Double-Breasted Suits Are Back This Summer ·

01 Jan 0001, 00:00

I don't know about you, but when I think of dressing for summer, I think of shorts, tank tops, breezy polos, and chic leather sandals. Double-breasted suits aren't quite top of mind—or, at least, they weren't until I saw that all the It Guys of Hollywood are sporting 'em this month.

Fellas, it looks like we're in for a double-breasted-suit summer. The forecast is showing more long, hot, humid days ahead, and while the heat advisory is probably telling you to stay indoors, I'm telling you to pop out in a double-breasted suit. Between me and your weather app, I know quite a bit more about menswear.

Seriously, though—if you're headed to a dressy function, leave your single-breasted jacket at home and opt for the good ol' DB instead. It's pretty much the richer, fancier, chicer older brother to the single-breasted jacket; it feels a bit more refined, elevated, and regal. A bit more like you're James Bond. Or better yet, like you're Pierce Brosnan himself at Wimbledon, dressed to the nines in a navy double-breasted suit by Ralph Lauren.

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Pierce Brosnan wears a double-breasted suit at Wimbledon.

After seeing how fresh and cool Brosnan looks, how could you not be reaching for your best double-breasted suit? You may not be going to Wimbledon, but I'm sure there's something on your calendar—a wedding, a work dinner, a fancy party—that requires you rise to the occasion, sartorially speaking. Hell, I support you wearing a double-breasted suit to watch your kid's soccer game or tune in to the Olympics at home.

I'm not trying to punish you in this 90-plus degree weather, though. If you're going double-breasted, try to go as lightweight and breezy as you can. Linen is your very best friend; take a cue from Rob Delaney at a fan event for Deadpool & Wolverine earlier this month, clad in a chocolate-brown linen suit from British designer New & Lingwood.

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Rob Delaney sports a double-breasted suit at a UK fan event for Deadpool & Wolverine.

Delaney's DB suit style is a bit more relaxed than Brosnan's, with an unbuttoned white shirt and no tie. But even so, the intrinsic classiness of the double-breasted suit remains—especially with those peak lapels.

If you want to go for a really modern take on the DB suit, though, let's take notes from Glen Powell. At the premiere of Twisters this month, Powell donned a sleek, monochromatic, military-green bespoke suit by Brioni, with the jacket worn open and the top few buttons of his shirt undone.

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Glen Powell in a double-breasted suit at the Twisters premiere.

Now that's how you make a DB feel contemporary and easy. Don't overthink it—keep it simple! Keep it one color, whether it's green, black, or beige.

To get you started on the right foot, we've curated a selection of double-breasted suits inspired by the styles above. Even if you opt for a double-breasted jacket on its own, that's fine by us. Pair it with a button-down, jeans, and some leather loafers—or pretty much anything else you want—and you'll be looking fly as hell all summer long.