As golden days approach, it’s time to lay aside your heavy wool suits and start the new reason right with summery fabrics and lighter styles. Read on for a guide to the summer suit styles you need in your closet so that you can navigate the warm weather with perfect poise.
The Linen Suit
Linen suits are a summer classic. The timeless fabric is made of natural fibers, and features a lightweight, breathable weave that will prevent over-heating. Its propensity for wrinkling easily is part of the look and adds a natural, easy glamor. If you’d prefer less wrinkling, however, opt for a blend that mixes linen with wool or cotton. Tobacco brown linen has always been iconic, but there’s no going wrong with a linen summer suit in any color. Stone and light grey, navy, and olive, in particular, come highly recommended. Just don’t wear a linen suit with a tie — try a statement pocket square instead.
The Cotton Suit
Cotton suits are versatile and offer a casual yet elegant look well-suited to long, glowing days. They are typically stiffer than wool suits, but are also cooler to wear. Select a suit with a more open weave rather than twill or gabardine for maximum breathability. Pale beige or khaki is a popular color for cotton suits, but navy or baby blue are also tasteful options. You might also consider a summer suit with a type of cotton fabric called chambray or cambric, which comes with a slight sheen and is similar to denim in its durability.
The Seersucker Suit
Pulled off correctly, seersucker is one of the chicest fabrics out there. With its uniquely puckered surface and fine, vertical stripes, this material is constructed out of twisted yarn and is as light and airy as they come. Do be sure to select an option that’s tailored well to your own physique, as seersucker can be difficult to drape. Seersucker suits are most commonly featured in stripes of blue and white, but you can also look for variants like red and white, tan and white, or navy and black. Seersucker is best suited for more casual occasions, so leave it for outside the office with this summer suit.
The Fresco Suit
Fresco is a particularly refined option made out of high-twisted yarn and wool with an open weave. Weaved in such a way, the wool is lightweight and maintains a crisp appearance. Fresco suits will not wrinkle easily and often come in strong solid, or mottled colors. Perfect for that summer suit.
The Wild-Card Suit
Now that you’ve developed a solid foundation for your summer wardrobe, why not go for some riskier styles? A statement color suit, for example, has been increasingly in vogue. Look for powerful shades like pastel pink, cherry-red, berry, or maroon, or hues like bottle-green and camel. Or, consider trying on a patterned suit. Dapper polka-dotted and windowpane checked suits radiate urban sophistication. Suits featuring a head-to-toe floral or jungle-inspired print are also a modern favorite for those with the natural charisma to pull it off.