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Suits for a hot as hell wedding

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Ask A Woman: Looking good at a boiling hot wedding.

If you’ve got a question that needs the female treatment, chances are you’re not the only one who wants to ask it.  Beth is our source for the answers.  From opinions on men’s style to decoding the sometimes mysterious ways of women, she’ll take on a different question every Thursday.  And don’t worry, your identity will be protected too.  Click here to get to know Beth, then get in touch with her by sending your question to: askawoman@dappered.com


Hi Beth:

The girlfriend and I have been invited to an outdoor wedding in Dallas in July.  Let me repeat that: Outdoor wedding.  Dallas. July.  It will be 105 degrees.  That is the type of weather that will make you sweat in your bathing suit in the shade.

So the question is, what am I supposed to wear?  It is more of an upscale wedding (went to the older sister’s wedding last year – indoors though) so shorts are definitely not an option (not that they would be at a wedding).  Have any cool suggestions?  Pun intended.

– Dan
.

Hi Dan,

Holy.  Hell.  Fun fact about me (anyone out there keeping track of all the fun–read: embarrassing–facts I’ve disclosed over the past year and a half?  I mean, without the intention of blackmailing me?): I don’t do heat.  60 degrees, a temperate breeze and a sunny sky is my ideal.  A hint of humidity or temps above 70 degrees and I’m melting like a snowcone in Phoenix.  So first of all what I want to say to you is…who the hell are the lame friends that decided to have an outdoor wedding in Dallas in July?  With friends like these…well, you know the rest.

Our fearless Dappered leader suggested seersucker.  I second that.  For those not familiar with seersucker, it’s a cotton fabric, which is important in heat, because natural fabrics like cotton breathe much better than synthetic fabrics like polyester which trap heat.  Seersucker has a slightly bumpy texture, and usually a vertically-striped pattern.  The bumpy weave of the fabric actually pulls it away from the skin of the wearer, which makes it superb for hot temperatures.  Basically, if you’re as screwed as Dan appears to be, seersucker is an excellent option for making the best of a steamy situation.  I like this suit in Navy Stripe and Dark Navy Stripe (tons of sizes available for both).  This is another great slim-fitting suit, available in gray and ivory.

Skip the chino.  It’ll be heavy.  Stick with seersucker or 100% linen.  Also, dark seersucker is great for night/mainly inside events, but you’ll burn up in the sun.  If the groom is in a black rented tux for this thing, it’s fair to assume that the marriage is doomed.  From left: Fitted Brooks Bros. – $498.  J. Crew Ludlow – $456.  Jos.A. – $395 (wait for sales.)

Another light and cool option is linen.  Linen is a great natural fabric: it’s light, it looks good even when wrinkled, it’s stronger wet than dry, it’s comfortable.  Plus, it’s made from the fibers of the flax plant.  Your doctor been telling you to consume more fiber?  Ask him if fashion fiber counts.  This suit in light gray looks uber-modern.  I know nothing about the company that makes it, but this suit is inexpensive and has a lot of colors and sizes to choose from, including an…interesting sea foam green which would make you a hit with the over-70 set.

Although it sucks to have to shell out for someone’s poor judgment, linen or seersucker suits aren’t a bad investment.  Buy them in a classic cut and you can wear them for many summers to come.  There are also options like cotton/wool blends, but I still think linen and seersucker are your best bets.  Underneath the suit wear an all-cotton shirt to keep the cool times coming.  No cotton/poly blends this time.

Guys, any suggestions for keeping cool while attending a party on the face of the sun?  Leave them below.  Let us speak as men do.

-Beth

Got a question for Beth? Send them to: askawoman@dappered.com

Comments

  1. Seer is your only hope for survival. I’m from Georgia where 100+ summer days are a regular thing and the humidity is much much worse. I also advise on freezer packs in your inside jacket . Trust me.

  2. Really dependent on what time the wedding is during the day. If during daytime, definitely Seersucker. If you want to be a little more inconspicuous, wear a seersucker coat with some cream cotton chinos, or you can opt for seersucker’s cousin, the Pincord suit (ruffled like seersucker, but, stands out less.
    If at night, it is going to be hard to avoid going with a darker suit…I would wear an all-cotton khaki suit.

  3. Don’t over do it on the alcohol if it’s going to be that hot.

  5. Should go without saying, but should be said just in case. Wear an undershirt. I’ve seen men at weddings outside sweat straight through a dress shirt. They thought they would be cooler without the undershirt. I might even bring an extra. And a functional handkercheif. And the talc. I am a big fan of the Clubman talc.

    Drink gin and tonics. To me, gin and tonic it is like Gatorade for suits. It’s what you need!

  8. I second the undershirt. I went to an outdoor wedding in Waco, TX in July or August a couple of years ago. Hot, hot, hot. No trees or shading at all for the wedding. Bring a couple of extra handkerchiefs. I ended up giving one to my wife to sit on, as the chairs were hot, and she was wearing a short dress. Kinda hot on the legs. Then I still needed one to mop my brow. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what suit you wear, you’re going to be hot. Just keep the fluids going (at least one glass of water between booze) & don’t take off the jacket. It will help hide the swampy mess you have going on.

    Enjoy!

  11. Despite what a lot of people will tell you, cotton isn’t necessarily better for heat than wool. Breathability of a suit (and therefore, its coolness) has a lot more to do with the weave of the fabric than the material.

