I know we’ve been dropping the s-bomb a lot on the site lately, however with the 4-degree morning chill and my need to break out the leather jacket for the first time this season (it seems as though I went from winter wool to summer shirts and now I’m stuck somewhere in a confused, unhappy median) we were a little preemptive when using the s-word. No, I’m not talking about the curse word, I’m talking about summer… and it’s not here yet, folks.
While we’re just about a month away until summer officially drops, Toronto is lying in unofficial seasonal limbo; now is the perfect transitional time to start to seriously consider your summer wardrobe.
While we all dream of the days when shorts and loose shirts can be sported on the reg, many of us are shackled to the confines of showing up in a suit to work on the daily. Alternatively, summer is often a season where formal functions are aplenty and you’re gonna want to look your best for all those cute bridesmaids.
In order to find out what’s trending in suit-land this summer, I caught up with a man who spends his days making sure that the men around Toronto stay sharp throughout the seasons with the help of his custom tailored suits. Tomas Romita is the founder of MADE Clothing and he’ll give you an idea of what summer suits you need to splice into your wardrobe…
View the Vibe: What makes a summer suit great?
Tomas Romita: The versatility of the garment. No mater where you’re shopping for your suit, you want to make sure it has something different. A lighter tone or blend of materials can let people know that this is something you don’t wear all year round.
VTV: What materials are best for summer suits?
TR: Blending materials is always a great option when it comes to summer suits. Lighter weight and more breathable options such as wool and silk, linen, or cotton will make a summer suit stand out and offer you the comfort that we all crave when we’re sweating buckets in a black blazer in the middle of July.
Something with a more relaxed look and feel like a linen blazer that can be paired with a tailored pant of linen and wool is also a great option. A look like this will naturally wrinkle and form to your shape throughout the day, and will also provide great breathability.
VTV: What suit colours/patters are trending this summer?
TR: If you can have the versatility in your wardrobe to incorporate it into your repertoire, then seersuckers are a perennial favourite. It’s important that you you’ve got your staples covered before purchasing a bolder summer-only suit. If you’ve already got your basic black, charcoal, and navy suits, then it’s a great opportunity to get creative.
Washed navy is also a very popular summer colour this year, taking a play on the traditional and adding a lighter tone that can be dressed up or down nicely with a variety of accessories. Tan is always another option. Also, getting seersucker in colours that aren’t just the standard black and white will be something to look out for this year.
VTV: Does the cut of a summer suit differ from one you’d wear year round?
TR: The main thing is remembering that you have something that’s distinctly summer. Whether a bold searsucker or a light grey, you can have a little more fun with the tailoring. Fit in the shoulders should always remain the same, however things like jacket length, hem length and cuff length could go a bit shorter. It’s a bit more of a style play than a working necessity.
VTV: What are people asking for in a summer suit this year?
TR: There are two types of clientele that we get at MADE: The style guy who’s coming in who’s aware of the trends and knows what he wants, and then people who come in and simply know that they need a summer suit. Regardless which category you fall into, the end result falls within the same general parameters.
A little lighter colour – light grey, lighter blue/take on the navy suit. These summer colours are great to pair with accessories like a brighter pocket square, tie, or even shoelaces – things that will look great in bright sunlight at a wedding. Lots of guys are also wearing summer suits with different garments – with driving shoes, no socks and a v-neck, for example. With a higher cut hem you can sport a boat shoe or an oxford shoe, as well.
What we do make sure to caution people on is that they have their suit foundation set up first. Don’t spring for something that’s only going to last three months in our weather.
Above all, the golden rules you need to think about are where you’re going to be wearing it, what you are comfortable with, and is this something that you can look good in and wear with confidence and enjoyment.
