More middle-aged men are opting for comfort over fashion when relaxing in the garden or on a beach[GETTY]

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But the “sad dad” look of pairing sandals with socks is set to take Britain by storm this summer.

Worse still, thousands of men are set to top it off with Hawaiian shirts, with the rule of thumb being “the louder the better”.

Debenhams says sales of socks and sandals have rocketed by 68 per cent compared with this time last year.

The trend may partly be thanks to Hollywood actor Bruce Willis, 59, who sported the look while out walking with his daughter Mabel last week.

The Die Hard star combined it with a check shirt, white top and blue jeans while out and about in Los Angeles.

Sales of brightly-coloured Hawaiian shirts have also soared by 72 per cent since the beginning of last summer, Debenhams says.