How to pick a summer weight

Fabric weight matters more than fibre. A heavy linen will sit hotter than a fine cotton poplin, whatever the label says.

We buy for the summer rail in grams per square metre. Anything under 140 gsm breathes; anything over 200 gsm is a shoulder-season piece pretending to be a summer one.

If you only remember one thing: hold it up to the light. If you can see the weave, you will feel the breeze.