The London Lounge

Is a navy silk suit appropriate on a hot day after Labor Day? Or does Labor Day mark the end of wearing silk?

I believe that the old date-pegged rules regarding dress have gone by the wayside, replaced by the reasoning which underlay those rules: is the cloth or the garment appropriate for the time of day and climate of the day?

I'm no longer a fan of silk suits (a silk-mix odd jacket is another matter). That said, if you would wear a silk suit on a hot day in summer, I think that you should feel no other constraint on an equally hot day in any other season.

-- RWS

Let the weather and your desire to be comfortable be your guide. It can remain hot quite late in September.

I have a question re. silk; is it comfortable in hot weather?
What are the attributes of silk, pro and con?
What is the difference between shantung and dupioni?
I am wondering if I should add a silk suit to my wardrobe down the the road....

I find dupioni silk very comfortable in hot weather because it is very light.

Pro's of silk:

1. Very light;

2. Relative wrinkle resistancel;

3. Dressy, especially when the occasion does not call for black tie; and

4. Strong cloth.

Con's of silk:

1. Some feel that it is hot;

2. Some view it as too dressy and too maifia for everyday business.

The tan dupioni suit is fine resort wear. It is warmer than a comparable weight of fresco or mohair because the cloth is a tighter weave.

I had an elephant gray dupioni SB that I wore as a business suit for a while. I wore it less after a man got on an elevator I was riding, did a double take, and asked "Is that SILK?"