Hi Everyone!
Happy (long) weekend! I am super excited that Juneteenth is finally getting recognized appropriately. I genuinely hope that people will reflect on the significance of the holiday as they’re enjoying a day off.
Today, I want to share a roundup that features one of my favorite summer outfit combos, a classic summer suit. Wearing a suit can make you look effortlessly polished and put together. And, suits are a classic wardrobe staple that transcend time and trends. Suits can be worn to formal events and casual gatherings, but summer weather can get pretty hot making it a challenge to wear a suit. So, today, I am sharing styling tips on how to comfortably and stylishly wear suits even when it’s hot out.
Summer Suit Style: How to Wear Suits in Summer
One of the keys to wearing a suit comfortably when it’s hot and humid outside is to pick the right suit color and fabric. Stay away from a heavily lined jacket. To stay cool, pick lighter colors and airy fabrics such as linen because they make wearing a suit in hot weather bearable and comfortable. The key is to choose the right layering pieces, shoes, and accessories to pair with the suit, too. Too many layers will make wearing a suit in summer weather unbearable, but lighter layers such as thinner camisoles, tank tops, linen blend sweater tanks, and matching suit shorts will work perfectly.
Consider location when you’re planning your summer suit outfit. Think through logistics and whether you’ll be inside where the AC is blasting or outside in hotter temperatures. Also consider suits with a looser fit. Linen suits typically fit more loosely and don’t cling to the body as closely as other fabrics. A summer lightweight or tropical wool fabric is ideal, too! Consider wearing a suit with short sleeves to stay cool.
Three Summer Suit Outfits
The first outfit features a classic J. Crew linen blazer, the J. Crew Parke Blazer in Stretch Linen Blend paired with the matching linen shorts. This outfit is easy breezy and effortless. And, the matching shorts are tastefully done; they’re not too short and they’re not clingy. I am not a shorts person per se; however, I LOVE these shorts. The fit is incredible and the length is, too! I purchased my typical size 16 in the blazer and in the shorts (and everything else featured in this post).
I styled my suit with a classic washable silk camisole and heels, but I am sharing several other ways to wear this beautiful suit throughout this post. Depending on your work culture and dress code, this shorts suit would be perfect for a day in the office. And, this suit would work well for dinner with friends, a casual date night, or church.
And, if you’re not a shorts person, there are classic matching pants, the J. Crew Kate Straight-Leg Pant in Stretch Linen Blend. The pants are SO cute and the material is breathable, too.
The second summer suit outfit features a bold floral print suit in a drapey cupro silk fabric styled with neutral accessories including tan block heels and a cute rattan clutch:
And, the third summer suit outfit features a bright lime green linen suit style with floral heels and a cute neutral color bucket bag:
Summer Suit Style Styling Tips
Play with textures:
Mix linen suits with other airy summer fabrics such as a washable silk camisole or a cotton tank top. Tank tops and camisoles layer perfectly underneath suit jackets and they make it easy to remove the suit jacket if necessary. A lightweight button-down shirt would look great with a linen suit, too! And, rolling or pushing up the sleeves of the suit jacket is a great way to stay cool.
Add a Fun Metallic Heel, Sandal, or Sneaker:
Add a fun metallic heel, sandal, or sneaker to complete the summer suit look. A fun shoe can elevate the summer suit look completely. I opted for a silver metallic heel with my suit look, but metallic sneakers or sandals would look great, too. And, a fun pair of Jordans would dress the suit down a bit.
Choose lighter colors
Choose lighter color suits such as vibrant corals, pinks, yellows, greens, summer whites, blues, or tans. I love a light or bold summery floral suit when temperatures are warmer. Lighter weight fabrics and colors are super helpful when it comes to combating excessive heat and humidity. And, it makes layering with other lightweight textures easier. Stay away from black or navy summer suits if at all possible.
Add fun summer accessories
You can add fun summer accessories such as woven, raffia, rope, or straw totes, bucket bags, sparkly earrings, and bangles.
Add a cropped tank top
Add a cute, solid color cashmere or cropped cotton or textured (pointelle or crochet) tank top to your summer suit outfit. Don’t be afraid to show some skin or to add bold pops of color! A cropped tank top adds a cool layer effortlessly!
Wear a graphic t-shirt
Wearing a fun graphic t-shirt with your summer suit outfit adds visual interest! Graphic t-shirts are instant outfit boosters that add the perfect light layer and that can also be fun conversations starters! A graphic t-shirt isn’t a bulky layer and it complements suit textures such as linen and drapey cupro blends perfectly.
Add sneakers
The traditional impulse when styling a summer suit (or any suit) is to pair it with classic heels or sandals. Play with shoe choices and add fun sneakers such as converse or Jordans. This adds comfortability when the temperatures are scorching!
Play with textures when choosing handbags
Play with textures when adding accessories such as handbags. Pair a summer suit look with a tweed, raffia, or straw crossbody handbag or tote to add variety and to mix patterns as well as textures!
Add fun sunglasses
Add fun sunglasses to your summer suits! Finish the look with bold and fun sunglasses!
For more summer suit styling inspiration, read my blog post about fun ways to style a J. Crew pink blazer. The summer suit styling tips in this post are applicable for suits for men, too! Adding fun accessories like a pocket square to a blue and white men’s suit, for example, is a great way to dress up a casual suit for a formal event during the hot summer.
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