How British men can compete with stylish Europeans on holiday

The poolside catwalk of the Mediterranean resort is fashion Scylla and Charybdis for the unsuspecting British male. A non-native of the species, how is the poor, pale holiday maker meant to hold his own amongst Italian stallions with their dark tans, easy pale pink polos, Spanish torsos rippling out of shorty shorts and the French flâneur with their suave savoir-faire? 

This is not an evenly-pitched battle. Forget the Olympics, we don’t even qualify. Those European men and their neatly tailored wardrobes strike horror into the heart of the northern visitor, whose weekend uniform of baggy chinos and slightly tattered trainers will never cut it in 35-degree heat. 

As the co-owner of Agora, the fashion boutique at Six Senses Ibiza, one of Europe’s most high-stakes style resorts (think The White Lotus meets Succession), I have a considered vantage point over poolside dos and don’ts – only last week Orlando Bloom popped into the store for a style top up. So if you want to be less Brad Pitt in a bucket hat and more David Niven at the bar, follow these simple style rules to get your packing right.

Workout time!

It’s the first morning, you’re not hungover and you resolve to use the hotel gym. Try a Pangaia tank/t-shirt, gym shorts (points for a niche brand like Hylo, founded by footballer Michael Doughty, or you’ll get gym bunny kudos for Gymshark) and calf-length socks. Pangaia is for men who care about the planet and like to geek out about material science and alternative fabric technologies. Socks are pulled up to mid-calf for 2024. Emphasise your commitment with a wearable device you can remove at the breakfast table provoking a long discussion about sleep quality and steps.