How To Layer Clothes In Summer To Look & Feel Cool

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. Any products or services put forward appear in no particular order. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

‘Summer layering’ might seem like an oxymoron as infuriating as smart-casual or happy Monday, but unless holidaying on a nudist beach for the duration of the season, you’ll still need to put some clothes on between now and September.

Fortunately, the warmer months bring with them lighter materials like linen and seersucker, both of which have different properties to their stuffy winter equivalents, so you needn’t resort to a simple shorts and T-shirt combination every day.

But how to put it all together? Here, with the help of fellow style experts, we serve up the recipe for looking (and feeling) cool in the heat.

Line Up Your Layers

There are a handful of layering rules that apply to both summer and winter, formal and casual. Like the further away from your body, the thicker the layer.

It used to be that hems always got longer in that direction too, but the rise of reverse layering (see Kanye and co) has turned this on its head. Plus, the shortness of most casual jackets renders that slightly impractical. The trick is being consistent, whether pieces get longer, or shorter, the further away they are.

One rule that still holds sway, though, is the importance of mixing textures. “If wearing, say, a separate linen jacket and trousers, or a pure linen jacket over a pure linen shirt, it’s going to look a bit odd,” says Simon Crompton founder of the blog Permanent Style. “It’s like wearing a jacket and trousers from different suits: it looks weird when there isn’t enough contrast.”

Men's Summer Layering Fashion Outfit Inspiration Lookbook

reiss zara Ermenegildo Zegna house of fraser river island club monaco

Count On What’s On The Inside

Just because a layer isn’t visible doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider it. On hot days, linings will cook you like a boil-in-the-bag chicken, especially those inside impermeable man-made materials.

Not all unlined jackets will keep you cool, however. “You’ll get winter jackets which are unlined, but there’s not really much point when the material is so heavy,” adds Crompton.

On the flip side, fabrics like cotton or linen are so lightweight that removing the lining does make a difference, so look for visible taping on the back when shopping for a summer suit.

Men's Unlined Blazers and Jackets

suitsupply JORT LIGHT BROWN PLAIN blazer - Click to buy suitsupply JORT BLUE STRIPE blazer - Click to buy jigsaw GINGHAM FLYWEIGHT JACKET - Click to buy Hackett London GMD Stretch Cotton Blazer - Click to buy

Turn To The Dark Side

Contrary to popular thought, lightweight linen and cotton are not only available in 50 shades of beige. Which is good news for you because it means being able to get all the cool of the fabric with none of the Colonel Sanders associations.

“There are some really nice mid-brown, tobacco linens around,” says Crompton. “Deep green linen is also really nice. Both suit summer days when it’s muggy but not particularly bright.” They’re also considerably easier to pull off.

Seersucker is another fabric dogged by its associations, but similarly, is not only available with the usual white stripes. Consider a modern all-navy option layered over other relaxed summer pieces such as a stand-collar polo or grandad shirt of the same colour.

Men's Lightweight Summer Suits Outfit/Styling Inspiration Lookbook

mango man river island cinque angelo nardelli next tods

Go Over And Under

Overshirts– more affectionately known as ‘shackets’ – are a summer layering Swiss Army knife, taking the place of a jacket when it’s hot and adding insulation when it’s not.

There’s no hard-and-fast definition, but they tend to be a little thicker than the average shirt, with classic outerwear details like multiple pockets or military-style epaulettes.

Undershirts are also underrated in the heat: they soak up sweat and prevent staining your fancy shirts. If wearing one for that purpose, you probably don’t want to advertise it: a V-neck won’t be visible under an open collar. Also, heather grey shows through less than white, and T-shirts less than vests (which give upper-body VPL).

Men's Overshirts and Undershirts

HARTFORD Pueblo Cotton-Corduroy Overshirt - Click to buy boohooman JERSEY UTILITY SHACKET - Click to buy uniqlo MEN AIRISM SEAMLESS V NECK T-SHIRT - Click to buy JAMES PERSE Mélange Combed Cotton-Jersey T-Shirt - Click to buy

Construct Your Outfit Properly

As a rule of thumb, coarser, matte-finish fabrics like cotton and linen are inherently less formal, as are lighter colours. So, if you have a highly structured jacket in one of these materials and/or hues, there’s going to be a disconnect.

The pieces that you layer up with soft summer tailoring should share the same breezy – as in casual – air. A starched Jermyn Street dress shirt won’t sit right with an unstructured blazer, whereas a button-down, granddad collar or similar will feel more comfortable (in both senses).

“I see a lot of tailoring with trainers and polo shirts; and wide, high-waisted linen trousers with T-shirts,” says Brit-born, Australian-based designer Christian Kimber. In other words, the sweet spot is a high-low outfit that still ties together.

