Dress like the men in ‘The White Lotus’, just don’t act like them

In almost every way The White Lotus shows us how not to be a man, husband and uncle but at least the troubled characters look good while being terrible. With Taormina, Sicily as the Italian base of adulterous, murderous and potentially incestuous operations, there is plenty of summer inspiration from the television series, streaming on Binge, when the characters keep their clothes on.

Costume designer Alex Bovaird grounds the characters in the aspirational and accessible territory of Persol sunglasses, Nanushka knit shirts, Superdry T-shirts and New Balance sneakers. Here’s how to look the part. Accessorising with questionable morals is your choice. Warning: some spoilers below.

Cameron (Theo James) – The adulterous aesthete

Theo James as Cameron in season two of ‘The White Lotus’ wearing a cream knit shirt by British label Naunushka.

The quintessential finance bro, Theo James’ character Cameron is the peacock of The White Lotus set, right down to his discontinued Rolex Submariner “Smurf” Ref. 116619LB, which won’t leave you much change from $45,000 from vintage resellers.

Along with being the well-built guy cocky enough to drop his trousers and flash a glimpse of prosthetic penis in front of your wife, Cameron has the confidence to wear the most colourful Italian labels, such as Dolce & Gabbana and Etro, when his luggage goes missing.

In contrast to his rainbow purchases, Cameron’s most relatable look is dialled back, when he takes a break from cavorting with sex workers and riding jetskis and takes to the beach in a cream knitted short-sleeved shirt worn overboard shorts.

Take the look beyond the beach by wearing the shirt with cream trousers or jeans and unbuttoned with a T-shirt or ribbed white singlet underneath for laps of the nearest bar. This ready-to-wear shirt is best paired with a Pinot Grigio, rather than a deep red, ready-to-stain Nebbiolo.

Follow Cameron’s lead by taking a break from flexing and choose an oversized cut. Apart from looking less like you’re trying to impress, the extra volume will allow for extra air movement when things undoubtedly heat up.

Jack (Leo Woodall) – The Love Island look

Hayley Lu Richardson (Portia) and Leo Woodall (Jack) in ‘The White Lotus’. Jack wears a terry shirt from Dandy Del Mar.Credit: HBO/Binge

Poor Jack, played by Leo Woodall, is everybody’s favourite holiday fling, until the next morning. Bovaird’s Love Island inspiration comes through loud and clear, with fitted shirts and tantalising short shorts, popular with contestants on the reality-adjacent dating show.

We are happy to leave Jack’s Superdry shirts rolled up on his uncle’s bedroom floor, along with his patterned boxer briefs and his Goorin brothers Rooster trucker cap but his tonal shorts and shirt combination has serious merit

A combination of wild patterns is fine for the work Christmas party but could be mistaken for a romper suit, so seek something with minimal detailing like Jack’s Western-inspired shirt or a singular printed style, and keep it untucked.

Subdued Hawaiian prints or florals with a restrained palette, present an image of modern masculinity, even if what lurks inside is a troubled boy.

Matching sets are also perfect for holiday packing, with the shirt doing double duty with jeans, trousers or cargo pants for the full Love Island effect.

Albie Di Grasso (Adam DiMarco) – Nice guy normcore

Albie Di Grasso (played by Adam DiMarco) wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch rugby short with F. Murray Abraham as his grandfather Bert and Michael Imperioli as his father Dominic.Credit: HBO/Binge

When Albie, played by Adam DiMarco, keeps his sports socks on during an intimate encounter, Bovaird is telling us that this young man is still finding his way in the world. This is not a style trick to follow, unless poor circulation keeps your feet like mood-killing ice blocks.

One of the few things Albie gets right on his entire holiday is his commitment to all American basics, right down to his New Balance sneakers.

The cargo shorts should have stayed at home and are a trap for constantly checking all six pockets for your hotel key, or whether someone has taken your wallet.

Ignore the Goldilocks size of Albie’s rugby shirt, not small enough to be fitted or big enough to be oversized but ultimately basic. Take a risk by going to one extreme and ignore the in-between. Just make sure that you have a rugby top in your wardrobe.

The retro appeal of rugby shirts is on the rise thanks to New York boutique Rowing Blazers, which is popular with Justin Bieber and content creator Jake Krantz.

For summer wear, look for rugby tops in a lighter gauge, especially if you’re layering with a T-shirt. Long sleeves make them great for summer nights when the temperature drops or the mosquitoes surface.

Invest in a high-quality rugby shop, so it lasts more than a few nights, but stop short of $50,000.

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