Big news, flaxheads: The best linen suits for men are a year-round flex—and the tailoring hack you need to keep your rotation from feeling stale. In its most formal iteration, linen makes for a blessedly out-of-the-box alternative to run-of-the-mill cotton and wool suits. And sure, linen's natural breathability means it's predisposed to keep you cool through sweltering summers…but the same logic applies when the heat is cranked up in the dead of winter.
The Best Linen Suits for Men Shopping Guide
- The Peaked Interest Pick: Alex Mill Mercer Blazer, $250
- The Nice, Normal Pick: J.Crew Suit Jacket,
$178$139 - The Extremely Relaxed Pick: Oliver Spencer “Theobald” Suit Jacket, $
680$340 - The Dark Horse Pick: Todd Snyder "Madison" Suit Jacket, $498
- The Dolce Vita Pick: Brunello Cucinelli Suit Jacket,
$3995$2397 - The All-American Pick: Polo Ralph Lauren Suit Jacket, $698
- The Cool Guy Pick: Dries Van Noten Notched Blazer, $1120
- The Linen Aficionado Pick: 120% Lino Suit Jacket,
$855$342 - The Fashion Head Pick: Engineered Garments Ivy Blazer, $516
- The Left-Field Pick: CMMN SWDN “Troy” Blazer,
$770$193
Finally headed to that wedding your cousin's postponed three times since last spring? Ditch the tuxedo and opt for a pure linen suit in navy blue—and then proceed to get blissfully sloshed off the gratis bubbly while the rest of the guests shvitz through their super 110s. Looking for a winter suit with just enough texture to help you stand out from the wool-wearing pack? Linen's got you covered there, too. (Want a suit with a little more structure? Reach for one in a cotton-linen blend to avoid excess wrinkling.)
The transformative powers of linen don't end there. Linen is inherently less formal than its stuffier suiting counterparts, so it lends itself towards easy mixing and matching. Wear the two pieces together or break them up into separates—the suit pants will elevate whatever you've got going on up top and the jacket works swell as a standalone blazer. Go double-breasted and wear it with a T-shirt, faded jeans, and penny loafers, or pair the pants with a slinky knit polo to flex on all the average Joes still rocking slim fit chinos. No matter how you wear 'em, the best linen suits for men will take your year-round fits from zero to sixty faster than the latest Koenigsegg. Here are 13 of our favorites to help you hit the gas, STAT.
The Peaked Interest Pick
Headed to an occasion that requires a suit but can't quite get past linen's wrinkly nature? (Feels sort of ageist, TBH, but we'll let it slide.) You're in luck: Alex Mill's Mercer option comes crafted from a cotton-linen blend that splits the difference, a highly breathable, less wrinkle-prone take on its purer counterparts. Add a duo of rakish peak lapels to the mix and you're already miles ahead of the rest of the party.
The Extremely Relaxed Pick
Too many men’s linen suits run the risk of looking overly casual (or overcompensate with a particularly structured fit). Oliver Spencer's riff is plenty pulled-together, but thanks to crisp notch lapels and a duo of patch pockets you’ll nail the dress code for brunch—and the slew of summer weddings coming down the line.
The Dark Horse Pick
Newsflash: Not all winter suits have to come in various shades of beige. Todd Snyder's murdered-out Madison suit features soft, natural shoulders with a half-lined interior—and the dark color means you can nail most black tie events without a second thought.
The Dolce Vita Pick
Brunello Cucinelli
Straight-Leg Pleated Linen, Wool and Silk-Blend Twill Suit Trousers
If you always wondered how Italian drip gods manage to look so fly in the winter, we've got the answer: a suit exactly like this one. Brunello Cucinelli's subtly-textured linen option may seem laissez-faire in vibe, but to really capitalize on its pedigree, we'd recommend going the whole nine yard—pale blue dress shirt, dark knit tie, and proper dress shoes.
The All-American Pick
The reigning master of classic Americana proves he's just as adept at mining Europe for inspiration. This nubby linen number is like a wearable jolt of royal confidence—sans the rigidity of a full-canvas suit. Its half-canvassed construction and soft shoulders give it the feel of a something you'd see in the streets of Rome, but the classic navy color and 3 ¼" lapels bring it back stateside.
The Cool Guy Pick
The easiest way to let everyone else at that gallery opening know you're wearing a suit because you want to? Buy one from Dries Van Noten, the dialed-in Belgian designer with a flair for eye-grabbing prints and left-of-center colors. His ultra-chill tailoring will look A1 with your slinkiest dress shirts—and even better with a soft, slouchy knit.
The Budget Pick
Folks, this isn’t a scam: You can buy a decent-quality linen suit in a very above-decent silhouette for less than $200. Quince’s two-piece is made from 100% linen, accented with notch lapels and flap pockets, and feels ready-made for a trip to the Italian coast—or your second cousin's third wedding.
The Linen Aficionado's Pick
The team behind the Italian label 120% Lino doesn't just design top of the line linen wares—they live and breathe the material, crafting everything from jackets to tees out of the unbeatable summer fabric. The narrow lapels, slim silhouette, short length, and natural shoulders give this suit a modern vibe that would feel right at home at a cabin wedding.
The Fashion Head Pick
Engineered Garments's linen two-piece is the savvy sartorialist's answer to transitional weather. The jacket is cut loose and generous, guaranteed to keep you from sweating buckets come summer—but might look even better as a makeshift chore coat with a nubby roll-neck underneath. Wear the pants instead of jeans on your next run to the bodega and even the surly dude behind the cashier will appreciate the flex.
The #Menswear Pick
Hong Kong-based haberdashery The Armoury stocks some of the finest menswear in the world, so it's a testament to the strength of its in-house label that the line remains a standout. Don't let the ‘101’ fool you—this is advanced-level tailoring at its finest. This gray linen number balances a full-canvas construction and light shoulder padding with a softened drape, a 3-roll-2 button design, split-back waist at the trousers, and on and on and on. If none of that made sense to you, know this: Your tailor will be very, very impressed.
The Left-Field Pick
Looking to upgrade your tired weekend standbys? In desperate need of a warm-weather-appropriate wedding ensemble that won't make you seem like a total snoozefest? Just want to ball out on a suit that says “I am the captain now”? This trippy CMMN SWDN two-piece will meet the job with a delirious amount of pizzazz.
The Wild-Style Pick
The kooky menswear gurus at Acne put their signature stamp on the linen suit courtesy of a pinstripe fabric riddled with holes that makes the notion of “falling apart” look incredibly, undeniably put-together.
The "I Grow My Own Dill and Probably Live in Portland" Pick
Who says a linen suit has to look like any of the other tailoring in your closet? This workwear-inspired take knocks the stuffiness straight out of the style, in the form of a muted gray ensemble you don't need an occasion to rock. (Don't worry: It'll look plenty righteous with button-up and a tie, too.)
The Nice, Normal Pick
J.Crew's workwear-inflected suit isn't just garment-dyed for the sake of it—in tandem with a cotton-linen fabric that's heavy on the laid-back charm, it helps make this set one of the least fussy we've seen in a minute. With a plain white tee and eye-grabbing loafers (or a chambray shirt and canvas sneakers), it'll turn up the swank factor on even your most casual ensembles.
