Most men’s wardrobes are home to enough denim to clothe the gold rush. But amid all the raw selvedge and frayed hems, it’s easy to forget the fact that if you wear jeans when the mercury’s bubbling over, your lower body slowly poaches.

“This season, denim is taking on a much fresher and lighter feel,” says stylist Hayley Lai, who has worked for the likes of Tom Ford, Harvey Nichols and MatchesFashion. Fabrics are lighter, shades brighter, and brands from the high street to the high-end have even experimented with cuts that let your legs breathe.

Pick right by following these helpful tips, and you can step into the denim trend this summer, without perspiring.

Lighten Up

Before you label white jeans wholly impractical or a look best left to Wham! impersonators, consider that, just like black, white is a neutral shade that goes with pretty much everything in your wardrobe. But unlike black, it reflects heat, rather than absorbs it. So your jeans don’t act like solar panels.

For styling tips, look the coast of southern Europe. Classic denim is the worker’s uniform; white jeans are worn by the guy who owns the company (and needn’t risk dirtying them up). So even you don’t have a yacht in the harbour, embrace the Riviera aesthetic by combining with easygoing footwear and a darker shade to add some contrast up top.

Get Distressed

Recent seasons have been full of more ripped, torn and slashed jeans than you could shake a Stanley Knife at. Of course, shortly after they were established as ‘a thing’, men took distressing a little too far with denim that was more holes than not. (This is why we can’t have nice things.)

Having reined it back in, we can once again take time to appreciate this fashion trend for the extra ventilation it provides. Just remember to stick to a couple of slashes between your knee and pocket liner.