Men's Unstructured Jackets/Blazers With Chinos or Jeans Outfit Inspiration

bhs massimo dutti mango man river island next selected homme

Protect Ya Neck

We know what you’re thinking, wearing a scarf in summer makes about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. But those designed as warm-weather versions are a different breed entirely.

“A linen scarf is handy for when it gets cold in the evening,” says Kimber, who suggests always stuffing one in your bag before heading ‘out-out’.

Favour loose, open-weave fibres such as cotton, linen, seersucker, silk or modal and hang it loosely around the neck for an easy (and breezy) way to lift your warm-weather style.

Men's Lightweight Summer Scarves

reiss CELESTE LIGHTWEIGHT SCARF - Click to buy GUCCI Webbing-Trimmed Cotton And Linen-Blend Scarf - Click to buy jigsaw SPOT WOOL SILK MIX SCARF - Click to buy mango Essential cotton scarf - Click to buy

Release The Mankle

You might put thermoregulation down to the thickness of your bomber jacket, but socks play a surprisingly big role, affecting the temperature of the body as well as your outfit.

“Places like ankles and wrists, are where there are a lot of veins close to the surface of the skin,” says Crompton. Exposing them to the elements can, therefore, stop the blood from boiling.

Of course, going sockless doesn’t actually mean that — unless you’re wearing sandals, that is. Throwing on a pair of invisible socks with your loafers and getting some air flowing around your fibula can keep you remarkably cool.

Men's Sockless/Mankle Summer Outfit Inspiration Lookbook

marks & spencer windsor river island reiss reiss burton

Don’t (Just) Flock To Cotton And Linen

If you thought wool was only for winter, prepare to feel sheepish: a lightweight variety can prove cooler than cotton or linen. “It breathes better, it’s better with moisture if you’re sweating into it, and it holds its shape better as well,” says Crompton.

The tailoring keywords to look out for in a summer-ready wool are ‘loose weave’ and ‘high-twist yarn’. The benefit of the former is self-explanatory – ventilation – while the latter means it has a lot of spring, so although it’s loosely woven, it’ll retain its shape. Tightly wound wools are also great for travelling because they’re resistant to creasing.

Plus, having some lightweight wool pieces in your rotation makes it easier to circumvent the head-to-toe linen fail. “A hopsack jacket is ideal if you need to wear a blazer, as it breathes so easily,” adds Kimber.

Men's Summer Wool Suits

paul smith Slim-Fit Navy Wool 'A Suit To Travel In' Blazer - Click to buy suitsupply HAVANA JACKET GREY PLAIN blazer - Click to buy John Lewis Semi Plain Super 100s Wool Travel Suit Trouser - Click to buy jigsaw UNSTRUCTURED SUPER 110'S ITALIAN WOOL TROUSER - Click to buy

Cream Off The Top (Or Bottom)

Choosing the right colours is key to layering success, and there are several factors to take into account such as your skin tone, the event and the outfit itself.

“Head-to-toe pale suits, for example, [can] have very colonial, Man from Del Monte associations,” says Crompton. Instead, he suggests opting for a pale jacket or pair of trousers, and keeping the rest of the look relatively trans-seasonal. “With a blue shirt, navy knitwear and dark brown shoes, it doesn’t look quite so showy,” says Crompton.

The same applies with a pair of white jeans or denim jacket. Swapping in one pale-coloured piece is a relatively low-stakes way of summer-ising an outfit. Denim’s softer cousin chambray is also helpful here, as the rugged workwear connotations can help offset pale colours and fabrics.

reiss windsor digel tommy hilfiger the idle man next

Roll Up And Don’t Shine

Some like the contrast of a shiny silk pocket square against a linen or cotton jacket, but Kimber is not among them. (Neither is FashionBeans, for that matter.) “A matte material doesn’t give as much reflection in the sun,” he says.

As is fitting of the season, versions in a wool-silk or silk-linen blend lend themselves better to being stuffed in nonchalantly — a formal newsreader fold is too stuffy for most occasions.

Equally, if a tie is required for any reason, try one in linen or slubby shantung silk rather than the traditional sheeny neckwear. Or, for something even more dressed down, opt for a knitted style finished with a flat end.

Men's Textured Summer Pocket Squares and Ties

ETON Metallic silk-blend pocket square - Click to buy ANDERSON & SHEPPARD Pin-Dot Wool And Silk-Blend Pocket Square - Click to buy reiss RAIL STRIPED LINEN TIE - Click to buy t,m.lewin Orange Knitted Silk Square End Tie - Click to buy

Similar Articles

TRENDING ARTICLES

TRENDING ARTICLES

Subscribe successfully!!