6 Types of Pants Cool Enough for Summer

Sometimes you just can’t wear shorts. But when it’s blazing hot, picking the wrong pair of trousers could leave you cooked. Not all pants are made for the high temps of the hottest season, but here are six types to look for, with examples of each in various price ranges. 

 

Performance Fabric

• Target All in Motion Golf Pants – $40
• Old Navy Tech Hybrid Pants – $26.99 ($35-$40ish)
• J. Crew Factory Tech Pants – $55ish
• PROOF Nomad Performance Chinos – $118
• lululemon Warpstreme Fabric ABC trousers – $128 shown above

A lifesaver for those of us that run warm. These are made from engineered fibers (polyester) that have been specifically formulated to breathe, wick away sweat, stretch like crazy, and dry quickly. These are not the cheap, plasticky “microfiber” trousers of eras gone by. They feel great. They wear great. They are, for many of us, epiphanies in trouser form. Most can even be dressed up with dress shirts and sportcoats, as shown above by lululemon’s (expensive) ABC trousers.

 

Linen or Linen / Cotton Blends

• J. Crew Linen Trousers – $74.50 ($118) shown above
• Old Navy Loose Taper Linen-Blend Ankle Pants – $24.99 ($35ish)
• GAP Linen-Cotton Trousers – $40ish
• UNIQLO linen-blend relaxed pants – $49.90
• Banana Republic FACTORY Linen/Cotton 5-Pocket Pants – $38 ($50ish)
• Spier & Mackay “Hollywood” Linen Trousers – $128
• Spier & Mackay Cotton Linen Trousers – $128
• Brooks Brothers Slim Fit Linen Trousers – $173.60 ($248)

Quick, think of a fabric that gets worn almost exclusively in warm weather. You probably thought of linen. Linen’s almost translucent airiness is the choice for many who live year round in tropical climates. The one drawback is that it wrinkles like crazy. But that’s part of the appeal. It’s summer, it’s hot, so who cares about a few wrinkles? One way to mitigate that wrinkling is by weaving some cotton into the mix. Usually right around a 50/50 ratio, cotton/linen pants are a great choice for someone who likes the look and texture of linen, but doesn’t want that many wrinkles. Linen trousers can span the entire formality scale. They can be super dressed up, extremely casual, and everywhere in between.

 

Lightweight Chino

• Banana Republic Slim Core Temp Pants – $100 shown above
  
• Banana Republic FACTORY Summerweight Chinos – $25 ($40ish)
• Nordstrom Slim Fit CoolMax Flat Front Performance Chinos – $58.99 ($79.50)
• J. Crew Factory Straight-fit TruTemp365 Pants – $60ish
• Bonobos Lightweight Chinos – $69.30 w/ SALTY ($99) shown top of post in an o.o.s. pale blue
• Buck Mason Poplin Pants – $148

All cotton or a cotton-based blend, these are chinos with a lighter fabric weight which has been woven specifically to be breezier in the heat. These are not thick, heavy chinos. They might wrinkle a bit easier due to the thinner fabric, but your body will appreciate the airy crispness to the material.

 

Oxford Cloth

• J. Crew Tech Oxford Pants – $56.50 ($98) shown above
• J. Crew Portuguese Cotton Oxford Suit Trousers – $79.49 FINAL w/ 48HOURS ($198)

Made in the same pindot-looking oxford weave your favorite OCBD shirt comes in. While they are comfortable, they don’t wick like a tech/performance fabric pant will, or breathe quite as well as linen in suffocating heat and humidity. Great for drier climates, and they certainly LOOK summery.

 

Seersucker

• The Tie Bar Seersucker Trousers – $98 shown above
• Old Navy Loose Taper Seersucker Pants – $24.99 ($30ish)
  
• Banana Republic Factory Seersucker Trousers – $48 ($60)
  
• Brooks Brothers Seersucker Pants In Classic Stripe – $103.60 ($148)
• J. Crew Ludlow Slim-fit Unstructured Suit Pant in Seersucker – $59.49 FINAL w/ 48HOURS ($148)

Seersucker’s definitive puckered texture (see where the arrow is pointing above) was created to specifically move air easier across your skin. That helps keep you cool, and prevents the fabric from sticking/gluing itself to you when you sweat. Usually found in a dandy-ish blue and white stripe, these days there are thankfully more subtle options available. Grays, taupes, and even darker options like the navy shown above.

 

Tropical Wool

• Spier & Mackay Tropical Wool High-Twist Trousers – $158 shown above
• Lands’ End Year’ Rounder Wool Trousers – $68.97 w/ HIGHSUMMER ($115)
• Haspel Tropical Wool Trousers – $160

The granddaddy of em’ all. Wool is the king of all fabrics. It breathes like crazy, regulates temperature, and has anti-microbial properties. That all makes for a perfect pair of pants in the warmest months. Tropical wool is the exact opposite of the shaggy winter sweaters you wear on the coldest of days. This is a lean, mean, lightweight, crisp wool that almost feels cool to the touch. A bit spendy, but again… well worth it.

Final Tips:

1. Underwear: Don’t forget to wear breathable, wicking underwear. The uncomfortable truth is that classic cotton underwear is abysmal in the heat. You want performance fabric or merino when the temperatures skyrocket.
2. Socks: Sweaty feet = sweaty person. So the same rule(s) as underwear applies. You want socks that breathe and move moisture away from your skin. Favor lightweight merino wool socks.
3. Fit: You don’t want a clingy fit. You don’t want Hammer-Time either… but something in-between is what to aim for. Let that air flow.