Tax season is over, and that means that spring breaks are teasing the start of summer. If this year is like the last decade, we are likely to see another few months of intense heat and a reduction in air quality. One challenge in summertime, be it in the tropics or the Northern Hemisphere, is how we can keep up in style without cutting corners. Fear not, Sicilian farm gentry have the answer, and it is fine linen.
Officine Paladino’s OP2622 Portofino is a lighter-weight linen fabric with a striped pattern in purple, red, and gold
Summer’s Best Solution
Linen is a plant fabric, developed with the flax plant and it has been used for millennia to fabricate clothing. Linen cloth has high breathability, with fibres that allow air to flow through. This keeps the wearer in comfort during hot summers – in the Mediterranean and North African regions, linen is prized for this reason. Italian farmers in the south were known to wear linen suits with sleeves and pant legs lightly rolled up to avoid dirt, to head to the fields and then to dinner afterward. Linen also offers good absorption of moisture and dries off quickly, offering a slight cooling effect for the wearer as well.
Menswear influencer Fabio Attanasio, in a Officine Paladino OP1901 Sandcastle linen suit created by Dalcuore. Photo by Vincent Montuori.
Linen also has a distinct, easily pressed effect that can deliver a refined aesthetic. It does also mean that the fabric creases easily, but it also uncreases quickly. (A quick cheat is to dab a little water from the tap and pop the jacket or pant under a hand dryer in the bathroom to fix.) And most importantly, it can be easily cleaned and gains an even more relaxed quality over time. Cleaning a suit at home depends on whether the suit has canvassing or is fully unstructured; with the latter, hand-washing might even be an option (please check with your tailor on specifics).
Details like side tabs, buttons, and even pant pleats, can give a linen suit a more formal look. Photo by Vincent Montuori.
Officine Paladino’s OP2626 Gallipolli is a li heavier linen fabric with a glen plaid pattern, a classic design usually reserved for wool.
Not just a beach vibe
When we think of linen, we tend to think of beachwear or loose, flowing drawstring pants in light colours to match the summer tan. Plain-weave linens in a lighter weight offer that feel, but with a more structured suit, it increases its stature and formality. Adopting details like tabs, pant closures, pleats, or jacket canvassing delivers a suit that would be business-friendly in summertime. An alternative is to opt for striking fabric colours that convey formality, such as OP2618 Palm Beach.
OP2618 Palm Beach is an off-white linen fabric that offers a luxurious handle, ideal for formal suiting.
A different way to add formality to linen is in the use of patterned fabrics, like our OP2626 Gallipolli, featuring a glen plaid pattern that’s usually reserved for classic wools. Alternatively, go for a lazy summer look with lighter slub fabrics, which offer great breathability due to the irregular spaces between weaves. Considering the already intense summer season, this is a wise choice.
We’ve just refreshed our linen and cotton range with fresh new colours and designs. We’ve kept some of your favourite linens and rolling out new options that are inspired by washed denims, broad stripes, and glen plaids. Want to know more? Get in touch with our team for an early peek!
