Thread by @dieworkwear

If you're looking for fabrics that you can wear in the summer, it's useful to consider three things: weight, weave, and fiber. If you only pay attention to one of these dimensions (say, linen), you will miss the bigger picture.

Let me show you. 🧵

If you're shopping for shirts, then some of the better summer materials include linen, seersucker, madras, and very lightweight, open weave cottons. In the photo below, you can see a swatch of voile, which is a featherweight 2/3oz cotton that's so open, it's almost sheer.

You can see here why most men don't wear it. Without a jacket, the material can almost be indecent (although it's more forgiving in non-white colors like light blue). For this reason, some tailors double up the front, like you see on the right, but this limits the breathability.

That said, certain cottons like voile and madras can be nice in the summertime because their featherweight, open weave structure allows the skin to breathe. Linen also wicks moisture from the skin, keeping you feeling cooler and drier throughout the day.

But this same logic does not apply to jackets and pants. For example, take these two fabric books. On the left, we have 12/13 oz plain weave linen from W. Bill (my favorite book for linen suitings). On the right, we have 9/10 oz cotton twill from Scabal.

I love linen suits. Their tendency to hold wrinkles telegraphs a kind of insouciance that I think is key to good summer style. But there are good and bad wrinkles. W. Bill's Irish linen is stiffer and heavier than its Italian counterparts, so it rumples more than it wrinkles.

But does it necessarily wear cool? Not really. Remember that linen is unique in how it wicks moisture from your skin. You can test this by washing a pure linen shirt and a cotton linen shirt, then letting both hang dry. The linen will dry faster.

This is not really relevant for suits and sport coats because you don't wear jackets next to your skin. The heavier fabric may also feel very warm on a hot day.

OK, then let's go with a lighter fabric — something between shirt fabric and that W. Bill linen.

Like that 9/10 oz cotton twill. Unfortunately, since cotton and linen don't have the natural crimp found in animal hair, they are more prone to holding wrinkles. A pair of pants made from 9/10 oz cotton will look like crumpled tissue paper after a few hours.

Plus, plain weaves are more tightly woven than some of their plain weave counterparts. So now you have a fabric that looks like crumpled tissue paper, but also won't breathe. This is despite everyone online telling you that materials like linen and cotton are best for summer.

Let's instead look at these 9/10oz tropical wools. These open weave fabrics are made from yarns that have been given an extra twist during the spinning stage, which makes them very resilient and naturally wrinkle resistant. The open weave is super porous and breathable.

If you make a jacket or pair of pants from these materials, using minimal structure and lining, then the garment will be cooler and more breathable than the linen or cotton options above. Don't worry: the open weave will not show your skin underneath.

Fabric weight, weave, and fiber are not the only considerations. There's also color. You may have heard that dark colors like black wear warmer than white because they absorb more light, converting that energy into heat.

But for centuries, people such as the Bedouin and Tuareg across North Africa and the Middle East have worn dark colors, including multiple layers wrapped around the body and face. They stay cool because the garments are loose fitting, allowing air to circulate.

In this way, we can see there are a few elements that contribute to whether a garment wears cool:

1. Fabric weight, weave, and fiber
2. Structural elements, such as canvassing, padding, and lining
3. Whether the garment fits slim or loose

IMO, when considering a garment, it's best not to reduce things to simple "rules" like "linen is the best fabric for summer." Rather, take a holistic, nuanced view, much like how you learn how to write a sentence or cook a dish. There's no "best word" or "best ingredient."

Everything is contextual. First consider the aesthetic that inspires you. Then think about what you want to say through your clothes (a very wrinkly linen shirt may look great on weekends, but not in a courtroom). Next consider how garments are made.

When you take this holistic view, you can build a stylish summer wardrobe but also feel reasonably comfortable.