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When the dress code is business casual but the forecast warns of oppressive heat, the right choice is a blazer made of summer-weight fabric, not a full on suit. The material should be lightweight and breathable, with the top candidates being linen, cotton, silk and lightweight wool. The blazer should also be unlined — meaning no full-canvas — a style that cuts unnecessary weight and softens the silhouette for a more causal aesthetic.
Terms to Know
Unconstructed/Unstructured
An unconstructed or unstructured blazer is simply a suit jacker without a liner. You know how some suits are full-canvas, while others are only half? The descriptor, full- or half-, explains whether the suit itself is fully lined with canvas or only half so, meaning it stops at the mid-way point, covering the shoulders and chest exclusively.
Traveler/Commuter
A traveler's blazer is simply wrinkle-resistant. The name implies you can pack it into a suitcase without worrying about how it'll look later on. Or, you could sit through a six-hour flight without creasing the tail or chest.
The Best Fabrics for Summer
You'll find blazers made of cotton, of course, but it isn't the most breathable fabric. Linen is. Look below at the rest of the list for the rest of the best fabrics for summer.
- Linen
- Cotton
- Cotton Variants
- Hemp
- Wool
- Bamboo
- Corduroy
- Silk
- Cashmere
Learn more about the best fabrics to wear when it's warm out.
How to Wear a Summer Blazer
Summer-weight blazers work well with everything from chinos and a tie to jeans and a T-shirt. With proper preparation for the upcoming heat, you can stay cool without sacrificing style, because although these are breathable, they are by no means lesser. These blazers work in place of a serious suit at an outdoor wedding, weekend event or other business casual affair.
If you're looking for something more buttoned-up — i.e. a suit you can wear to an event with stricter dress code enforcement (like a performance dress shirt and dress pants) — look no further than our guide to summer suits, which comprises tips and how-tos for buying the full thing.
Learn more about how to wear a suit in the summer.
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How We Tested
Evan Malachosky
Our tester put this guide's top picks to good use during the intended months: summer. They assessed how each fit, of course, but also what they paired well with, how they felt when temperatures rose and how they faired when they dipped back down in the evening.
They wore them to weddings, out to early, semi-formal brunches and to the quasi-office, where they can get away with a more casual top layer like this.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Best Overall Summer Blazer
Alex Mill Mercer Blazer
- Materials: 100% linen
- Care: Dry clean only
Alex Mill's Mercer blazer blends several different styles into one unique coat. Part-chore coat, part-shawl collar jacket, part-blazer, it's lightweight without being shirt-like, knit a bit thicker and casual while still being incredibly cool.
Our tester found the blazer fit well through the shoulders, across the chest and down the arms, but it runs short, hitting the hips more like a trucker jacket than a blazer, which usually covers the rear and hangs over both hip pockets. It looks more formal than Buck Mason's, for example, but it doesn't look polished enough for a traditional office space or to be the best man in a wedding. The smaller, pointed lapels make quite the statement, though, our tester says, a feature not found on most affordable jackets.
Best Upgrade Summer Blazer
Bonobos Unconstructed Blazer
- Material(s): 100% linen
- Care:Dry clean only
Just because trying to stay cool doesn't mean you can't look cool, too. An unconstructed blazer adorned with a pattern can trick the eye into seeing lines where there aren't — simply put: it'll look more put together than it actually is. Bonobo's linen blazer, which is cut from breathable linen fabric, is proof! For being both lightweight and unlined, it appears all there without extra weight.
Best Affordable Summer Blazer
Buck Mason Jet Carry-On Jacket
- Materials: 97% cotton, 3% spandex
- Care: Machine washable on cold
Buck Mason's relaxed-fit Carry-On Jacket — aka a blazer — is cut from lightweight stretch cotton (97 percent cotton, 3 percent spandex). Stretch let the designers ditch the back vent (and the excess fabric needed for one); patch pockets without flaps shed weight; and opting for no cuff buttons makes this option even more casual. Overall, it's a winner worth wearing to every semi-formal summer event.
This is also an ideal, hence the name, suit for traveling, commuting or casual (yet semi-formal) lunches, dinners or dates. It does, however, have a slightly modern fit, meaning it's a little short in sleeves and kind of chore coat-ish.
Read our full review of the Buck Mason Carry-On Suit.
Best Summer Blazer for Super-Hot Days
Banana Republic Core Temp Blazer
Now 50% off
- Material(s): 56% cotton, 40% polyester, 4% spandex
- Care: Dry clean only
This blazer by Banana Republic relies on active particles derived from volcanic sand to regulate your body temperature. Dubbed 37.5° Technology, it's not something BR came up with but rather outsources for its designs. Case in point? The Core Temp Blazer, which runs a little big but proves plenty flexible.
Plus, it's built like a regular blazer: flattering in the shoulders but the right proportions still, meaning it hits past the hips and the sleeves run down to your wrists.
Best Stretch Summer Blazer
Bonobos Italian Stretch Linen Suit Jacket
- Materials: 100% linen
- Care: Dry clean only
Although most linen doesn't stretch (and thus wrinkles), this Bonobos blazer does, courtesy of its 96 percent linen, 3 percent polyester and 1 percent elastane construction. Pair it with the brand's matching pants or put it together with light jeans. It'll look good in either scenario, especially since it's semi-lined, a feature you rarely find on sub-$500 jackets.
Best Chore Coat Summer Blazer
J.Crew Cotton-Linen Chino Suit Jacket
- Material(s): 72% cotton, 28% linen
- Care: Dry clean only
J.Crew has carved a new lane for itself: casual suiting. This cotton-linen chore blazer is no exception. It's unstructured yet flattering, simple yet statement-making and appropriate in both the middle of summer and the first few weeks of fall.
Our tester says it does run slightly small, but the jacket itself isn't designed to be tailored like something you'd order custom off Savile Row. It does have semi-lined, slightly unstructured shoulders, tighter sleeves and a chore coat-like body, but obvious lapels, not a folded collar. And it isn't just the three bucket pockets that resemble the famous workwear style, but the super-straight bottom hem, too.
Best Slim-Fit Summer Blazer
Mango Linen Slim Fit Blazer
Now 53% off
- Material(s): 100% linen
- Care:Dry clean only
Available in three colors, olive, tan and black, Mango's affordable linen blazer proves slim-fit, but flattering still. It isn't too tight but plenty tailored, making it good-looking with cotton or linen dress pants.
Some wearers have complained that the sleeves are a little short, though, something that comes with the territory, we'd say (being slim-fit). If you want a regular shape, with regular-length sleeves, try sizing up.
More Formal Attire for Men
Alton Lane
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