Colours don’t define your masculinity. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

What with my impending trip to Milan Menswear Fashion Week as well as the fact that the weather is most definitely on its way to seventh circle of hell territory, I decided to dedicate this week’s article to the boys in the hope that it might inspire a few of them to throw out T-shirts that they’ve been wearing since the Spice Girls were the hottest things since sliced bread.

Here are a few top tips to help you avoid looking like you’re constantly on your way to a 90s party.

1. Invest in some light trousers and linen shirts. I will never for the life of me understand why many Maltese men insist on wearing denim and polyester whatever the weather (and in any case, no one should wear polyester, ever). It looks bad enough to see badly fitting jeans in winter (just because you have something which is 10 years old and still ‘wearable’, it doesn’t mean you should), but it makes no sense for you to wear the above items outside the house in weather which would make residents of the Sahara desert blush. Invest in breathable cottons and linens; not only will they minimise the amount of chafing you will get, but you’ll sweat less and smell a hell of a lot better by the end of the day. Oh, and while we are on the subject of smells, deodorants and perfumes are not luxuries, they are necessities.

I hope this might inspire them to throw out T-shirts they’ve been wearing since the Spice Girls were the hottest things since sliced bread

2. Don’t shy away from colour. Many Maltese men instinctively ignore coloured pieces of clothing which is a crying shame given that greens, corals and pinks are really instrumental in showing off Mediterranean skin tones to their full potential. Don’t be scared to experiment with clashing blues and greens or corals and blues for example. If you’re not feeling very adventurous but still want a bit of a change, why not stick to wearing an outfit which consists of one conventional colour and one unconventional one? Despite what some of your peers may have led you to believe when you were a teenager, colours do not define your masculinity.

3. The place for slide ons and flip flops is the beach or pool. There’s a trend which has been doing the rounds for some years which doesn’t sit well with many sartorially savvy people and with good reason. If you’re wondering whether or not to wear your flip flops to a wedding (I’ve actually seen this), the answer is no. Wondering if it’s okay to wear your Adidas slide ons to your daughter’s Holy Communion (I’ve seen this one too), the  answer here is also a resounding no. Apart from the fact that we don’t exactly have the cleanest roads in the world, these kind of shoes will make your entire outfit look 20 times more casual than it is, which means that you’ll always look like you’ve made zero effort and be inevitably badly dressed for any occasion other than a day at the beach. I don’t care if they’re branded: no one should spend so much money to look like a slob. Invest in leather or suede boating shoes or moccasins instead.