Men’s summer blazer: Chris Kerr’s 2025 guide

Men’s summer blazer: Chris Kerr’s 2025 guide

Why Look Past the Cotton Navy Blazer?

For decades the navy cotton blazer has been the easy answer to “What do I throw over a polo when it’s hot?”  Yet the ubiquity of the men’s summer blazer is precisely the problem: arrive at a terrace lunch and you risk matching half the men on the reservation list. Chris Kerr clients come for garments that speak quietly of craft and individuality, so this season we’re exploring fabrics that breathe, travel well and stand out—without ever shouting.

The Three Pillars of a Great Summer Jacket

Before we dive into cloths, remember the three pillars of a great summer jacket: air‑flow, texture, and attitude.

  • Air‑flow comes from open weaves or fibres that are breathable.
  • Texture separates a sports jacket from an orphaned suit coat; slubs, puckers or plains with visible weave depth indciate informality.
  • Attitude is the styling: single–breasted, soft or structured shoulder, patch pockets or jetted with flaps, bespoke lining. We cut every Chris Kerr summer jacket with these details in mind, then finish with real horn buttons and hand‑pick‑stitching so the casual never feels careless.

1. Irish & Italian Linen: Rumple, Don’t Crease

Linen remains the king of men’s summer blazer tailoring, but not all linen is equal. We recommend Irish or high‑twist Italian varieties woven with a loose hopsack construction. A quality linen lets the coat drape, while the open weave lets light show through when you hold it up—proof of ventilation. Cream, tobacco and olive make superb backdrops for boldly patterned shirts. Go for patch pockets, swelled seams and a two‑roll‑three button stance.

Styling cue: Pair a tobacco‑brown linen jacket with off‑white fresco trousers, a knitted cream polo and chocolate tassel loafers. You’re Aperol‑ready but never overdressed.

2. Seersucker: The Cool Pucker

Seersucker Summer Jacket

Originating from the Persian phrase shir‑o‑shakar (“milk and sugar”), seersucker’s alternating tension in the loom creates ridges that sit off the skin, encouraging constant air circulation. Modern mills have re‑imagined the classic blue‑and‑white stripe in sage, sand and even monochrome charcoal, making it boardroom‑capable on sweltering days. Because the cloth already owns the conversation, we keep details sleek: notch lapels, one‑eighth top‑stitch, jetted hip pockets.

Chris Kerr tip: Commission matching seersucker trousers for a louche travel suit; wear together at the airport, split the pieces once you’ve arrived.

3. Madras & Lightweight Checks: Holiday Colour, London Cut

Madras—bleeding vegetable‑dye cotton first exported from Chennai—adds a shot of sprezzatura to any summer wardrobe. Unlike winter tweeds, its open plain weave keeps weight below 9 oz. We temper the surf‑shack connotations by cutting it slim with a soft shoulder, and we recommend half‑lining only the fronts to preserve shape. This Olive Madras Fabric from Fox Brothers & Co makes a great men’s summer blazer.

Not ready for full madras? Explore chambray prince‑of‑wales or pastel houndstooth for subtler interest.

4. High‑Twist Wool (AKA Fresco): The Jet‑Setter’s Armour

If you want crease resistance without linen’s rumple, look to high‑twist tropical wool. By twisting multiple yarns together before weaving, mills create a springy cloth with an almost corrugated hand — light bends bounce straight back. These 9–11 oz jackets shrug off airplane seats and August humidity.

5. Silk‑Linen‑Wool Blends: The Best of Three Worlds

Blending fibres lets mills fine‑tune performance: silk adds sheen and tensile strength, linen supplies breeziness, and wool provides memory. A 50/30/20 wool‑silk‑linen at around 11 oz drapes like fresco but flashes subtle lustre in sunlight—ideal for garden weddings. British and Italian makers have championed these blends for SS 25.

6. Seaside Flannel & Brushed Cottons

“Flannel” usually screams winter, but ultra‑light 7 oz flannels—sometimes labelled “rowing‑blazer cloths”—give a matte, chalky finish with unexpected breathability. Colours like sky‑blue or faded coral pair effortlessly with white jeans. Because the nap catches light, keep accessories minimal: think suede loafers and a crisp linen pocket square.

For a sportier spin, sand‑washed cotton canvas or enzyme‑washed twill brings subtle texture without visual noise, echoing chore‑coat ease in a tailored silhouette.

