Say Goodbye to Sweat With These Lightweight Summer Suits (2024)

Matching Suit Pants: 100% European Linen Pants

$50 at Quince

Linen is a known godsend material for summer: it’s highly breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying so that you will never feel clammy on dog days—see all the hype around linen sheets? Yeah. It is the fabric that'll let your skin breathe—and trust me, your skin will thank you for it. Which is why linen suits are the most ideal for formal summer fits. And Quince lets your score under $100 for both the blazer and pants. In a relaxed fit, it’s best for business casual. We love that it's completely unlined as well—truly summertime-friendly.

Matching Suit Pants: 100% Linen Suit Trousers

$120 at Mango

Great for copping a casual-yet-sophisticated look—especially with loafers—this fitted suit with a timeless tailored cut makes your suit the pinnacle of polished style, no matter the season. And it’s available in classic as well as trendy colors—which we've found to be great for casual days in the office or at a gathering. All in all, it is a suit that is as stylish as it is breathable, as comfortable as it is fashionable. While it is lined, we actually love the smoothness and coolness the lining brings inside.

Matching Suit Pants: Portuguese Stretch Chambray Suit Pant

$225 at Bonobos

Chambray is truly an underrated warm weather material: its higher thread count makes it extra breathable, which means more airflow and thus will keep you cool in dry heat and humidity; it also looks rugged like denim and feels just as soft but much, much lighter. Bonobos makes chambray suits in more casual tones to help you dress up without looking bored. And you’ll keep chill throughout the summer thanks to the weightless feel and stretch material for easy movement, which our testers have found to be absolutely essential for commutes and office days.

Matching Suit Pants: Ludlow Slim-Fit Unstructured Suit Pant

$168 at J.Crew

Who says you need to break the bank for a summer suit that oozes coolness and luxury? Unlined and unpadded, J.Crew's Ludlow cotton-linen blend suit is the ideal option for the dude on the go that needs to stay comfortable, but still looks put together at a decent price tag. And since it's a cotton blend, not only does it work breathability wonder in summer, but our testing editor has also worn this suit in fall and spring to get the most out of its versatility, comfort, and swagger.

Matching Suit Pants: Carry-On Pant

$138 at Buck Mason

Matching Suit Shorts: Carry-On Short

$88 at Buck Mason

Meant to be packed into your luggage or duffle bag and taken out at the right moment, this vintage lived-in blazer and its matching pants are made unlined with breathable cotton twill to be extra cooling, and added with spandex stretch for even more comfort. In fact, on the first try, I couldn't believe how soft and cool to the touch the fabric is, and how easily I was able to put it on and move in it. In a smart-casual profile, it’s perfect for a beach wedding fit—especially since it also comes with matching dress shorts.

Matching Suit Pants: Lancet Slim Fit Wool Linen Trousers

$260 at Ted Baker

Wool-linen is another blessing for summer style: wool guarantees elegance, comfort, and function, while linen provides lightness and crispness. Mixed with Ted Baker’s classic navy (and a few other neutral hues), this suit is a top-notch choice to avoid sweating all day at the office. Our testing editor also loves that it truly offers the best of both worlds—the coolness of linen and the comfort of wool. Although we found the fit is less tailored, it still looks sharp.

Matching Suit Vest: Raiff Italian Linen Suit Vest

$180 at Banana Republic

Matching Suit Pants: Raiff Italian Linen Suit Pant

$230 at Banana Republic

Be the best-dressed guest at those upcoming summer weddings—or any traditional tie functions—in this three-piece grey herringbone linen suit made in a flattering sculpted fit. As a three-piece, it is impressive in terms of elegance and oozes out a gentleman flair like no other can, but we love that the windowpane check in cerulean blue takes down the stuffy vibe by a notch, making it a perfect piece to wear to smart casual events or beach weddings. While three-piece seems like a lot for summer, each is made in breathable, cooling linen that will beat the heat in layers.

Fabric: For summer suits, the best materials are often light and breathable. Linen and seersucker make the top of the list: they're naturally breathable which means max ventilation and therefore max coolness. Silk, cotton twill, and some tech fiber blends are also easy and breezy for summer suits.

As we mentioned, thick wool suits are a no-go as the temperatures start rising, but thankfully there’s the option of tropical, lightweight wool that’s woven with larger gaps for breathability. And in case you need a refresher: lightweight wool is a top-tier summer fabric since it's naturally breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying. Merino wool, on top of that, offers four-way stretch and temperature regulation for an on-the-go summer style. A wool-linen blend, on the other hand, offers the best of both worlds: wool performance and linen freshness.

Fit: Because summer suits are often lightweight with softer constructions, it's easy for men to just opt for a looser fit that makes sense in theory for more comfort and breathability. But we want to warn you of how sloppy you might look in a not-properly-tailored fit—i.e., a loose-fit summer suit isn't one that'll actually keep you looking cool. Fit plays no role here, it's only the right fabric that'll keep you feeling cool, so don’t get lazy and skip the tailor. Or if you don't have the energy for tailoring, slim fit or tailored/tapered fit is your best bet.

Lining: A lining is the second layer of fabric, which is stitched to the outer. When it comes to the construction of your lightweight suit, unlined—and therefore often unstructured suits—will also keep you much cooler in the summer months because they lose the extra weight that a full lining adds to the suit (but you risk showing the full look of the outer shell fabric and the smoothness of sliding a blazer or trouser on and off). But because most linings are made of viscose, rayon, or even silk and satin, they're naturally cool to touch and breathable as well, and lightweight to boot. Therefore, while unlined is the best way to go for summer suits for men, lined suits shouldn't be too much of a concern to stop you from purchasing.

Color: You’ll have the best luck not sweating it all out by sticking to lighter and brighter colors like pastels and soft grays to absorb heat. If you are going for a black or navy style for an elevated vibe, just keep the above fabric and fit notes in mind.

A product review story that doesn’t actually test anything hands-on or in person isn’t worth your precious time. Thankfully, we at Men’s Health don’t produce any of that nonsense. Therefore, rest assured that our product recommendations derive from first-hand experience, and you can read more about our testing process here.

In addition, at Men’s Health, we have a fashion closet dedicated to calling in, trying out, and selecting the best as well as the newest products in menswear. We put them on stylish, fit guys to hear what their opinions are and see how the items look on them before making our final decision. And as style editors, we constantly go into the fashion closet to feel a product’s fabric or materials—even put it on ourselves for a spin—to test it. The fashion closet is also where we try out and certify our styling tips.

Lastly, you can trust our opinions on shopping recommendations, whether it’s the products, styling tips, or trends. Not only do we have Fashion Director Ted Stafford and Deputy Editor, Commerce Christian Gollyan, but we also have a panel of style experts—including stylists, fashion influencers, designers, etc.—whom we regularly seek shopping guides from. Therefore, our product recommendations and buying tips are all driven by professional, expert opinions.