Staying Cool This Summer: The Best Custom Suits and How To Beat The Heat In Style

            It's starting to approach that time of year again, when dressing for success comes with its own set of practical considerations that make it a bit more difficult to pull off in the comfort department. And we're of course referring to those soaring summer temperatures that get many people thinking about that other type of suit you wouldn't ever wear to the office. While staying comfortable in your professional attire during the summer heat isn't always an easy thing to do, it's not entirely impossible, either.

            It wouldn't be prudent to say with any firm assertion that standards of dress have fallen over the years necessarily, since many professional spheres haven't changed much when it comes to dress code mores. But overall, they have become more pragmatic and more accommodating, especially when you factor in regional climate considerations. This added dress code flexibility can be used to your advantage when the mercury starts to rise without sacrificing elegance or personal style for the sake of comfort; you can still have your cake and eat it, too, so long as you pay attention to particular aspects of what comprises a full formal ensemble and utilize them appropriately.

            Staying cool this summer in your formal attire can be achieved in a variety of ways, some of which don't even require you to forego the jacket and tie. Unlike measurements and type of fabric, comfort can't be quantified in the same way since it is subjective. However, adjusting the type of material that goes into your custom suit and even allowing a little bit more room in your measurements can make a world of difference between being the life of the party and suffering quietly while the sun does its thing. In this piece, we'll go over all the tricks of the trade to keep you comfortable and cool this summer, without having to give up your own sense of style to do it.

--Quick Tips--

            Aside from the material of the suit itself and making tweaks to your measurements to get your summer custom suits more breathable, there are other measures you can take to stay comfortable that can work in tandem with or independently from choosing a different material or adding an extra inch to your shirt collar.

            Counterintuitively, undershirts can work to your advantage even though this adds an extra layer to your ensemble. While you'll still want an undershirt that's light and preferably made from cotton, they have the innate ability to keep moisture away from your outerwear via what's known as the wicking process. A cotton undershirt will absorb moisture from your body and prevent much of it from causing that uncomfortable sticky feeling if you weren't wearing one. With an undershirt, you'll feel drier and more comfortable on those hot humid days when formal wear is required in spite of the conditions outside.

            Opting for socks with a thinner consistency can also save you from discomfort on those warmer stuffy days. Since much of the heat generated by the human body escapes from the extremities, it's important to have socks that are more breathable than what you would wear in the winter when you would want to trap more heat rather than let it dissipate freely.

            Since undershirts are beneficial in hot weather, it's a good idea to minimize the thickness of each layer of your ensemble. Choosing a dress shirt that's light and made from material that allows for better airflow can do wonders for your overall comfort. The right choice of color helps, too. The lighter colors associated with summer formal wear aren't just for style and showing off; they serve a practical purpose, too. Wearing a dress shirt that's too dark will absorb more heat than light blue, pastel, or white shirts will.

--Materials--

             When summer comes around, it's important to have a custom suit made from lighter materials if comfort is of any concern. This is one of the reasons why linen is such a popular material for those brightly colored suits more commonly associated with the spring and summer months. Strands of linen fiber are quite durable for such a lightweight material, and this allows for a lower thread count in the finished product. As a result, there will be more space between each individual fiber in a suit made from linen, which in turn allows for better breathability and airflow compared to other materials such as wool and flannel. To quantify this for a better example, a typical suit made from wool tends to have a thread count somewhere between the 120-170 range. A linen suit can achieve the same structural integrity with a thread count between 80-90. For outdoor daytime settings where formal attire is required, linen is by far one of the best choices for suit materials thanks to its aforementioned intrinsic properties that will help you stay cool and comfortable.

            Wool/cotton blends can also have advantages over either material alone or some of the heavier wools popular for winter outings. While suits made from blended fabrics won't have quite the same soft-to-the-touch feel as a suit made from 100 percent wool, they tend to feel lighter when you move around. The added cotton fibers in the blend can overall reduce the weightier feel of the wool as the former is a lighter material.

--Measurements--

            No matter the time of year, getting properly fitted is an integral part of not only how a suit will look but also how it will feel when you wear it. When the weather heats up, getting your measurements just right will go a long way in ensuring your personal comfort level whether you're inside or outdoors. That being said, there are certain small adjustments you can make exclusive to your summer suits and their components that might give you a leg up on comfort without sacrificing style, functionality, or structural integrity.

             When shopping for dress shirts in department stores, one of the more challenging things to nail down correctly is collar size. Many times, gentlemen will find themselves in between sizes or requiring just a quarter inch more to make a dress shirt more comfortable and breathable. In the summer, this is especially important. But you don't want to add too much room in the collar, as this can throw off the overall appearance of your formal ensemble. With custom dress shirts, this problem can be eliminated. The general rule of thumb for shirt collars is that you should be able to comfortably fit your index finger between the collar and your neck when it is buttoned all the way to the top. If you're burdened with living in a hotter climate, you might consider adding just a bit more room in the collar, as this will enable you to stay comfortable for a longer period of time. While going a smidge above your standard collar measurement isn't an exact science, it's best to stay under an inch. The whole point is to add extra room without it being noticeable from an aesthetic perspective.

            The same is true for the waist in your trousers. You might want to add a little more room to accommodate a dress shirt and a layer underneath that, but this should only be done with the utmost care. In any event, once you go in for your final fitting of a custom suit, you'll be able to know very quickly if something is off, and your tailor can make adjustments accordingly.

--Dressing Down, When It's Appropriate--

            While neckties are great accessories for adding more flair to your formal attire, there are times when you'd rather leave them at home. But should you?

            The answer to this question is a qualified yes. It's very common for men to wear suits without a tie, especially in spring and summer when they're sporting those brighter pastel colors. By foregoing the necktie, you're able to leave the top button on your dress shirt undone, further increasing your comfort level in the summer heat. In business-casual work environments, this is normally acceptable regardless of the time of year. Wearing a suit without a tie can also project a bold yet simultaneously relaxed look, so there are stylistic advantages to doing this, as well. There are times, however, when dressing down isn't always prudent. For any event that mandates a dress code, whether it's cocktail or black tie, it's probably best to stay within said confines unless it's clear that the dress code is more of a guideline rather than a rule when you arrive. It's always possible to remove a necktie, but you can't ever put one on if you don't come prepared or have a spare one with you. When in doubt, it's best not to dress down too much even if the weather would otherwise call for it.

            The same general rules apply to suit jackets as well. In some cases it might be appropriate to leave your jacket at home while in others it's expected that you wear one. Across the board, events taking place during the day tend to be more flexible on any sort of expected dress code in contrast to events taking place in the evening, so keep this in mind when you need to balance style considerations with judgment calls based on your own personal level of comfort.

            No matter how you plan on staying cool and stylish this summer, our expert clothiers at Enzo Custom can help. With a broad selection of fabrics and customization options, we'll have your formal wear covered, all year round.