How to Dress When It's Hot as Hell Outside

Let’s be honest: The best thing to wear when it’s hot as hell is as little as possible. We’re talking tank top, shorts, sandals, and done. Maybe switch the shorts for swim trunks if you’re heading to the beach. But don’t overcomplicate it. You basically want to be as close to naked as you can be without inviting unwanted social (or legal) attention.

The thing is, real life gets in the way. Unless you work as a lifeguard, you’re not getting away with a five-inch inseam and a pair of flip-flops at the office. And your significant other probably won’t appreciate seeing your armpit hair when you flag down the waiter at the restaurant where you had to wait two months for your reservation. So what’s a guy to do when the mercury is punching through the top of the thermometer and he still has to get to the office, go on a date, or attend a sweltering summer wedding?

The answer depends on whom you ask. Some folks will advocate for a strict sartorial diet of linen from Memorial Day until Labor Day, though considering how a warming world and seasonal shifts are going, it might be better to extend that end date until the last day of September—or maybe even mid-October. Other men will go the counterintuitive route, reaching for heavyweight cotton tees that hide sweat better than their paper-thin cousins (and give your look a bit of structure, too). And then you’ve got the clever lads who reach for tropical and high-twist wools, fabrics that sound counterintuitive but are actually perfectly suited to the season.

What’s right for you? We’d say you should try a little from Column A, a little from Column B, and, yeah, something from Column C as well. There’s no one-size-fits all answer to dressing for the dog days. But each of these approaches to summertime style has its place in your day-to-day life. Put them all together—and consider a few days by the water wearing as little as possible—and you might just make it to autumn.

In the world of menswear, increased formality tends to mean increased clothing and coverage. Trousers are going to be dressier than shorts. A dress shirt will trump a T-shirt, and a dress shirt with a jacket over it beats the shirt alone. You know the deal. It almost feels unnecessary to mention it.

But as we delve into the types of fabrics and outfits you can wear on a blistering hot day, it’s helpful to keep that very basic tenet in mind. Because as you’re choosing different elements of your look—and especially as you’re choosing materials—you need to start by assessing where on the casual-to-formal spectrum you need to land. Heavier cottons, for instance, won’t work if you’re layering or need long sleeves. They will work if you can get away with bare forearms, though. See what we’re saying? As with all things style-related, context matters.

So let’s get into it—starting on the casual side of things and working our way up from there.

Tyler, the Creator wearing a burly T-shirt at the Louis Vuitton show in 2023.

Like we said before, it sounds counterintuitive. But there’s no shortage of men out there who will choose a heavier cotton T-shirt in the summer months. During fall, winter, and spring, there’s a high likelihood that any T-shirt you’re wearing won’t be alone. It’ll have a buddy, like a denim jacket, sport coat, hoodie, or oxford-cloth button-down. But when it’s 90 degrees and 90 percent humidity, the chances of your T-shirt buddying up drop dramatically. Your tee needs to be able to stand on its own.

Thinner cotton shirts are more prone to clinging and getting saturated with sweat. Synthetics? Even clingier (and though they’ll wick sweat, they’ll also hold on to odors and start to stink after a while). Heavier cotton shirts, on the other hand, have structure. They tend to skim instead of hug, making them more flattering (especially if you never quite got around to completing your “Beach Body” workout program). And though they’ll still sop up sweat, they’ll take a lot longer to show it, and a white one won’t become totally see-through with just a few drops of perspiration.

They do wear hotter, though, so we recommend versions that are cut looser and boxier so you can maximize airflow. Uniqlo U makes a great, affordable heavyweight tee. Reigning Champ’s is more expensive but feels it; same goes for Buck Mason and COS’s takes on the style. And though Everybody.World’s version skews a little lighter, weight-wise, it’s still a very comfortable option.

One big caveat here: Heavyweight cotton doesn’t make much sense in anything other than T-shirt form. With trousers, it’s stifling. With shorts, it’s theoretically okay, but you won’t find many pairs that fit the bill. And with anything you’d consider a layer—jacket, button-up, etc.—it’ll put you at risk of heatstroke.

So pair your burly tee with stuff that complements but doesn’t mimic. Think crinkly nylon shorts, cropped trousers, beat-to-hell chinos, and everything from fisherman sandals to canvas sneakers to Clarks Wallabees. The vibe is always going to be a little more dressed-down, but you can give it a little more polish with tonal color choices and clean lines, if you so choose.

Wear it to: The office, if the office is creative/casual. A day at the park. Drinks, provided the bar has either a shot-and-beer special or a cocktail list full of drinks you’ve never heard of. An outdoor concert. A restaurant that’s never, ever seen a white tablecloth.

A guest at Pitti Uomo keeping it breezy.

