Double linen and more middle

Jun 08, 2024

From white jeans to kaftans, let’s embrace these holiday hallmarks

Whether we like it or not, the clothes we wear speak volumes about who we are and how we want to be perceived by the world. Even when it comes to something as unassuming and unpretentious as a linen shirt.

Proof came on Monday when Twitter user @BeardedGenius retweeted a video of Clinton Pugh, restaurateur and father of the actress Florence Pugh, protesting about traffic restrictions in Oxford, remarking: “I feel like double linen is middle-class double denim”.

That assessment is spot-on. Mr Double Linen’s wife also likely owns plenty of linen, along with a striped T-shirt which she hopes makes her look as French as the house they rent every year just outside Cassis in the south of France. She’ll team said tee with white jeans when popping to the supermarché, and stow her purchases in a basket bag personalised with her initials.

There are Mr and Mrs DLs rocking middle-class style cliches all over Europe. You’ll spot them waiting at the luggage carousel at your destination airport; at the hotel breakfast buffet, and enjoying a leisurely passeggiata before the sun goes down.

Don’t let this put you off. It’s OK to like these items and to want to wear them. I’m not trying to sap the joy from your summer holiday wardrobe. The thing about clichés is that they are established for a reason: they look good, they’re comfortable, they remind you of happy family holidays past, and even if you bought these clothing clichés years ago, they haven’t, for the most part, gone out of style.

In fact, we’ve all got a little bit of Mr and Mrs DL in us. So join us in this game of middle-class fashion cliche bingo and see how many of the hallmarks you can spot on your holiday this summer…

Mr Pugh isn’t alone in his double linen look. It’s been championed by David Beckham too – possibly the only person who can wear a linen suit for longer than five minutes without it getting creased. How do you do it, David? Answers on a postcard, please.

This is a formula upon which swathes of middle-class women have come to rely – it’s comfortable, flattering and, with a dress in a vibrant colour or print, joyful too. No wonder it’s become a clichéd combination. Don’t let us put you off, though; if it’s good enough for the eternally cool Jo Whiley, it’s good enough for you too.

Because not everybody is brimming with enthusiasm for sauntering around the pool in a barely-there bikini. Mrs DL travels with an array of kaftan-like cover-ups which look fabulous with Jackie O sunglasses and an Aperol Spritz in hand.

Beach cover-up, £70, aspiga.com

Mr DL isn’t above wearing borderline-novelty or statement trunks like Pierce Brosnan – they are part of the joy and excitement surrounding a family getaway. Another bonus? His teenagers are cringing, and that’s almost more amusing than the trunks themselves.

Blue or charcoal jeans seem a little out of place on a summer holiday, but for some reason, white jeans don’t. Unless they’re battling 40-degree heat, Mr and Mrs DL both love them, particularly at night when the mozzies attack bare ankles with enthusiasm. Liz Hurley, eat your heart out.

White jeans, £45, Marks & Spencer

The man who spends his working life in brogues isn’t entirely comfortable with sandals or trainers on holiday. Instead, he prefers an old pair of deck shoes, a la Rick Stein, which probably have sand from every beach he’s been to for the last 20 years caked into the soles. Mrs DL will probably bin them after this holiday when he’s not looking.

Jane Birkin convinced women everywhere that a straw bag should be a part of our summer style arsenal, and Mrs DL is no different. She’s proud of her personalised version, which is more affordable and sentimental than the Loewe ones carried by the celebrities and influencers she always follows on Instagram.

Personalised basket bag, £85, raefeather.com