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The best linen suits for men are the the pro-level hack you need to do warm weather tailoring right. Linen's natural breathability means it's predisposed to keep you cool through the sweltering August heat, which makes it an ideal option for stress-free summer styling. In its most formal iteration, linen makes for a blessedly out of the box alternative to run-of-the-mill cotton and wool suits.
Finally headed to that wedding your cousin's postponed three times since last spring? Ditch the tuxedo and opt for a pure linen suit in navy blue—and then proceed to get blissfully sloshed off the gratis bubbly while the rest of the guests shvitz through their super 110s. Looking for a summer suit with just enough texture to help you stand out from the cotton-wearing pack? Linen's got you covered there, too. (Want a suit with a little more structure? Reach for one in a lightweight cotton-linen blend to avoid excess wrinkling.)
The transformative powers of linen don't end there. Linen is inherently less formal than its stuffier suiting counterparts, so it lends itself towards easy mixing and matching. Wear the two pieces together or break them up into separates—the suit pants will elevate whatever you've got going on up top and the jacket works swell as a standalone blazer. Go double-breasted and wear it with a T-shirt, faded jeans, and penny loafers, or pair the pants with a slinky knit polo to flex on all the average Joes still rocking slim fit chinos. No matter how you wear 'em, the best linen suits for men will take your summer outfits from zero to sixty faster than the latest Koenigsegg. Here are 21 of our favorites to help you hit the gas, STAT.
The Peaked Interest Pick
Headed to an occasion that requires a suit but can't quite get past linen's wrinkly nature? (Feels sort of ageist, TBH, but we'll let it slide.) You're in luck: Alex Mill's Mercer option comes crafted from a cotton-linen blend that splits the difference, a highly breathable, less wrinkle-prone take on its purer counterparts. Add a duo of rakish peak lapels to the mix and you're already miles ahead of the rest of the party.
The Extremely Relaxed Pick
Leave it to the next-gen tailoring gurus at Stòffa to cook up a suit that feels as nonchalant as PJs. Plenty of brands aspire to capture a similarly relaxed vibe, but the NYC-based label manages to nail the landing thanks to single-needle finishing and a washed linen fabric that rumples beautifully. Julian Schnabel, eat your heart out.
The Dark Horse Pick
Newsflash: Not all summer suits have to come in various shades of beige. Todd Snyder's murdered-out Madison suit features soft, natural shoulders with a half-lined interior—and the dark color means you can nail most black tie events without a second thought.
The Dolce Vita Pick
If you always wondered how Italian drip gods manage to look so fly in the summer, we've got the answer: a suit exactly like this one. Brunello Cucinelli's subtly-textured linen option may seem laissez-faire in vibe, but to really capitalize on its pedigree, we'd recommend going the whole nine yard—pale blue dress shirt, dark knit tie, and proper dress shoes.
The Gently-Tailored Pick
Forget the billowy linen suits of yesteryear: Boglioli's is cut for a comfortable fit without veering into full-on Zoot suit territory, so you never need to worry about your pants ballooning like a sail in the breeze. Coupled with the brand's signature unstructured make and a garment-dyed finish, this is about as casual and comfortable as suits get.
The Not-So-Mass-Market Pick
Banana Republic's airy Italian linen option comes with the kind of expert details—patch pockets, pleated trousers—you'd expect to find on a suit that costs triple the price. The fabric, a silky-smooth viscose-flax blend, is sourced straight from Italy's Lanificio Comatex mill, but it's that sweet, sweet sub-$600 sticker tag that'll really have you breathing easy.
The Very British Pick
At first glance, brown might not seem like the most summer-friendly of colors. But in the capable hands of the affable Brits at Drake's, tobacco suddenly looks like the most obvious warm-weather hue in the world. Linen suits can be tricky to pull off as separates, but this one might look even better split up.
