Whether you wear a suit to work or just the occasional wedding, staying comfortable while wearing a suit in Thailand comes down to one important factor: the fabric. Here is our guide for the best suit fabrics to wear in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
1. Wool Blend
Contrary to popular belief, wool can be cool and breathable, and it can be made to perform even better when it’s blended with other types of fibers. Wool naturally has sweat-wicking abilities, and can even react to body temperature, keeping you cool when it’s hot. A lightweight wool blend suit is your best choice for a suit in hot climates when you’re trying to balance between a premium look and feel with comfort.
Though Terry Rayon is a lesser-known fabric, it’s a great suit fabric choice for a variety of reasons. First of all, it’s ultra-durable and comfortable, and because of how thin the fibers are, it is useful in making lightweight clothes and suits. Another benefit of Terry Rayon is that because of its durability and flexibility as a fabric, some Terry Rayon suits are machine washable, which is a huge benefit for daily wear (especially if you tend to sweat a lot during your commute).
Our GQ Daily Suit is made of high-quality Terry Rayon fabric, which is another comfortable fabric for Southeast Asia.
3. CottonCotton is the summer fabric. Breathable and lightweight, cotton fabric allows for air to flow, keeping you cool. It's a popular fabric for summer-weight suits, although cotton suits tend to look more casual. It's also best to choose a lighter color when selecting a cotton suit because darker colors can fade over time. These suits tend to wrinkle, so you may need to prepare to keep it pressed between wears.
4. Linen
Cotton’s cousin, linen is made of fibers from the flax plant and is extremely breathable. Linen also dries faster than cotton, which is perfect for a humid climate. Linen suits tend to look even more casual than cotton suits, so again you’ll want to shop for a lighter color like khaki, tan, or a light blue to compliment the nature of the fabric. One downside to linen is it tends to wrinkle – a lot. Though a great fabric choice for the weather, be prepared to either embrace some wrinkles or to iron between wears.
