The Three Summer Suits Every Guy Needs in His Closet
Sometimes, you’ve just gotta suit up. Whether it’s a wedding, a funeral, or a job interview, life’s major moments don’t stop coming just because it’s hot. But wearing the wrong suit in the summertime is unpleasant enough that it can make you forget your sartorial manners.
Instead of underdressing for the occasion—or sweating your way through it—you simply need to score the right suit. The warmer months are no time for fabrics like flannel and tweed. Ditto that for heavyweight blends and lofty materials that trap heat close to the body. Linings aren’t strictly verboten, but skipping them is one way to up the breeziness of any type of tailored clothing. It’s all about choosing the right materials to keep you feeling—and looking—cool.
Here, we’ll walk you through the three suits that every guy needs in his summer wardrobe. But careful; there’s a twist. If you’re in a pinch, the truth is you only really need one type of suit to get you through even the most stifling days of the season.
The Summer-Weight Wool Suit
If you can only get one summer-weight suit, opt for wool. Trust us.
This is it. The one suit that can see you through any balmy, muggy, stifling day. Yes, it’s wool. We’ve said it before—and you can bet we’ll say it again—but despite its cold-weather connotations, wool is one of the best fabrics you can choose when you’re wearing a suit in the heat. Not just any wool, of course. You’re looking for something that’s designed for maximum breathability and minimum weight. The words you should be looking for are “tropical,” “fresco,” and “high-twist.”
Tropical refers to weight. As in, not very much of it. This is super light wool that was originally designed for comfort in (you guessed it!) the tropics, so you can bet it’ll fare well for your July job interview. Fresco and high-twist refer to way the fabric is constructed and are effectively interchangeable when you’re shopping, though the former technically refers to a branded fabric made by English mill Hardy Minnis. These wools use a yarn that’s twisted more than usual, giving it a springy wrinkle resistance (which also makes these suits ideal for travel) and allowing it to be woven with an openness that lets air cut right through the fabric. That means when the breeze blows, you’ll feel it. Plus, you’ll get all the polish and traditional good looks that come with a wool suit. Best of both worlds.
When it comes to brands, Paul Smith is a good spot to start, as the brand makes fresco suits season after season. Same goes for Ring Jacket, which consistently offers breezy tailoring using its proprietary, high-twist Balloon fabric. Spier & Mackay can help you save a few bucks on summer-weight wool, while Proper Cloth and Todd Snyder offer very good options for a little bit more dough. If you want to explore more options, just Google those key terms we discussed and start hunting around.
Linen and linen-blend suits look particularly good in rich colors like chocolate brown.
If you’re looking to expand your summer suit collection, the next best step is something in linen. The long-staple fiber lends a natural structure to the fabric, meaning that instead of drooping it’ll stand a bit away from the body, allowing for more airflow. Yes, it will wrinkle. But it’s summer, and if the occasion allows for it—think beach weddings or semi-fancy dates—those wrinkles and creases just add to the laid-back vibe that the season brings.
Of course the Italians understand that vibe, so on the high end, look to Brunello Cucinelli and Zegna for truly outstanding linen and linen-blend suits. You can also try Massimo Alba (also Italian, but a little less pricey) or stock up on impressively priced linen options at Suitsupply, which offers a wide range of cuts and colors. Don't forget about the brands we mentioned for summer-weight wool, though; any tailoring brand worth its salt is likely to do something in linen when summer rolls around.
As for color? Linen also takes dye particularly well, meaning you can find suits in a range of extra-summery shades like mint green and dusty pink. Of course, if you opt for something more traditional like khaki, beige, or good ol’ navy, no one’s going to fault you for it.
It’s not as breathable, but the look of the chino suit says summer.
A lot of guys think of the chino suit as the first thing they should buy when it comes to getting dressed up in the summer. We’d argue that it’s option number three. The look of the fabric may say summer, but the dense weave means that, while it’s less prone to wrinkling than linen, it’s also blocking the air from reaching your body when the wind whips up (or the air conditioning kicks on). It’s not like you’re draping yourself in heavy tweed, but it’s worth knowing that it does wear warmer than most linens and summer-friendly wools. That said, it does look the part.
Classic khaki is a natural choice, but color options abound. J.Crew recently did a run of chino tailoring in a pretty fantastic olive green that, naturally, sold out with some speed. If you have a few more dollars to spend, you could try Buck Mason's Graduate line of blazers and trousers or look to another American mainstay, Polo Ralph Lauren, for can't-miss chino suits with a worn-in, well-loved feel. Drake's adds a bit of British flair to the washed blazers and trousers from its Games line of tailoring, and Fursac brings a French perspective to its chino suits. And if you want to get luxurious, well, there's always high-fashion houses like The Row (though their selections may vary from season to season). Feel free to experiment until you find what works for you.
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