The All-American Pick
The reigning master of classic Americana proves he's just as adept at mining Europe for inspiration. This nubby linen number is like a wearable jolt of royal confidence—sans the rigidity of a full-canvas suit. Its half-canvassed construction and soft shoulders give it the feel of a something you'd see in the streets of Rome, but the classic navy color and 3 ¼" lapels bring it back stateside.
The Cool Guy Pick
The easiest way to let everyone else at that gallery opening know you're wearing a suit because you want to? Buy one from Dries Van Noten, the dialed-in Belgian designer with a flair for eye-grabbing prints and left-of-center colors. His ultra-chill tailoring will look A1 with your slinkiest dress shirts—and even better with a soft, slouchy knit.
The Budget Pick
J.Crew's workwear-inflected suit isn't just garment-dyed for the sake of it—in tandem with a cotton-linen fabric that's heavy on the laid-back charm, it helps make this set one of the least fussy we've seen in a minute. With a plain white tee and eye-grabbing loafers (or a chambray shirt and canvas sneakers), it'll turn up the swank factor on even your most casual ensembles.
The Linen Aficionado's Pick
The team behind the Italian label 120% Lino doesn't just design top of the line linen wares—they live and breathe the material, crafting everything from jackets to tees out of the unbeatable summer fabric. The narrow lapels, slim silhouette, short length, and natural shoulders give this suit a modern vibe that would feel right at home at a beach wedding.
The "Lives Off His Inheritance and Definitely Smells Fantastic" Pick
There's a reason Tom Ford's red carpet reputation is as immaculate as his tailoring, and this peak-lapel number is a perfect example why. The silk-linen-wool blend is ridiculously lustrous, the roped shoulders are all kinds of powerful, and the ultra-wide lapels are downright sexy.
The Fashion Head's Pick
Forty years into a legendary career, the Japanese designer is still at the top of his game—and the aesthetic he's honed (dark, poetic, deceptively sensual) looks fresher than ever. If those aren't adjectives you typically associate with a linen suit, you just haven't found the right one yet.
The #Menswear Pick
Hong Kong-based haberdashery The Armoury stocks some of the finest menswear in the world, so it's a testament to the strength of its in-house label that the line remains a standout. Don't let the ‘101’ fool you—this is advanced-level tailoring at its finest. This gray linen number balances a full-canvas construction and light shoulder padding with a softened drape, a 3-roll-2 button design, split-back waist at the trousers, and on and on and on. If none of that made sense to you, know this: Your tailor will be very, very impressed.
The Dance Floor-Ready Pick
Tailoring purists might scoff at the presence of stretch in their suits, but if you plan on hitting the dance floor hard this season, a rig like this will be a life-saver. Ditch the jacket when you don't feel like rocking the full get-up—or when you just start sweating so much your pits need the aeration.
The Left Field Pick
Not all heroes wear capes, and not all suits feel like one. Nicholas Daley's dressed-down interpretation pairs a paneled field jacket with drawstring cargo pants for just a hint of sporty flavor. Looking for a suit to wear with some big honkin' boots to a summer wedding in the forest? Look no further.
The Wild-Style Pick
The kooky menswear whizzes at Acne put their signature stamp on the linen suit courtesy of a hazy bow print that feels slightly tropical in inspiration. Add to that droopy, vintage-inflected lapels and slightly flared trousers, and you've got a suit worthy of the dance floor—plus a handful of double-takes.
The "I Grow My Own Dill and Probably Live in Portland" Pick
Who says a linen suit has to look like any of the other tailoring in your closet? This workwear-inspired take knocks the stuffiness straight out of the style, in the form of a muted gray ensemble you don't need an occasion to rock. (Don't worry: It'll look plenty righteous with button-up and a tie, too.)
The Nice, Normal Pick
Corridor, the Brooklyn-based brand that specializes in nice, normal, clothes, might've started out making supremely chill button-ups, but these days it also turns out groovy knits, slouchy trousers, and suits like this, cut from a cotton-linen blend designed to keep shvitzing to a minimum.
