Choosing a suit for Bangkok, and for where you’ll wear it next

Bangkok is hot and humid most of the year. If you’re visiting, you’ll probably try your new suit on here, in an air-conditioned shop, and then wear it somewhere else entirely: an office in London, a wedding in Sydney, a winter in Toronto. The right cloth depends on where the suit will spend its life.

If you’ll wear it in the heat

Choose cloth that breathes. Linen is the obvious answer: it’s cool, it lets air through, and it creases in a way that most people come to like. Lighter suiting and cotton work well too. A lighter lining, or a lining only where it’s needed, keeps a jacket from trapping heat.

Colour matters more than people expect. Pale greys, sand, stone and lighter blues look right in bright sunlight. Very dark suits can look heavy in the heat.

If you’re taking it home to a colder climate

Wool is the default for a reason: it holds its shape, it takes a crease in the trousers, and it’s warm without being bulky. For blazers and overcoats, cashmere adds softness and warmth. You’ll be trying it on in Bangkok, so expect it to feel warmer here than it will at home.

If you travel a lot

Look for cloth that tolerates a suitcase. Stretch suiting gives a little when you move and sit. For shirts, easy-iron and wrinkle-resistant cottons save time in hotel rooms. Several of the shirting books in our shop are made for exactly this.

One suit for both?

If you only want one suit and you’ll wear it in more than one climate, choose a mid-weight cloth in a versatile colour (navy or mid-grey) and tell us where it’ll be worn most. That’s the climate to favour.

Tell us where you’ll wear it before you look at a single swatch. It narrows the choice more than anything else.

What to tell us

• Where you’ll mostly wear the garment, and in which season.
• Whether it’s for work, an occasion, or everyday.
• Whether you run warm or cold.
• How often you’ll be packing it into a suitcase.