What to wear when you can’t wear shorts: 7 Styles of Summer Pants

Whether it’s a workplace dress code, dressing up for a date, or trying to keep the sun (and bugs) off your legs, sometimes you just can’t (or don’t want to) wear shorts. These are the pants to pick for those summer occasions when your shorts have to stay on the shelf.

 

Lighter/Summer-Weight Cotton or Cotton-Blend Chinos

• BR Factory Summerweight Chinos – $38 ($95)
  
• Old Navy Tech Ultimate 4.0 Pants – $35ish ($54.99) Review here
• Bonobos Lightweight Chinos – $79 – $99
• Spier & Mackay 100% Cotton “Paper” Chinos – $78
• BR Slim Core Temp Pants – $100

Pros: Often cheaper than the other options. Easy to launder. Often available in fun, brighter, seasonal colors. Looks great dressed up or dressed down.

Cons: Can feel a little more stuffy compared to performance fabric, linen, and wool. If they’re 100% cotton or mainly cotton, they won’t dry quick.

 

Linen or Linen-Cotton Blend Trousers

• J. Crew Classic Fit Linen Trousers – $74.50 – $128
• Target Goodfellow Cotton-Linen Trousers – $40
• BR Factory 55% linen, 45% cotton Pants – $48 ($120)
• Bonobos Costal Linen Pants – $149
• Wills Cotton Linen Trousers – $118

Pros: Linen has been used as a hot-weather fabric for thousands of years because of its breathability. Can be cheaper than some other fabrics (wool, some performance materials). Has that telltale texture which looks and feels summery.

Cons: Wrinkles like crazy. Cheaper options in lighter shades can sometimes be translucent.

 

E-Waist (aka dock / deck / pier pants)

• Abercrombie Linen-Blend Relaxed Straight Pull-On Pants – $68 ($85)
  
• Lands’ End Linen Cotton Deck Pants – $40ish ($74.95)
• GAP Linen-Cotton Relaxed Taper Easy Pants – $47 ($79.50)
• UNIQLO Linen Blend Relaxed Pants – $49.90 ($59.90)
• Spier Lightweight Easy Trousers – $75
• Flint & Tinder Linen Cotton Baker Pants – $118

Pros: Super comfortable. On-trend… until they’re not. Found in a variety of fabrics, but it’s the elastic waist which makes them bridge the formality gap between shorts and trousers.

Cons: Has a very low ceiling for dressing up. Not flattering in the opinion of some.

 

Seersucker or Oxford Cloth Pants

• J. Crew Classic-fit Oxford Creased Trouser – $89.50 ($128)
• BR Factory Seersucker Trousers – $52 ($130)
• Brooks Brothers Washed Seersucker Pants – $138.60 ($198)

Pros: Made in lighter/brighter colors. Can be dressed up or down, but excels in the middle.

Cons: While both seersucker and oxford cloth are comfortable, they don’t wick like a tech/performance fabric pant will. And while seersucker has that “pucker” to increase airflow, oxford cloth can get a little sticky when it gets humid. Great for drier climates, and they certainly LOOK summery. Not as widely available, as most brands stick to regular cotton chino fabrics.

 

Performance Fabric “Chinos”/5 pockets

• lululemon ABC Warpstreme 5-Pocket Pants or Trousers – $138
• Old Navy Slim or Straight Fit “tech hybrid” 5 Pockets – $33 – $40ish
• Target All in Motion 360 Lifestyle Trouser Pants – $40
• Dick’s VRST Limitless Slim or Athletic Fit Pants – $98
  
• Dick’s VRST Limitless Slim or Athletic Fit 5-Pocket Pants – $98
• Brooks Brothers Performance Series Stretch 5-Pocket Pants – $117.60 ($168)

Pros: Engineered fibers wick moisture, breathe and stretch. More expensive versions of these tend to have a gusset, which makes moving around extra comfortable.

Cons: Can get expensive in a hurry. Cheaper options can sometimes make a “swish swish” noise when you walk.

 

Summer-Weight Cotton or Linen-Cotton “Jeans”

• Bonobos Lightweight Jeans – $129
• BR Slim Linen Cotton Traveler 5-Pocket Pants – $95 ($140)
• Bonobos Costal Linen 5-Pocket Pants – $139
• Madewell Relaxed Taper Jeans in Summerweight Denim – $148

Pros: Great warm-weather alternatives for jeans-addicts. Delivers some texture in the warmer months, especially if they have linen woven in.

Cons: Even if they’re “summer-weight,” they’re often heavier feeling than the other options on this list. Hard to find/a bit niche, and often expensive.

 

Tropical/Fresco Wool Trousers

• Spier & Mackay Tropical Wool Side-Tab Dress Trousers – $165.75 ($195)
• Banana Republic Italian Wool Ventile Trouser – $184.99 – $230
• Suitsupply Tropical Wool Havana Fit Suit – $599
• PROOF 72 Hour Merino Blend Pants – $158 (a rare, casual, 5-pocket style)

Pros: Wool = the ultimate performance fabric, and tropical or “fresco” wool is lighter in weight, crisp, and breathable.

Cons: Significantly more expensive than the other options. Not as versatile as they can sometimes (but not always) look out of place with a t-shirt and sneakers.

 

Also related:

• How To Sweat Less – 10 Tips for perspiring less while dressed to impress
• 10 Men’s Summer Style mistakes
• How to Dress Really Well when it’s Really Hot