During the summer, there is no shortage of occasions for which you will be expected to wear a suit. Whether you are attending a wedding, charity event, or cocktail hour, you will need to be prepared with a suit that will keep you looking stylish but cool at the same time.
When dressing for warmer months, your primary consideration should be the fabric of your suit. Here at Christian Boehm, our custom clothing experts have put together this helpful guide to help gentlemen everywhere determine the best suits and sports jackets for summer.
WEIGHT MATTERS
Knowing the weight in grams or ounces of the cloth used in your suits or jackets is essential and will be a determining factor of how cool you will feel when wearing your garment before you make a purchase.
SUMMER WEIGHT
When wearing a suit or jacket in a tropical climate, opt for cloth in 7-8.5 ounces or 200-240 grams. On the upside, these are very lightweight and ideal when temperatures rise above 85 degrees.
On the downside, they can be too light when the temperature falls below 70 degrees.
SEASONLESS OR 4-SEASON WEIGHT
When wearing a suit or jacket in a climate where you live through all four seasons, opt for cloth right at 9 ounces or 255 grams. On the upside, these are very comfortable to wear in any climate and are preferred by most consumers looking to stretch their investments in their garments.
On the downside, they can be too light when the temperature falls below 50 degrees.
FALL/WINTER WEIGHT:
When wearing a suit or jacket in a climate where the temperature falls below 50 degrees regularly, you may opt for cloth at 11-13 ounces or 310 to 365 grams. On the upside, these are very comfortable to wear in any climate where it’s bone-chilling cold in the Fall and Winter months, like Chicago, Toronto, or Cleveland.
On the downside, they can be too heavy to wear when the temperature rises above 60 degrees.
BEST TYPES OF CLOTH FOR WARM WEATHER
Summer’s best clothes are summer weight wools, cotton, seersucker, linens, silks, and various blends of the options mentioned. See below for a great guide written by our Christian Boehm style experts.
SUMMER WEIGHT WORSTED WOOLS
Summer Worsted Wools make you not only feel great in warm weather, but they look amazing on. The word “worsted” refers to the industrial combing of raw goods as part of their milling process. A great example of summer-weight wool would be Vitale Barberis Canonico’s Blassone by Gladson. You can view the collection by clicking the video link.
COTTONS AND SEERSUCKER
Seersucker is when cotton is woven with a crinkled vertical line in the goods. They are lightweight and comfortable in tropical climates or the dog days of summer in northern climates. See a great video example of seersucker cotton fancies.
The best kinds of cotton are long staple cotton which produce the finest feel and best performance when spinning the yarns into cloth. With advancements in technology, mills have discovered that blending high-quality long-staple cotton with a bit of lycra provides a cloth with stretch, which makes it extremely comfortable.
See our video for great examples of cotton and lycra custom suits, blazers, or pant fabrics.
SILK
Silk is spun from the cocoon of the silkworm. It is featherlight and has the inherent characteristic of giving a beautiful luster to the garments. Most silk jackets made with silk are blended with other summer fabrics, such as lightweight wool or linens.
A great example of a summer silk and wool blend is this 100% silk jacket made with cloth from the famed English mill Scabal’s Nobility collection. You can view the collection by clicking the video link.
LINEN
Like cotton, linen is made from a plant. Linen is made from the flax plant and has incredible natural wicking properties, which draws moisture away from the body resulting in a light and breezy garment.
Linen can be super soft or even stiffer depending on how they weave the cloth. The one characteristic of linen that may deter some people from buying linen is that it is guaranteed to wrinkle. It’s OK though, as the look of a linen suit, pant or jacket is one that is supposed to be soft and sporty casual. Don’t let the arm whiskers bug you; everyone knows you are wearing linen.
A great example of summer linen and wool blend jackets is made with cloth from Italian mill Kerry Knoll. You can view the collection by clicking the video link.
CONSTRUCTION
Construction is also an important component of how cool you will be when wearing a summer suit, jacket, or pant. Since Christian Boehm is Miami based, we frequently recommend jackets that are unlined and finished inside with taped seams to reduce the weight of the garment.
Additionally, we will make the garments in a softer deconstructed construction that comes with minimal shoulder padding and interior chest padding. This will produce the right look for summer and give you what you want, which is the lighted construction in a jacket.
A great example of a lightweight constructed jacket is from the famed English mill Dormeuil ’s Dorsilk collection. You can view the collection by clicking the video link.
COLOR
Color is also a factor that can keep you cool in the summer. Darker colors like black or navy will absorb light, making you hotter. Lighter colors such as white, tan, and pale blue reflect light, which will keep you cooler but also give you the look of summer.
A simple tan and pale blue summer suit are great ads to your wardrobe. A great example is this seasonal fancy suit from famed English mill Dormeuil ’s Amadeus 365 collection. You can view the collection by clicking the video link.
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📅 Updated for 2026: This post has been reviewed and refreshed to reflect current trends, services, and availability in Miami's custom clothing market.