    This means that an unlined wool suit in an open weave (think fresco) can actually end up being a lot cooler than a cotton suit with full lining and a denser weave. Seersucker, as it is a weave as much as a fabric, is definitely an option for hot weather weddings. But consider a fresco weave wool suit with minimal lining. You might be surprised what you find.

  12. These options all are center vent.  I really only like to buy double and am in desperate need of a suit for a couple of deep south weddings.  Anyone else got ideas?

  15.  Incorrect.  Your statement assumes that one can actually overdo alcohol at weddings.

  16.  I bought the navy seer — it’s a badass suit.  Some lining at the top near the shoulders but not much, so it should work well.

  18. or consider Certain-Dri — just short of prescription strength antiperspirant.  Will help, at least.

  19. I’m from GA, too — but have never tried the freezer packs. Brilliant idea.

  22.  Yes indeed.  Steer clear of the thicker chino.  But finding an unlined wool suit at an affordable price is gonna be a tough go.

  23. I’ve got a killer Haspel double-vent seersucker suit. Sadly Syms (the place I got it from) just went out of business, but if you are going seersucker, go Haspel. They were made for NOLA which is unbearable in the summer.

  24. My work travel often takes me to the tropics, mostly the Philippines and India.  David’s comment about weave is spot on.  Light weight open-weave wool helps the air keep moving around you, and is more resistant to wrinkling than linen and its blends.  If you wear linen, expect the wrinkles, they are inevitable.  Embrace them.

    Never used to be a “hat guy.”  This is changing.  As my hair leaves, I find wearing a hat in the sun is essential.  I have too much hair to sunscreen my scalp discretely, and too little hair to prevent sunburn.  Dan, I hope this doesn’t pertain to you yet.

    A good linen shirt is also wonderful in heat.  There’s evidently a taboo against wearing linen shirts with linen suits (wrinkle overload, perhaps?), but few people, if any, will notice. I’m at my most comfortable with a snug cotton tee under a linen shirt (ironed, not starched), and whichever lightweight suit.  The tee wicks the sweat and helps prevent that “swampy” feeling some folks get.  The suit and the shirt help the air flow evaporate the sweat.

    I’ve avoided cotton suiting other than seersucker, no real reason why other than personal preference.  Just haven’t found one that I like as well as the linen/tropical wool alternatives I currently have.

    Stay hydrated and have fun!

  26. Im going to have to try that as well i have an outdoor wedding in august in dallas..

  29. Seersucker is good because it actually has more surface area than flat fabrics which allows more evaporation of your flop sweat and thus cooling.  Does the guy HAVE to go?  Can they show and then slip away?

  30. I can’t agree enough about this. Went to a wedding in the Philippines in a church with no air conditioning. All the locals made me swear I wear a shirt under my tux. I’ve done so ever since.

  31. Watch Miami Vice. Wear white suit. Be bad ass. Problem solved.

  32. I strongly second applying CertainDri the night before. And put Gold Bond on your feet to keep them dry in your shoes.

  35. I just got married on the 30th, and I wore a seersucker suit.http://imgur.com/DSXo2tommy hilfiger blazer: 138.99
    http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Hilfiger-Button-Seersucker-Small/dp/B006QTX718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336099064&sr=8-1tommy hilfiger pants: 77.74
    http://www.amazon.com/Tommy-Hilfiger-Front-Seersucker-36×30/dp/B006QTXI80/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336099064&sr=8-2
    express fitted 1MX shirt: 59.99http://www.express.com/1mx-shirts-800/control/show/12/index.catPenguin Men’s Terry Brown oxford leather shoes: 79.99http://www.overstock.com/Clothing-Shoes/Original-Penguin-Mens-Terry-Brown-Leather-Oxfords/6509913/product.html
    Penguin brown belt: 49.00http://www.originalpenguin.com/LEATHER-BELT/PNL0009OP,default,pd.html?dwvar_PNL0009OP_color=249&start=5&cgid=gradgiftguide&prefn1=refinementColor&prefv1=Brown&srule=best-matchesbow tie: 17.99http://www.bowtiesandmore.com/bow-tie-shop/blue-yellow-paisley-self-tie-bow-tie-2570/

  36. If I were in this situation and didn’t already have something to wear under the circumstances, I’d send my regrets and a gift.  Hopefully your friends realize that an outdoor summer wedding in Texas is not something that everyone wants to experience.

  37. Another GA fella here- just make sure they are the synthetic freezer packs, and not the ice based ones that will melt and have you walking around with a puddle in your pocket

  38. The pic makes the jacket look cut really short.  Is that accurate?  

  39. Great wedding pic, and thanks for the heads up on that great looking suit.

    Congrats on the wedding!

  40. Not really. The only thing that slightly bothers me about the suit is that, because its double vented and because I have quite a bit of inward curvature just above my butt cheeks on the small of my back it kinda makes the back of the jacket stick out a little, but its certainly not short. It’s also liveable, i tend to complain about very tiny issues sometimes.

  42. Personally, I wouldn’t go with a strong antiperspirant. Maybe just a normal one, or maybe even just a deodorant. You actually *want* to sweat, since it’s your body’s way of trying to cool off. Definitely wear an undershirt, and if you go with a white button-up shirt, no one will notice if your undershirt can’t quite keep up with how much sweat you’re putting out. You could also consider something like an Ex-Officio undershirt, because they breathe *really* well. They look stupid, but it’ll be underneath your buttoned up shirt, anyway. No one would notice.

  43. Oh, and my opinions on this are very much based on the fact that I lived at sea level on the equator for 2.5 years. Not saying that trumps anyone else, just that I had to learn how to survive in a harsh heat environment.