Guide to Summer Business Casual for Men

The key to successful summer business casual dressing for men lies in sticking to a traditional color palette while adding interesting detail with the kinds of fabric you choose and infusing your look with elevated features. Elegant business casual looks suitable for warmer days can be achieved by selecting the right fabrics, skipping the socks and playing with color.

Below, we outline a few ways to style your men’s summer business casual looks for the warmest season – so you know how to stay comfortable, look great and create sophisticated looks with business casual attire that perfectly suit the season.

What is men’s summer business casual?

Business casual attire for men always starts with a smart jacket, a shirt, and a pair of trousers. The palette of suitable colors for business casual is a little more restricted than for smart casual, but the options for materials are many – with four-way knits, twills, and jacquard weaves all offering elegant and timeless details to summer business casual outfits for men.

Pure cotton is the perfect for choice for summer and the elegant sheen of Filo do Scozia—for example—can add a little visual interest to your look. Since neckwear is not obligatory for summer business casual looks, it’s wise to choose shirts with collars that look good worn open.
Traditionally business casual looks are consturcted around a suit in grey or dark blue, but in summer, a great way to adapt your look is to play with color.

Chinos are a stylish way to add some beige into the mix. A well cut pair, combined with brown shoes and belt, a crisp white dress shirt, and an elegantly tailored navy jacket offers a stylish alternative to a monotone suit, perfect as you squeeze in those last few meetings before heading off on vacation.

For a classic summer look that expresses modern sophistication, white pants will really make a summer business casual look for men complete. The lighter tone for the pants can be paired with a blue or grey jacket, and completed with a traditional business colored shirt. Together, these elements make a confident and smart statement look.

Essential business casual summer pieces

While a linen shirt is a great option for a smart casual summer look, the texture and drape of the linen isn’t quite right for a business setting, not even a casual one. However, the exceptional breathability properties of the linen fabric can still be enjoyed with Eton’s unique Cotton/Linen Dress shirt, which gives you all the benefits of the cotton and linen fabrics, while retaining the traditional smooth business look.

Another elegant fabric option for summer business looks for men is the four way dress knit, a shirt with great flexibility that gives the wearer a better range of movement thanks to the fabric’s stretchiness, yet retains that classic dress shirt look that is so fundamental to business casual attire.

Playing with texture is a great way to add some interest to your summer buiness casual look. Thinner wool blazers can work during the warmer seasion, and investing in a couple of unlined suit jackets will add flexibility to your summer business casual wardrobe.

Colors to wear for summer business casual

When it comes to choosing a color for your shirt for a summer business casual look, a light-colored shirt is always the best option, with white or pale blue the most common choices. Not only will you have the benefit of staying cooler in the sun, but you will also be respecting the tradition of business casual dressing. A very subtle stripe can add an elegant layer of detail, while pale lilac or pale pink are bolder options for those who favor stronger colors – yet want to stay within to the norms of business dressing.

Whether denim is appropriate for business casual outfits can be a crowd splitter, but if you do decide denim is right for you, keep it smart.

Richard Andersson, Eton’s in-house style expert, suggests a dressy denim paired with a shirt and a knitted tie can be a stylish alternative if you want to break away from the suit. This introduces some interesting color and texture to your style and gives you a look that that is versatile enough to transition from day to casual evening by simply removing your tie.

One of the best things about summer, aside from the pleasure of leaving the house with fewer layers, is that color is welcome. As the flowers bloom in sidewalk planters, you can play with traditional business colors by either creating contrast – a pink shirt with a grey suit – or by creating stylish tone in tone looks. A blue suit and pale blue shirt is a look that has been staple to business casual dressing for years, for good reason.

Accessories to wear with summer business casual

As you go from meeting to meeting in summer, perhaps even heading across town to meet a client, you’ll probably be in the direct sun from time to time.

A good investment for your summer business casual looks is a stylish cap to wear as you head to work or have handy if you go for after-work drinks with your colleagues. Eton’s range of lined and unlined caps offer elevated style, to ensure you stay cool, comfortable and stylish as the temperature rises.

Choosing invisible socks gives summer business casual a modern and confident touch, especially when combined with an open neck shirt and a blue or gray suit.

So, there are plenty of ways to adapt your business casual looks for summer. With a few simple additions to your wardrobe, you will be able to create looks that combine the easy elegance of business casual with the comfort and coolness you will want to enjoy in the summer months. With business casual, your aim should always be to be well dressed but not too formal, and this is easy to achieve if you pay a little closer attention to which fabrics you choose.