A summer suit is built around lightweight, breathable cloth that holds its shape across long days, warm rooms and outdoor settings. The right summer cloth keeps you cool, dry and presentable from the morning meeting through to the evening dinner, without the heat retention of a winter worsted.

Linen and linen blends offer the most relaxed summer suit silhouette. Pure linen creases readily, which is part of its character, and works well for weddings on the coast, garden parties and weekend tailoring. Cotton and cotton blends sit between linen and wool, holding shape better than linen with more breathability than worsted.

Lightweight wool and silk blends, and wool and mohair blends, are our most refined summer cloths. They drape with the precision of a year-round suit while staying cool in the heat, and are the cloths we recommend for summer black tie and formal summer weddings.

A light summer suit benefits from less internal construction than a winter suit. We typically half-canvas or quarter-line summer suits to remove unnecessary weight, while keeping the natural roll of the lapel and the clean drape of the trouser. Half-lined jackets, patch pockets and unstructured shoulders are popular details for less formal summer suiting.

Colour matters as much as weight in the summer months. Stone, sand, light grey, mid-blue and soft taupe carry the season well, while traditional navy and charcoal still work for summer business wear in lighter cloths..

Your summer suit begins with a consultation at any of our UK stores. We talk through the season ahead, the events you are dressing for and the fabric weight that will suit you best. The base pattern is adapted to your measurements, a first fitting follows within four to six weeks, and a final collection appointment confirms every detail before you take the suit home.