The Best Suit for Staying Cool this Summer
By Matt Sebra.
GQ's Favorite:
Banana Republic Olive Cotton Linen Suit
Jacket, $298, buy now at bananarepublic.com. Pants, $160, buy now at bananarepublic.com
In 2017, the hoodie reigns supreme, chunky sneakers have replaced suede Chelsea boots as the footwear of choice, and slim sweatpants are still very much a "thing." But that doesn't mean you can sleep on your suiting. While that list of gear will make a guy look sharp, a suit always makes a guy look his best, whether he's headed to a job interview, a wedding, or a date. Even better if it makes him stand out, like Banana Republic's olive cotton linen suit. In short, it's flattering, it's unpredictable, and—important, as the temperature shoots skyward, sweat-proof. But here's exactly why this is our favorite summer suit right now:
1. It's lightweight, but not too lightweight: When warm weather hits, wool's out unless you think your colleagues will appreciate the freshly-sauna'd look of your sweat-drenched face. In summer we turn to free-breathing cotton and linen, and this Banana Republic suit blends both for easy aeration (thanks, linen!) with meeting-acceptable structure (appreciate it, cotton!) And just in case you run hot, the lined suit jacket comes with built-in sweat guards.
2. You don't already own it: Or one just like it. Every guy has a suit in classic navy or charcoal (if not, let's fix that right now), but rare is the man clad in olive green. Which is funny, because the hue has long been a menswear go-to—and for good reason. It plays nicely with most patterns and colors (maybe avoid reds unless it's Christmastime), so adding this suit to your closet won't require you to add anything else.
3. You can wear it every day of the week: A useful suit is one you can use often, and anywhere, whether it's business or pleasure (or both, when wedding season kicks in). But the most useful suit can be worn as separates, and that's the case here with this Banana Republic two-piece. Wear the pants with a denim jacket on the weekend or a black polo for casual Fridays on the job. Let the jacket fly solo and bring some polish to a graphic tee and rolled, worn-in jeans.
4. It's a straight-up good deal: Sure, you can find a suit for under $500, but finding one that doesn't sacrifice on fit, fabric, or silhouette at that price is a much harder task. Banana Republic hits the trifecta here. The jacket and trousers are cut average-Joe slim, not 120-pound runway-waif slim. It's a 2017 fit with room to breathe. The jacket length is cropped just right, hitting at the upper thigh (but still covering your butt) and the pants sit at the hips, where most guys prefer (instead of grandpa-style, under the belly button). The lapels are chef's-kiss perfecto: happy to work with ties skinny and not-so-skinny (including our favorite ties), and with shirts that have classic collars or no collars at all at all.
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The Best White Button-Down Shirt for Men
This story originally appeared on GQ.
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