By Benjamin Liong Setiawan
This story originally appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of Elite Traveler.
One of the keys to dressing well,while not sweating bullets during the summer months, is minimizing the number of layers you are wearing. As we near the hottest and most humid time of the year, your goal will be to simplify and pare down. However, this can be tough if you are in an environment that requires a jacket. The solution is a half-lined, or sometimes fully unlined, suit or blazer. These will become your go-tos, because they provide a buttoned-up look without the bulk. They can be worn to the office paired with a shirt and tie, or dressed down with a T-shirt as a light outerwear piece.
This unlined Ralph Lauren double-breasted sport coat in a linen and wool blend provides an effortlessly pulled-together look when worn with a simple crewneck T-shirt and espadrilles. LBM1911 is an Italian heritage brand known for their relaxed tailoring, but don’t take their unstructured jackets to be a lack of craftsmanship.
Sometimes it can actually take more skill to create an unlined suit, such as this cotton two-button notched lapel suit with patch pockets, than it does for a lined suit, where the imperfections can be hidden underneath; when a garment is unlined, every little detail is visible.
Dries Van Noten is a master of creating clothes that are on one hand a product of his left-brain intellectual studies, and yet result in pieces that emit such a poetic visual language that they end up stimulating the right-brain as well. But Van Noten is not interested in designing collections to be placed in museums. He wants his clothing to be worn, and there’s no doubt this double-breasted look will be.
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Finally, not many labels can make army pants and sneakers look dressed-up, but Brunello Cucinelli elevates the mundane and makes it luxurious. Here Cucinelli pairs them with a half-lined three-pocket jacket, a slim-fit shirt and solid tie.
Ralph Lauren, navy linen/wool sports coat, $1,995, navy linen/wool pants, $895, crewneck T-shirt, $95, navy linen espadrille, $350, available at Ralph Lauren in New York, +1 212 606 2100, ralphlauren.com
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Dries Van Noten, Benz Bis camel linen blazer, $1,175, Cheyenne khaki cotton/linen shirt, $580, Patterson camel linen pant, $620, brown leather belt, $480, available at Barneys in New York, +1 212 826 8900, barneys.com
LBM 1911, cotton suit, $1,295, cotton shirt, $275, leather bag, $995, available at Taylor Richards & Conger in Charlotte, NC, +1 704 366 9092, lubiam.it
Brunello Cucinelli, single-breasted three-pocket jacket in lightweight wool, $2,395, slimfit button-down shirt, $495, wool solid tie, $225, cotton army pants, $825, braided leather belt, $775, Icaro calfskin sneakers, $875, leather travel bag, $3,995, available at Brunello Cucinelli in New York, +1 212 334 1010, brunellocucinelli.com