The Chris Kerr Cut: Details That Matter

Whatever cloth you choose, we apply house principles developed over 60 years on Berwick Street:

  • Structured or soft natural shoulder.
  • Hand-stitched edges.
  • Buggy or unlined back – less lining equals more air.
  • Hand‑sewn buttonholes – even on casual jackets, because craftsmanship isn’t seasonal.

8. How to Wear Your Summer Jacket

OccasionSuggested ComboNote
Roof‑terrace drinksSage high‑twist wool jacket, white linen band‑collar shirt, dove‑grey chinosNo belt—use side‑adjusters for a cleaner waist.
Weekend lunch al frescoCream linen hopsack jacket, striped Breton tee, stone gurkha shortsPush the sleeves up.
Destination weddingSand silk‑linen‑wool blend, pale blue poplin shirt, ivory fresco trousers, tobacco knitted tiePocket square in raw silk echoes tie texture.
Business casual heatwaveAir‑force blue seersucker jacket, ice‑blue chambray shirt, dark denimLeave collar unbuttoned; swap tie for silk‑knit if needed.

Care & Storage

  • We always recommend professional dry cleaning or sponge and press.
  • Hang summer cloths overnight; wrinkles drop out naturally.
  • Rotate wardrobe: don’t wear the same item two days in a row.

Chris Kerr Bespoke: From Bolt to Beach

Our in‑house cloth library holds many summer jacketing swatches from top name cloth merchants like Holland & Sherry and Caccioppoli. A first consultation maps climate, travel schedule and existing wardrobe; pattern‑drafting follows, then two fittings refine drape and pitch.

Final Thought—Let the Cloth Talk

Summer tailoring should feel effortless: fabrics that look better a little lived‑in. Step away from the default navy cotton blazer and embrace linen rumple, seersucker pucker, or the dry crunch of fresco.

When you’re ready to commission a jacket that keeps its cool as naturally as you do, book an appointment at Chris Kerr or drop into our Soho shop to browse some summer swatches.

Here comes the sun

Here comes the sun

With summer on its way, the time is right to start thinking about lighter weight jacket or suit options to see you through the warmer months, at work and at play.

The traditional summer weight cloths are cotton, linen and lightweight wool., though seersucker has also made a resurgence in recent years.

In sunny weather, lighter colours – particularly blues and greys work well along with contrasting combinations – a cream jacket with navy trousers for example or the reverse.

And in terms of cloth, there’s a lots of exciting summer weight options, with interesting blends and textures coming out of Italian cloth makers in particular this  year. Caccioppoli, the venerable Naplese cloth maker have brought out three new summer swatches – including the aptly named Sun Dream III.

bespoke summer suit fabric image

Drapers of Bologna also have some fabulous summer-weight cloths this season:

So if you’re looking for something a little different to wear this summer, or indeed a classic summer look, book an appointment with Chris here.

Featured image by Shamim Nakhaei on Unsplash

Summer sports jackets

Summer sports jackets
It’s easy in winter to reach for a tweed jacket when you’re heading out for a weekend lunch with friends. However, if, when dressing for the same kind of occasion in summer, a man wants to wear something more interesting and less formal than a navy-blue blazer then the options can seem limited. The obvious alternative is to go for a linen jacket, ideally in a heavy, open-weave cloth that will rumple rather than crease, and allow a good flow of air through it. It could be made from cream, tobacco brown, or blue linen, but these solid hues are ideally saved for Mediterranean holidays or country weddings. (more…)

What to wear for Henley

What to wear for Henley

Henley-on-Thames the regatta consists of over 200 boat races on the river that runs through the town, with Olympians among the competitors. However, the Regatta is as almost as much a social event as it is a sporting one, and as such the dress code is important (men in the Steward’s Enclosure are required to wear a jacket and tie) and it sets the tone. Blazers predominate.

(more…)

Why a bespoke Solaro suit?

Why a bespoke Solaro suit?

What do Lapo Elkann, Gianni Agnelli, Matteo Marzotto and Luca di Montezemolo have in common, aside from their incredible wealth and status as style icons? They all wore or wear suits made from Solaro. While a lot of different fabrics are referred to as Solaro only London cloth merchant Smith Woollens, now part of Harrisons, offers the real thing. It’s an olive coloured wool cloth, which comes in a variety of weaves including herringbones and twill. Its defining feature is that it’s woven with red yarns on the underside, which show through the fabric to a greater or lesser extent depending on the angle of the viewer. (more…)

Visit Chris Kerr at our Soho shop.

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