You may have heard the joke: "Why do men like to see girls naked, and girls like to see men wearing their best suit? -Because we both want to see what they're worth."

Certain outfits exude pure masculinity: firefighter, SWAT teams, and the gold standard: the United States Marine in dress uniform.

I'm noticing trends in this, more and more: glasses feminize, sunglasses masculinize. Collars and shoulders indicate status and command, v-neck shirts and blouses, vulnerability. Armored-on-horseback = badass, naked and alone = concerntration camp victim. Construction workers or Hell's Angels wear boots, hippies wear Birkenstocks (or go barefoot). And so on.

Clearly, the general rule is, the more layers, accessories, the better. What I'm puzzled at, is how to dress well, remaining manly and professional, but be cool in very warm surroundings. Women can wear skirts and open-toes shoes, but men are stuck with few choices when it's hot.

Any suggestions?