Suited for Summer, Part 4: Putting It On

Last week's summer suit suggestions were by no means meant to be an exhaustive list; I left out some stuff, more for reasons of time than anything else, like Boden (I've never bought anything from them, but there are banner ads all over the web lately for various discounts plus free shipping and returns; you may want to peruse RetailMeNot for some discount codes) or Haspel (a hundred-year-old manufacturer of traditional cotton and linen summer suits similar in fabric and cut to those you'd find in Bank or Brooks; use this store finder for retailers, or try online sources like eSuit). I've also seen cotton suit separate pieces pop up occasionally on the flash-sale sites Gilt and RueLaLa, but the size and color choices are usually limited.

Maybe it's been obvious, but all of this came out of my efforts to find a comfortable and affordable summer suit for myself. That decade-old Banana Republic model no longer fits quite as well as it used to, and anyway the jacket was a three-button style that looked dated and was not a good candidate to steam and press into the more trad-preferred 3-roll-2 (though I have done this more successfully with a tweed sport coat, with the aid of a wooden pressing block that the Mrs. uses in her sewing projects).

I don't have any impending dress-up events, but I figured I was better off doing the research and shopping when I was not in imminent need. A summer suit is something I've been wanting to add to my wardrobe for a few years now. My main requirements were: lightweight fabric; a comfortable and age-appropriate fit (by which I mean, no low-rise pants); the ability to buy separates to get the best fit and minimize tailoring needs; and a moderate price.

After much thoughtful consideration, I settled on the L.L. Bean Signature Plain Weave jacket and pants in "soapstone." The online photos make the fabric look like it has a greenish-gray tinge to it, which I liked, but in reality it's a pretty standard light beige. The jacket is fully tailored with a center vent, full lining, multiple inside pockets, including ones for a pen and a phone, and lightly padded shoulders. I may look into having those removed if it isn't complicated; they aren't prominent enough to be noticeable, it's just a comfort thing.

You may remember that I expressed concern about the lack of tall sizing in the jackets, but it turned out not to be an issue. The jacket is of an appropriately butt-covering length, and in fact the sleeves are a bit too long on me. The overall fit is on the trim side, particularly through my midsection, but I can button it without it pulling. It also has functional sleeve buttons, which are showing up more and more on moderately-priced suits and jackets. This is not necessarily a good thing, because if you need sleeve alterations it can cause a problem. In my case the sleeves need to be shortened about half an inch, which should not affect the buttons or buttonholes.

Many suit pants are lined to the knees; these are not, which I don't consider a problem; if you're going to be wearing a rig like this in warm weather, unlined pants are probably better. I could say the same about the jacket, but I don't care for the look of unlined, less-structured jackets, and if you put stuff in the pockets they have a tendency to droop. The pants are alterable via a split in the back of the waist. They have a plain front and straight, on-seam front pockets. They are sold only with finished inseams, so if you are an in-between inseam length or prefer them cuffed, you'd need to choose a longer inseam and visit your tailor.

Overall I think these pieces are a good value at $220. If you happen to have an L.L. Bean Visa card, you can reduce that amount, as I did, by applying the reward discounts earned by making purchases with the card. I have one small complaint, but it's not about the garments themselves: mine arrived in one of those plastic mailing pouches, so they were extremely wrinkled. I would have expected items of this sort to automatically be packed in a box, but who knows how those decisions get made.