Written By
Brian Sacawa is the Founder of He Spoke Style and one of the original men’s style influencers.
C
Consider a light blue linen sport coat your spring and summer alternative a classic navy blazer.
Before I get into this post, let me just state one thing for the record: there really is no substitute for a classic navy blazer when it comes to a well-rounded traditional menswear wardrobe. And I’ll go one step further and also state for the record — for those overly concerned with semantics — that I know there is a difference between a blazer and a sport coat. A lot of folks use the terms interchangeably and rather than than talk down and be snobbish, I prefer to meet people where they are — there are other places on the menswear internet to get your fill of snobbery. That’s just not what we do at He Spoke Style.
But back to the first point.
Although technically there is no such thing as a classic navy blazer substitute, when it comes to spring and summer, it’s nice to have an alternative that is perhaps just a bit more complementary to the season. The spring and summer color palate tends to lean a little lighter and brighter and if, like me, you like to keep things classic, choosing a lighter and brighter sport coat is a great way to go.
Enter our light blue herringbone linen sport coat.
Here’s what we’ll be covering in this post:
- Benefits of a linen sport coat for spring and summer.
- A comprehensive look at the fabric of our light blue herringbone linen sport coat.
- Jacket styling and my personal styling in this post.
Simple and straight to the point so let’s jump right in.
5 Benefits Of A Linen Sport Coat For Spring & Summer
There are some specific benefits to having a linen sport coat in your spring and summer wardrobe rotation. Let’s take a look at five of them.
- Breathability. Linen is a highly breathable material, which helps you stay cool during the warmer months. I know there are some non-believers out there, but this is because the fabric naturally allows heat to escape, preventing any stickiness or discomfort.
- Lightweight. A linen sport coat is lightweight, making it extremely comfortable to wear in the spring and summer months. This makes it easy to travel with or carry around without feeling burdened. Additionally, this lightness in weight does not compromise the jacket’s structure or its ability to provide a sleek, well-tailored look. Just make sure you’re bringing a steamer along with you because linen wrinkles quite easily.
- Durability. Despite being generally lightweight, linen is very durable and can withstand regular, consistent wear. It is resistant to damage from abrasion and unlikely to pill or produce lint. This means that with proper care, your linen sport coat will last for many years, providing excellent value for your money.
- Versatility. Linen sport coats are versatile and can be dressed up or down for various occasions — especially in a light blue. They can be paired with a formal shirt for business meetings, or with a casual t-shirt for a more relaxed look. Again, versatility equals money well spent.
- Style. Wearing a linen sport coat can add a touch of sophistication and elegance to your spring and summer looks. A linen coat can enhance a simple outfit, making it look more polished and put-together — see: this post — and furthermore, they come in a variety of colors and patterns, allowing you to choose one that suits your personal style. More on that in just a second.
Now that you understand what makes a linen sport coat such a great addition to your spring and summer wardrobe, let’s take a closer look at our version.
The Fabric: Solbiati Linen
Not all linen is created equal and we went out of our way to source some of the best for our light blue herringbone linen sport coat.
Solbiati Linen is renowned for its superior quality and exquisite textures. Woven in Italy, Solbiati has a long history of creating luxurious linen fabrics that are durable, comfortable, and stylish. The brand is committed to maintaining the highest standards of production, ensuring that each piece of fabric undergoes rigorous quality checks. Solbiati Linen, in particular, is recognized for its breathability, lightness, and durability.
The brand offers a variety of colors and patterns, catering to a wide variety of personal styles. As you can see, we’ve chosen a linen with a beautiful herringbone. From afar, it looks solid, but up close its exquisite detailing reveals itself. Always the best kind of details, in my opinion.
Linen can sometimes feel a little coarse, but the Solbiati linen in our sport coat is incredibly soft with a pleasing hand. Yet despite its luxurious feel, it is built to last, providing an excellent value proposition — a super sound investment.
Jacket Styling
In terms of jacket styling, I’ve outfitted it pretty much as you’ve come to expect from me. Notch lapel — my typical width is three and a half inches — flap pockets, double vent, and half-lined. While I generally choose patch pockets for the majority of my sport coats, I decided to go with flap pockets here just to give myself a little more flexibility in terms of styling.
When I designed this jacket, I envisioned wearing it as a guest at a spring or summer wedding, so I felt as though flap pockets — at least in that particular use case — would make it more functional.
My favorite part of this sport coat is the button choice. With a light and bright spring and summer jacket like this, I love a high-contrast button. The light cream color really stands out and really adds to the sportiness of the jacket overall. As always, any of these details can be customized to your personal style preferences.
Now let’s talk outfit styling.
Pretty darn simple and straight down the fairway here. I’ve got a white poplin dress shirt paired with our navy blue cotton trousers. Although I love these shoes, I often find it difficult to style them as the cognac color is just a little bright for the vast majority of my looks, but for classic spring and summer style, they’re a perfect match.
One final note. While I will typically forgo a pocket square with sport coat and trousers outfits — I think it can create a bit of a distraction and imbalance in the overall look — here, I’ve gone with a simple white pocket square as I like how it ties into the shirt and brings everything together.
The Bottom Line
To sum things up, a light blue linen sport coat is a versatile, stylish, and comfortable choice for your spring and summer wardrobe. Our version, made from a luxurious Solbiati linen, offers breathability, durability, and a flattering silhouette.
Whether attending a business meeting, a casual event, or a summer wedding, this sport coat will ensure you look polished and put-together. Never forget that investing in quality and timeless style is always a good choice.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
