Summer footwear is certainly much more than deck shoes and sneakers. I do wear deck shoes, when sailing or visiting friends in the archipelago. The waxy leather withstands an occasional dip or two, and the soles keep you from involuntarily leaving a wet deck. At the lawn tennis club, I wear my whites, including, of course, a pair of white tennis shoes. For most other matters, however, I prefer slightly dressier shoes. And those are, many times, more comfortable.

The fashion industry has an everlasting demand for renewal. It wants, of course, to sell you new garments every season. Although once and a while an innovation can become part of permanent style, the push to "make it new" often leads to amusing results. The very short and excessively slim jacket that has been in vogue the last couple of years most certainly belongs to the latter category.