It’s the quintessential summer fabric in many minds. And we understand why. First, there’s the functional argument. Linen has a few things going for it that make it really shine in warm weather. First up is absorbency. Linen can soak up a lot of moisture—far more than cotton—but takes longer to feel wet and clammy than other fabrics. It also dries quickly, meaning that total saturation is less of a threat. And then there’s the stiffness of linen. It means that your linen shirt or trousers may feel rougher (at first) than similar items made of lyocell or cotton. But it also means that the fabric sits away from the body instead of draping directly onto it. Even a few millimeters of space between your skin and the material next to it can yield a much more comfortable summer day because it allows for ventilative cooling (aka, feeling the breeze).

Then, of course, there’s the vibe. The same stiffness that makes linen sit away from your skin makes it prone to wrinkling and creasing. Some people hate it. But others appreciate the way the fabric reflects the mood of the season. It’s relaxed, carefree, easygoing. It is, in a word, summery. Linen also happens to take color very well, so you can dye in equally summery hues ranging from pastel pink to minty green to lilac. And though you can find linen clothing in cuts ranging from superslim to extrahuge, it really does look great when you hit that “made to billow softly in the wind coming off the sea” sweet spot, silhouette-wise.

In terms of brands, well, the list is long. But a few of our favorites are Quince and Uniqlo (on the more affordable end); Banana Republic, Spier & Mackay, Buck Mason, and Todd Snyder (a little pricier); and Zegna and Brunello Cucinelli (if you really want to splurge). There are as many ways to wear linen as there are brands offering it. Linen suits are a summer staple for good reason, though getting one that’s lined with a silk or synthetic blend kind of defeats the purpose of wearing the fabric in the first place. Linen trousers are much-beloved by guys who spend a lot of time on the Riviera and guys who want to look like they spend a lot of time on the Riviera. And linen shirts are, in our book, the best of the bunch. While you can find other trousers and suits that mimic the feel—if not quite the look—of linen, it’s tough to beat the sensation of a linen shirt on a hot summer day. Plus, it’s easy to pair with everything from utilitarian climbing shorts to ripstop fatigues to (why not?) linen trousers. Which brings us to a final note about linen: Yes, you can layer it all together. Why not? You might look a little rumpled, but in an elegantly seasonal way. Go for it.

Wear it to: Dinner near a body of water (pools very much included). Lunch near a body of water. Any meal near a body of water, really. Drinks at a bar that has a special section for Amaro. The office, provided you start the day by ironing everything and won’t be fussy about it wrinkling before your 2:00 p.m. meeting. The beach. The boardwalk. Brunch (no matter the proximity to water).

Don’t fear wool in the summer (no, really!).

We’ve done a whole story on this, so we’d implore you to read up. There’s also a section on it in our summer suit guide from earlier this year. The gist is: Even if it sounds crazy to you, wool is simply fantastic for summer. Yes, it’ll keep you warm in the winter. But thanks to its temperature-regulating qualities—like linen, it absorbs and evaporates moisture quite effectively—wool can also serve you well during the warmer months. That’s provided you pick the right wool, of course. This is no time for flannels and tweeds. Instead, you need to look out for terms like tropical, high-twist, and fresco. If you see any of them in the description of a fabric, it’s a solid indication you’re on the correct track, wool-wise.

The first term—tropical—is a little vague but essentially refers to wool that is lightweight and breathable. The sort of thing you might wear when it’s hot and humid, as it is in (you guessed it!) the tropics. It’s worth shopping around and seeing what feels best to you, because how exactly the finished wool fabric achieves those properties can vary from maker to maker depending on how it’s woven.

Which brings us to the latter two terms—high-twist and fresco—which are effectively synonymous these days, though the second more accurately refers to a specific high-twist wool patented in the early 20th century and famously sold by the woolen mill Hardy Minnis. Fun facts for fabric buffs aside, the important thing about this kind of wool is the fact that the yarn is twisted tighter than normal, giving it impressive elasticity and allowing it to be formed into an open weave. This translates to a wrinkle-resistant fabric that springs back into shape—a big bonus if you have to travel for a summer wedding. It also means the material is exceptionally airy. Hold an unlined, high-twist wool jacket up to a window on a sunny day and you’ll see the light cut right through it. The breeze will do the same thing, making it a lot easier to deal with the morning commute or cocktail hour on a patio.

You’re more likely to encounter summer-friendly wool in tailored clothing—suits, jackets, and trousers—than in a casual context, though Rosen makes very cool, somewhat avant-garde shirts and trousers in lightweight wools (and wool blends). For something more traditional, look to brands like Paul Smith, Todd Snyder, Spier & Mackay, and Proper Cloth, all of which offer tropical wool clothing that we love. There’s also Ring Jacket’s Balloon Jacket, made of high-twist wool, which has a cult following for a reason. As for how to wear it? Well, like you’d wear any suit, jacket, or pair of trousers. There’s no need to get in the weeds here. Just take it easy and enjoy the breeze.

Wear it to: The office, if you’re looking to impress the bigwigs. Court, if you’re looking to impress the judge. Any and every summer wedding. Date night at a restaurant with white tablecloths. Drinks at a spot where the martini comes with a sidecar and an array of free bar snacks. Drinks at a dive bar, because it’s fun to dress up when you don’t have to.