Choosing the Right Cloth for Warm Weather Tailoring
When temperatures rise, many gentlemen instinctively put their jackets away.
In reality, the secret isn’t wearing less tailoring—it’s wearing the right tailoring.
A well-made summer jacket should feel light, breathable and comfortable while still offering the elegance and versatility that only tailored clothing can provide. At Norton & Townsend, two fabrics dominate our summer collections: linen and open-weave wool.
Both excel in warm weather, but they do so in very different ways.
The Summer Jacket
Unlike trousers, a jacket benefits from its internal canvas and construction. Even lightweight fabrics have enough support to drape beautifully, meaning you can enjoy lighter cloths without sacrificing shape.
The key is selecting the right weave.
Many people assume that lightweight automatically means cooler. In truth, the weave is often more important than the weight.
A slightly heavier cloth with an open weave can actually feel cooler than a lightweight fabric woven tightly together because air is able to circulate freely through the cloth.
Natural fibres remain king. Linen and wool continue to outperform synthetic alternatives, offering superior breathability, comfort and longevity.
Linen – The Quintessential Summer Cloth
If there is one fabric synonymous with summer, it is linen.
Woven from flax fibres, linen has been worn for centuries in warmer climates thanks to its remarkable ability to keep the wearer cool. The fibres naturally wick moisture away from the body and feel cool against the skin, making linen one of the most comfortable fabrics to wear during hot weather.
Its greatest characteristic—and perhaps its most misunderstood—is its tendency to crease.
Unlike wool, linen has very little natural elasticity. As you move throughout the day, the fabric develops soft wrinkles around the elbows, waist and sleeves. We don’t see this as a flaw – it’s part of linen’s charm.
A linen jacket isn’t supposed to look pristine at six o’clock in the evening. It’s supposed to look lived in, relaxed and effortlessly elegant.
Perfect for:
- Garden parties
- Summer weddings
- Coastal holidays
- Outdoor dining
- Smart casual dressing
For clients who embrace a relaxed, Mediterranean style of dressing, linen remains difficult to beat.
Our Linen Collections
Dugdale – Serenity Collection
A beautifully refined linen collection available in an excellent range of colours.
Serenity combines all the natural breathability of linen with a softer handle, making it perfect for lightweight summer jackets that can be dressed up or down with ease.
Dugdale – Heritage Irish Linen
Traditional Irish linen at its very best.
Slightly more robust with wonderful texture and character, Heritage Irish Linen creates jackets that improve with age and develop personality every time they’re worn.
A true classic.
Holland & Sherry – Linen Collection
One of the finest linen collections available.
Expect rich colour depth, exceptional finishing and elegant tailoring cloths suitable for everything from understated neutrals to bold summer statements.
Huddersfield Fine Worsted – Casual Irish Linen
Relaxed by name and by nature.
This collection embraces everything linen should be—comfortable, breathable and effortlessly stylish. Perfect for jackets you’ll reach for throughout the entire summer.
Open-Weave Wool – Summer’s Best Kept Secret
Many people still believe wool is purely a winter fabric. Nothing could be further from the truth. Open-weave wools are specifically designed for warmer weather. Rather than relying on the fibre itself to keep you cool, they use an open construction that allows air to flow freely through the cloth.
Hold one of these fabrics up to the light and you’ll often see tiny spaces within the weave. Those openings are what make them so comfortable. The result is a jacket that remains cool while retaining all of the structure, drape and wrinkle resistance that makes wool such a pleasure to wear.
If linen is relaxed elegance, open-weave wool is effortless refinement.
- Perfect for:
- Business wear
- Summer meetings
- Travel
- Smart occasions
- Weddings
- Jackets worn with chinos or tailored trousers
Why Choose Open-Weave Wool?
One word: Versatility.
Unlike linen, wool has natural elasticity. The fibres spring back into shape after wear, meaning jackets resist creasing, recover beautifully overnight and continue looking sharp throughout long days of travel or business. High-twist yarns add even more resilience, while the open weave provides exceptional airflow. The result is arguably the most practical summer tailoring cloth available.
Our Open-Weave Collections
Dugdale – Summer Cascade
A wonderfully textured collection designed specifically for lightweight summer jackets.
The open weave creates excellent airflow while maintaining a clean, tailored silhouette.
Ideal for clients wanting an elegant blazer they’ll wear for years.
Dugdale – Tropicalair & Mockleno
These are two of our favourite summer jacket cloths.
Both use breathable open constructions that perform exceptionally well in warmer climates whilst offering the wrinkle resistance and sharp appearance that wool is renowned for.
If you travel regularly, these are difficult to beat.
Holland & Sherry – Mesh & Hopsack Blazers
Classic British summer tailoring.
Mesh and hopsack weaves introduce texture that naturally separates a jacket from the trousers, making them ideal as standalone blazers.
Cool, breathable and incredibly versatile.
Huddersfield Fine Worsted – Fresco
Few summer fabrics have the reputation of Fresco.
Developed using high-twist yarns in an open weave, Fresco has earned legendary status amongst tailors for its durability, crease resistance and ability to remain comfortable in warm climates.
If you’re looking for one jacket that works almost everywhere, Fresco deserves serious consideration.
Linen or Open-Weave Wool?
The answer depends entirely on how you intend to wear it.
Choose linen if you appreciate relaxed elegance, enjoy natural texture and want the coolest possible jacket for holidays, summer events and weekends away.
Choose open-weave wool if versatility, wrinkle resistance and a sharper silhouette are your priorities. It’s the perfect travelling companion and transitions effortlessly from the office to evening drinks or summer weddings.
Many of our clients eventually own one of each.
A navy Fresco blazer for business and travel.
A linen jacket in olive, tobacco or sky blue for everything else.
Together they form the foundation of an exceptional summer wardrobe.
Discover the Collections
At Norton & Townsend, we carry an extensive range of summer jacketing cloths from Dugdale Bros & Co, Holland & Sherry and Huddersfield Fine Worsteds, with hundreds of colours and designs available to view in both our Ilkley and London showrooms.
Whether you’re drawn to the effortless character of linen or the remarkable versatility of an open-weave wool, we’ll help you choose the cloth that’s right for your lifestyle and tailor a jacket you’ll enjoy wearing for many summers to come.
Book an appointment today and discover why a proper summer jacket may become the hardest-working piece in your wardrobe.