instead)

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STYLE DEBATE: T-SHIRT OR HENLEY?

T-Shirt or Henley? MR PORTER asked the experts which summer essential they prefer. So, which do you prefer?

SUMMER READING: HOUSES OF THE SUNDOWN SEA!

Houses of the Sundown Sea: The Architectural Vision of Harry Gesner. For more than sixty years, casual observers and architectural aficionados alike have craned their necks to catch glimpses of Harry Gesner houses of Southern California. There's one hovering on a mountaintop above Malibu, as it poised to take flight over the Pacific. Another is bolded to a cliff so that the site can support a home before the next 60 -foot cliff drops off. And yet another is tucked away on the grounds of the Getty Museum centre in Los Angeles. Maverick architect and inventor Harry Gesner was always drawn to unusual, challenging sites, which called for dramatic architecture and living environments. Houses of the Sundown Sea: The Architectural Vision of Harry Gesner will open doors to these and twelve other intriguing homes, all located in and round the Los Angeles area, accompanied by magnificent photographs by Jurgen Nogai. The book's scope will be broad, using archival photographs, documents and a rich collection of Gesner's own spectacular design drawings, blue prints and floor plans to trace his career from 1945 to the present. Even in Southern California, a region that has been a catalyst for great Modern architecture for more than a century, Gesner's utterly unique designs are outside the canons of doctrinaire modernism. Rather, his sensibility springs from his interpretation of the landscape and the messages it communicates to him after days of sketching on a new pristine site. Inevitably, for a man born an raised in Southern California, his sculptural designs are imbues with the vision of an almost primeval California, derived from his parents memories of the relatively undeveloped paradise of his youth. He is a Modernist, but one whose romantic, idealistic nature has caused his truly extraordinary body of work to be overlooked. Until now.

Shop here!

THE ICON: MR HARRY GESNER!

The life story of Mr Harry Gesner, whose 88 years have packed in three times the action of most ordinary high achievers, is so fabled that if it were not true, you'd suspect it had been fabricated by the author of a classic Boy's Own yarn. Mr Gesner is primarily an architect, whose work over six decades has defined many of Southern California's most sought-after bluffs, coves and hillsides... But that only scratches the surface. 

MR PORTER has been invited to meet Mr Gesner at his home, Sandcastle, a remarkable circular construction of stucco, salvaged brick and repurposed wood set flush to the beach at the western end of Malibu, California. The building next door is also a Gesner structure: The Wave House (completed in 1956), much admired by Mr Jørn Utzon (who channelled some of that admiration into his design for the Sydney Opera House) and formerly owned by rock'n'roll legend Mr Rod Stewart. 

"I thought that the best education I could possibly get would be to see the world. ''

MR PORTER was joined by model and actor Mr Zen Gesner, 42, the youngest of Harry's offspring, whose credits include a fistful of Farrelly brothers comedies and the TV series The Adventures of Sinbad, in which he played the title character. On looks alone, both father and son qualify as archetypal Southern Californian supermen: they are lords of the longboard, buffed to a state of golden wellbeing by the ocean and the sun.

 If Game of Thrones happened to be set in modern Malibu, the House of Gesner would be a dominant dynasty, fortified by its youngest generation, which includes Mr Zen Gesner's three sons, Finn (15), Rory (12) and Tuck (9). It has become a family tradition that fathers instil in their offspring a love of creativity, a close bond with the natural world and an appreciation for ancient weaponry. "My dad is the ultimate renaissance man," says Mr Zen Gesner. "He trained me how to use a sword, and a bow and arrow, and he taught me how to dance. I'm an actor, and I love that walk of life, but I have a great appreciation for what my father does as well. Dad was always a constant source of inspiration." 

READ AND SEE MORE AFTER THE BREAK!!!

THE NEW CLASSIC!

The 'new classic' as Guerre calls it and the top priority on my summer wishlist!

Shop a Lanvin alternative here!

STYLE CLINIC: STAYING STYLISH IN THE HEAT!

This is the Style Clinic. This week enquiry is from African pharmaceutical executive Mr Willem D van Niekerk, who wants to stay cool in the heat while still looking the business. Click on the video below to see how MR PORTER advise him. 

If you have a sartorial query you'd like MR PORTER's style experts to answer, you can write to: Style Clinic, MR PORTER, 1 The Village Offices, Westfield London, Ariel Way, London W12 7GF .

SUPER COOL BIZ, SUPER COOL JAPAN!

Following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, the shutdown of many nuclear power plants for safety reasons led to energy shortages. To conserve energy, the Japanese government recommended setting air conditioners at 28 degrees Celsius, switching off computers not in use, and called for shifting work hours to the morning and taking more summer vacation than usual. 

The government then launched a "Super Cool Biz" campaign to encourage workers to wear outfits appropriate for the office yet cool enough to endure the summer heat. 

The Cool Biz dress code advises workers to starch collars so they stand up and to wear trousers made from materials that breathe and absorb moisture. Additionally, workers are encouraged to wear short-sleeved shirts without jackets or ties. Many workers, though, were confused about whether they should follow the new stipulations—many came to work with their jackets in hand and their ties in their pockets. June 1 marked the start of the Environment Ministry's Super Cool Biz campaign, with "full-page newspaper ads and photos of ministry workers smiling rather self-consciously at their desks wearing polo shirts and colorful Okinawa kariyushi shirts." The campaign was repeated in 2012, and it is repeated again this summer! So why just Japan? LET'S SUPER COOLBIZ!

CLUB MONACO, BEACH SHOP!

Club Monaco, fashionspam's beach apparel choice this season!

Shop here!

FAVOURITE SUN-READY FRAMES!

Whether you're spending the summer months sizzling at home or away, one of the first items you'll come to rely upon is the perfect pair of sunglasses. Admittedly, shades are often the first thing to disappear after a cocktail or two but when it comes to protecting your eyes from that midday glare, there should be no corner-cutting on style and quality. With this in mind, we've singled out five pairs we are particularly fond of this season. Perfect for lake-side lunching, hangover-hiding or covert lady looking, rest assured that the summer sun will be much more bearable in a pair of these.. 

SHOP THE STORY & MORE!

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THE TREND: STAND-OUT SHIRTS!

This season numerous designers, from Mr Thom Browne to Burberry Prorsum's Mr Christopher Bailey, included bold, printed shirts in their collections. That's right: the traditional style advice of "put down that jaunty Hawaiian number, and reach for this understated chambray instead", has been sent packing for spring/summer 2013, as the stand-out shirt takes centre stage. But hang on a minute. Before you order that extra-large piña colada and head for the pool, there are a few things to bear in mind. The look this season is in no way related to your uncle Ernest's Caribbean cruise outfits nor to Mr Tom Selleck's somewhat seedy Magnum P.I. attire. Vibrant shirts may be in, but that doesn't mean good taste is out. For starters, anything featuring scantily-clad hula girls is out of the question, ditto printed with maps or the names of resorts (need convincing? See Mr Nick Nolte's infamous mugshot). Equally unappealing are shiny silk or polyester printed shirts, and any with an oversized, baggy cut. Instead, it's all about innovative, uplifting patterns printed onto neat-fitting, well-made shirts. 

Click through the gallery below to see how a handful of stylish men have worn the stand-out shirt well, along with a selection of our favourites that are available to purchase on MR PORTER, or read a few of our tips for wearing them well below. 

Aloha Tuesdays!

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