Summer Weight Silk Suits

[Mojave Jack]

I'm looking for a nice lightweight summer suit that will travel well. I've seen some nice silk suits, and it's my impression that silk travels well. That is, I thought that it doesn't wrinkle horribly or can be easily de-wrinkled by haning it in a steamy bathroom. The silk blend sportcoats I've seen seem to be pretty lightweight and cool for summer, and seem ideal. Any experience with a silk suit to share? What are the drawbacks to look out for? How can you tell if a suit is a quality silk?

 

[Dinerman]

I have a white silk suitjacket that I picked up at a thriftshop for five bucks. The material is relatively cool in the summer, and doesn't really wrinkle all that much.

 

[vonwotan]

When I was growing up, a number of us had raw silk jackets that were terrific in the summer. In my limited experience with other silk clothing, a silk that is light enough for summer tends to be quite fragile, other heavier silks are quite warm and do not breathe.

My favourite suit is a medium grey silk suit with a subtle check pattern - just light enough for summer. Unfortunately, one trip to the dry cearer - for a spill, and the seat of my pants split. I had one section repaired, but the next time I wore the suit another section of my seat tore. I am trying to find someone else to try their hand at repair, but nobody is willing to reweave the silk.

Does anyone have any experience with repairing silk? I'll post some pics of the suit and the tears when I have the opportunity. The fabric was a particularly good deal - Holland & Sherry were showing their fabrics in my tailors shop and they sold us the end of a bolt that was not large enough to make a "normal" sized suit for the average customer...

 

[Mojave Jack]

I've seen silk/wool blends quite frequently. Does the wool help to moderate the fragility of the silk, but retain the lightweight?

 

[vonwotan]

Wool will definitely help create a more durable fabric. I have some surprisingly sturdy cashmere silk blends - mostly odd jackets. But as someone suggested in another thread, the best summer fabric I know is a lightweight fresco, like a 10 oz, which is a wool woven to breathe. There are also several tropical weight fabrics by Lesser that wear well and are quite comfortable even in the hot humid east coast summers.

Ah - one odd jacket I almost forgot. I do have one odd jacket that has lasted fairly well, in a linen and silk weave. The addition of silk to the fabric seems to prevent or minimize the creasing.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Good feedback! Thanks, fellas! I'm headed out now to do a little suit shopping, so I'll see what turns up.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I haven't had the silk suit bug though I do like my Linen Cotton blends.

Show us the pics when you find your jacket.

 

[iammatt]

here is a new white dupioni suit (i have different pants on in the pic.) The fabric is very nice and I think that the armholes might even please the dinizens of this lounge. Whaddya think?

 

[slicedbread]

here is a new white dupioni suit (i have different pants on in the pic.) The fabric is very nice and I think that the armholes might even please the dinizens of this lounge. Whaddya think?

I like! what kind of fabric is that and what color?? Don't want to make assumptions as cameras rarely capture the true color...

 

[iammatt]

I like! what kind of fabric is that and what color?? Don't want to make assumptions as cameras rarely capture the true color...

The color is a relatively white off-white if that makes any sense. The fabric is dupioni silk which is sort of a slubbed natural silk.

 

[cookie]

Summer Suits

I have a summer navy cotton and linen Caracciolo suit that does not crease much. I recently bought some UK material that is 75% linen and wool.

I notice Paul Frederick has some linen and tencel suits in blue, natural and white in the new season's offerings.

Silk and wool could be good and seems to be growing in popularity but needless to say is more expensive.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I have seen some woven silk blends that are very nice, though the silk often gives the material a bit of sheen. They seem tough enough and certainly much better than the flat silk jackets of the 1980s that wrinkled worse than linen.

Personally, for summer suits, I prefer good old American cotton, seersucker, and straight up linen, which can wrinkle all it wants. I love the look of a disheveled linen suit. I don't own one currently. I need to remedy this.

Here is a pin-stripe cotton suit from J. Crew:


J. Peterman pigment dyed cotton suit:


Brooks Brothers Poplin suit:


J. Crew Corded Cotton suit:


Post pics of what you get, Jack. You are really building an impressive wardrobe.

 

[dhermann1]

Here's me in my silk/cotton blend jacket from Macy's. Super comfortable and cool, and holds its shape nicely (better than I have, for sure):

 

[Alan Eardley]

Silk blend suit...

I have had a French silk/cotton blend suit for over ten years now, and I am very satisfied with it. I tend to wear it as a tropical suit when I work in the Far East and it has the attibutes of light weight, coolness and resistance to creasing. I can wear it on a four hour train journay to the airport, on the 'plane for twelve hours etc. etc. and hanging over a steamy bath makes it look like new. It has to be dry cleaned, the label tells me . Also it says that it is a 70:30 mixture. I imagine that the type of silk makes a big difference to the durability - remember that 40s bike jackets often had silk linings. The suit has some clever features that aid its use in a hot climate, such as mesh 'breathing' vents in the pockets and a bi-swing back. It also has that cool Paris style!

Alan

 

[Alan Eardley]

Here is a pin-stripe cotton suit from J. Crew:

HJ, is that the Guggenheim Museum?

Alan

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I'm tempted by seersucker, but I'm afraid I'll start talking like Foghorn Leghorn if I wear one.

I also have an Italian straw boater on the way from Duane, but the combination of seersucker and a boater may spell trouble with a capital T.

 

[manton]

I can't wear silk in summer, no matter how light weight. The insulating properties of the fiber just trap heat and boil me alive.