Linen suits are the perfect way for men to embody summertime cool
Derek Guy, AKA the menswear guy, shares his tips for picking the best suits for wedding season
Peony season is coming to an end, Wimbledon is about to start and, if your Instagram feed is anything like mine, wedding season is in full swing.
While usually joyous celebrations, weddings can also be a cause for concern — sartorially, at least. Too often I am forced to bear witness to glamorous women in meticulously planned outfits accompanied by sweaty men who have put in little effort beyond digging out the ill-fitting polyester suit they wore at their university graduation a decade ago.
Any self-respecting man should have at least one good suit in their wardrobe by the time they hit 30 and, with their lightweight feel and connotations of laid-back riviera living, linen suits are the perfect way to embody summertime cool, in both senses of the word.
Made from the fibres of the flax plant, linen is one of the oldest textiles in the world and was used for clothing by ancient civilisations including Mesopotamia and Egypt. Strong, absorbent and breathable, it’s more durable than cotton and better at wicking moisture, making it the perfect material to wear during the warmer months.
“If you have a small wardrobe, I would say start with colours like tan, off-white and tobacco,” advises fashion writer Derek Guy, also known as “menswear guy” to his 1.3 million X followers. Lighter colours are also the better option for hiding sweat stains and the patina that can naturally develop on linen suits, he adds.
For the more adventurous dresser, linen’s textured weave holds colour beautifully, making it a great material for experimenting with pastels. This single-breasted, relaxed-fit suit jacket from Wax London comes in pastel pink, khaki, navy and cream, and was a spring/summer 2025 menswear runway favourite.
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For a dressed-down look, Guy recommends pairing the suit with a plain white T-shirt, a band-collar shirt, or even a long-sleeve polo, ideally with a separate collar band. For shoes, he suggests loafers, espadrilles or white sneakers.
A standard white dress shirt can be worn for more formal occasions, paired with penny loafers worn with socks. Make sure you have a tie with you, regardless of how casual you suspect the event will be. “Keep the tie in your pocket or something, but I would not arrive at a wedding without a tie, just in case,” Guy says.
Moroccan-Swedish brand Casatlantic offers linen pieces that can work just as well as a formal suit for a wedding or worn separately for a garden party. Founder Nathaniel Assaraf’s designs are inspired by his grandfather, who grew up in French-occupied Casablanca and developed a liking for the fit and cut of the military clothing worn by the foreign forces deployed in the city.
Using the laundry service his mother offered to the military personnel as a way to “borrow” items he liked, Assaraf’s grandfather built up an impressive wardrobe of timeless outfits with the help of his local tailor. Available in deep navy or light olive, the brand’s Mogador trouser is crafted from a linen herringbone twill fabric and features a distinguished waist and full-cut straight leg. It can be paired with the double-breasted Amtar suit jacket.
Based in east London, home-grown menswear brand Percival blends classic British style with fabrics sourced from around the world. Their linen suit offerings range from classic stone and neutral shades to the bestselling forest green. Percival’s tailored linen blazer is lightweight but still holds its shape, while the matching pleated trousers are finished with an invisible hem to allow for leg length alteration.
On the high street, this sage green Abercrombie & Fitch number has become a wedding season favourite due to its reasonable price tag, coming in at under £250 with the matching trousers. Made from a cotton-linen blend that minimises wrinkling, it’s available in short, regular or long sizing.
For a wedding with a traditional or cultural dress code, Shukr Islamic Clothing is a Muslim-owned brand founded by Anas Sillwood in an effort to provide modest and elegant clothing for Muslims living in the UK. Its made-to-order linen thobes and jubbas are constructed from high-quality materials in Jordan and the company commits to paying workers a fair and living wage.
Once you’ve found your outfit, the next step is a tailor. “Every single suit is going to need some kind of alteration — you’re gonna have to hem the pants, fix the sleeves, you might have to lower the collar and so forth. Everything needs a little bit of adjusting, always,” says Guy.
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Generally you want to be asking your tailor for a “quarter-inch of exposed shirt cuff and no break at the trouser, but you don’t want that for a new linen suit,” says Guy. “The legs and the sleeves will start to accordion when they wrinkle, and then, all of a sudden, they’ll be shorter than they were at the tailor shop.”
Because linen doesn’t have the crimp naturally found in animal hair, as used in wool suits, he warns against going for too slim a fit to avoid discomfort. “Put on the garment, button the jacket, fasten it at the waist button, and then pretend that you’re about to hug somebody — if you feel that the back is dangerously straining, then it’s way too tight,” he says.
“Additionally and similarly, move around in the pants — when you squat, does it feel like you’re about to split the seat open? If you get a very slim linen suit and you bend over to pick something up at a wedding and the seat splits, that’s going to be incredibly embarrassing.”
Whether you’re a two-piece connoisseur or only just getting into suits, your Talented Mr Ripley summer starts now.
