The 2016 Guide to Men’s Summer Suits

Summer is generally the best time to host an event – from weddings, garden parties, sporting events and all the rest of it there is really nothing like a little sunshine to put the finishing touch to an event that has been months in the planning.  But what should you wear to a summer event this year?  Well for starters pulling your ‘go-to’ suit from the back of the wardrobe will not suffice.  Depending on the type of event and the weather you should adjust your dress accordingly.

I already have a few things to attend this summer so have been putting together a little summer suits wishlist in my head for a while now and I thought that it was a good time to share this as a little inspiration for anyone in search of a 2016 summer suit.  In collaboration with Canali, the Italian luxury menswear brand, here are the key things I think you should consider before buying a suit this summer.

Choose a lightweight material

Of course, as always you will want to look slick for your event but you don’t want to look as though you are sweating to death, although the chances of that with our British weather may be rare!  It is best to avoid silks and wools and instead opt for lighter fabrics along the lines of linen, cotton and seersucker as these will keep you cool without compromising on appearance.

My personal favourite is a linen blend material.  These are still the epitome of summer but don’t tend to wrinkle quite as much as full linen construction.

Experiment with print

Summer is one time of the year when the rules of tailoring are slightly softened and you are free to experiment a little more with prints, textures and different combinations. Whether you opt for Vichy checks or something floral there are no right or wrong answers, just go with something a step (or two) outside of your normal comfort box, they look great if done really well, in a made-to-measure suit for example.

You don’t have to go for the full-on printed look either, teaming a printed blazer with a plain pair of trousers works perfectly or vice versa.  You can even just use print in accessories like ties and shirts if you are a bit more of a wallflower.

Go for Blue

For the main part, the summer suiting palette is made up of light greys, camels and blue tones.  All of which are grey versatile colours but I prefer to stick with blue.  Not only is this colour a bit more transitional in that it will see you into autumn but I just find that more people can pull it off.

The summer shades of blue are rich and eye-catching (I don’t mean navy) like bright eye-catching sapphire and mid-blue.  They look great when worn on a sunny afternoon.

This post is in collaboration with Canali however all of the tips, words and advice are our own