There comes a time every summer — particularly right now, as the thermostat climbs without end in sight — where a guy needs to find the right balance between staying ultra-cool and looking, well, ultra-cool. How to dress stylishly in the heat is a main concern in my neck of the woods, especially if everything from rooftop happy hours to coastal getaways remains on your calendar in the weeks ahead.

One of the best men’s polos can help nail the delicate balance between comfort, style and crisp looks — make it a breezy, fashionable polo from the classic menswear purveyors at Buck Mason, and you’ve got yourself a winning upgrade as far as the best summer style essentials are concerned.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say the Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo takes an already-versatile silhouette and makes it even more wearable for the days and weeks ahead. It’s part of the new Buck Mason Free Flows Collection, an assortment of the best lightweight menswear that blends effortless cool, dependable good looks and breezy, textured fabric across the board.

And while the brand also excels at rugged menswear like one of the best Western shirts, the Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo is a touch more refined and plenty easy to style with linen trousers, soft-shouldered summer suiting and the brand’s utterly classic chinos.

There’s an air of retro cool to the Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo, which is billed by the iconic modern American brand as a “fully fashioned slim fit polo made from an airy blend of textured Italian cotton and linen,” (the blend is 70 percent seeded cotton and 30 percent linen, for the record). It forgoes a traditional button placket in favor of an on-trend yet timeless open V-collar, while the handsome Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo features a chest pocket for some added visual appeal, plus ribbed cuffs at the sleeves and bottom hem — not unlike one of the best sweater polos on the market.

The colorway of the Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo is crisp and classic, with a Natural shade that pairs well with everything in your wardrobe, from rolled light wash denim to olive chinos, tobacco-hued linen trousers, even grey or navy utility shorts.

The even better news? You can score all of these casually cool menswear essentials from Buck Mason alongside the elegant, rakish Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo. Your summer deserves a lightweight upgrade, and the accessible, retro-inspired Buck Mason Free Flows Linen Polo is the right way to go this season.