Summer and Sunday best?

[Tenorclef]

A bit random, especially as I stare out of my window at a rather cold wet February. I attend an Anglican Church of England, the typical dress code for most in attendance is torn jeans, T-shirts and stubble.....hence i quite enjoy attending the Church service in a 3 piece suit.

However, I have a feeling Tweed suits are going to be hard work during the summer. What suits and materials would you recommend for the Summer?

 

[Yeps]

In the summer my go to would be linen, although light weight wool would work pretty well. I am not sure how hot it gets over in your neck of the woods, but around here the humidity is killer. The only place worse I have been was Venice. Anyway, linen all the way. The other option would be seersucker, but I don't think it is as much at home anywhere out of the American South.

 

[Philalethes]

I attend an Anglican Church of England, the typical dress code for most in attendance is torn jeans, T-shirts and stubble.....hence i quite enjoy attending the Church service in a 3 piece suit.

How true! At one service I used to attend, the attenders would even regularly take their shoes off! (The floor was carpeted, but still!) Amazingly, where I go now all the men wear at least a tie and all the women wear skirts.

However, I have a feeling Tweed suits are going to be hard work during the summer. What suits and materials would you recommend for the Summer?

I don't have any experience with linen, since I hear it wrinkles easily. I find that lightweight wool is OK sometimes here: the summers are relatively mild and the services I attend are in the early morning. When it is too hot I forgo the jacket altogether. Perhaps this is style "heresy", but maybe a lightweight polyester sportscoat would be appropriate for the summer, too.

 

[Tenorclef]

Perhaps this is style "heresy", but maybe a lightweight polyester sportscoat would be appropriate for the summer, too.

Really? I was told that polyester doesn't breath so that would probably be no good for me. I'm hedging towards linen as i do own a Corby trouser press. I saw this nice linen suit today on the peterchristian.co.uk web site. Its also available in blue which would probably be my preferred colour.

 

[Philalethes]

Really? I was told that polyester doesn't breath so that would probably be no good for me.

You may be right. I was thinking of a couple polyester sportscoats I tried on last summer that were very comfortable and lightweight, but I suppose none would be comfortable if you started sweating in it on the way to church in the hot sun.

I suppose linen is the way to go: it seems a good choice, if - pardon me - you can work out the wrinkles.

 

[C Gregory Purbaugh]

In the summer my go to would be linen, although light weight wool would work pretty well. I am not sure how hot it gets over in your neck of the woods, but around here the humidity is killer. The only place worse I have been was Venice. Anyway, linen all the way. The other option would be seersucker, but I don't think it is as much at home anywhere out of the American South.

I would like to second that the humidity is horrid here (I'm only 30 miles from Yeps) and I couldn't imagine having to wear a suit on our hotter days, even a tshirt and shorts seem too much. Although, I work outside, so someone in an office may be different...

 

[Hal]

I was told that polyester doesn't breathe

All-polyester (or any other fabric completely made from artificial fibre) certainly doesn't breathe, but mixes of wool, linen or cotton with polyester do. However, many on this forum dislike the very idea of wearing any artificial fibre.

 

[Nick D]

A tweed 3-piece would be intolerable in the summer for me. I don't wear three pieces above 60F, and it's a struggle above 55F. My summer wardrobe is pretty weak (something I'm working on), and both my summer suits are blends. One is a wool/terylene blend, the other a linen/poly. A little poly in the linen helps it resist wrinkles a little, but don't fear wrinkles on a linen suit! The other wears a little warmer than the linen, but the fabric is a slightly denser weave and doesn't breath quite as well. I also have a couple pairs of odd trousers that both the jackets can be worn with.

 

[Tenorclef]

From what info i could briefly Google yesterday it appears Italian and Irish linen are considered the best with Irish Linen being considered better as it is slightly stiffer and hence more crease resistant. I could envisage an open neck shirt and two piece linen suit being an acceptable image for service on a hot summer day, possibly a light silk tie too. I don't see much in the way of Linen suits available at the moment and that's probably because were still out of season. I also read that contrasting Linens, such as a light linen jacket and a dark linen trousers or vice versa would be good for slightly more informal look.

 

[Hal]

Forgive me for writing this, but "breath" is a noun; the verb is "breathe".

 

[Tenorclef]

Forgive me for writing this, but "breath" is a noun; the verb is "breathe".

That's quite alright old thing....we all have our crosses to bare

Sorry couldn't resist that last spelling error!

 

[avedwards]

Last summer I wore a linen sport coat or light weight wool suit on most warm days, and on those which were intolerably warm I wore a shirt and tie with a waistcoat, sans jacket. It worked for me and I'm further south than you.

 

[Tomasso]

Forgive me for writing this

shakeshead

 

[avedwards]

Also, bear in mind that whilst linen may be comfortable it is not very "British" if you are going for a vintage look as few if any British linen suits were made in the 30s-50s. Of course that doesn't stop you wearing linen, it just depends on the look you're going for. Personally I try to be period accurate and wear wool whenever it can tolerably be done.

 

[Tenorclef]

Well as an interesting development, i took a couple of clothing items into my regular alterations shop today and I mentioned that i was thinking about a summer suit in linen. The proprietor was very interested and said he could make me a linen suit if i could supply the linen. I actually have no doubt he could do the work as he has done some amazing rebuilds for me in the past.

So today i scoured the internet for said cloth and was bewildered by the variety and weights and costs. My first port of call was bookster who said they could supply the 3-4 metres of fabric that would be required for a two piece suit but at a cost of £65 a metre, that seemed a bit prohibitive. Now at the other extreme end, i found a German company who can supply Linen at the same weight as the Linen listed on Bookster's web site but at a fraction of the cost. see-

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....978200&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1231wt_932


True, i know the saying goes you get what you pay for but conversely a fool and his money are easily parted.

 

[dnjan]

A silk shirt underneath the jacket can improve comfort considerably as well.

 

[bookster1uk]

Popular summer alternatives are cloths like 'Glorious 12th' by Porter and Harding as shown in our gallery, and the other lightweights by JG Hardy, all of the colour and pattern, none of the weight, really comfortable to wear. Can't do anything about the price though, it is sublime and unless you can find offcuts at a bargain price to that extent its true, you do get what you pay for

 

[Matt_the_chap]

Personally, I recommend tropical weight wool for the summer. Linen seems far too informal for Sunday Best - then again, I'll wear my medium and heavy-weight three pieces all year 'round without any real complaint.

 

[Tenorclef]

I've come across this rather nice cotton/linen blend fabric in brown herringbone and have requested a sample. I think this would have a nice formal touch whilst being light enough to be worn on hot summer days. Composition is 63% Cotton 37% Linen.

 

[Matt_the_chap]

It's a nice fabric, certainly. I quite like Herringbone but I've always thought of it (when not pinstriped with plain fabric at least) as more of sports-suit/jacket wear. Just my tuppence. I might just be a little too small-c conservative with my Sunday Best ideas though.