Wearing Linen Past the Hot Months

STYLING

An open shirt over a tee turns a summer piece into a light layer.

Linen tends to get packed away the moment the first cool morning arrives, but the cloth is far more flexible than that. With one extra layer and the right shoes, a linen shirt and wide-leg pants carry well into the cooler stretches on either side of summer.

The Open Shirt as a Jacket

A button-front linen shirt worn open over a fitted tee or a thin tank does the work of a light jacket. Roll the sleeves to just below the elbow so the tee's sleeve does not peek out, and leave the shirt untucked so it hangs straight from the shoulders. When the afternoon warms up, take it off and tie it around your waist or over your bag.

A Knit Over the Collar

On a colder morning, put a thin crewneck sweater over a linen shirt and pull the collar out over the neckline. Let a little of the shirt hem show below the sweater, either all the way around or just at the front. The texture of the linen against the knit is what makes the outfit look considered.

Wide Legs With Closed Shoes

Wide-leg linen pants change character completely with what is on your feet. Sandals read as high summer. Loafers, low leather sneakers, or a flat ankle boot make the same pants look right for a cool day. Choose shoes with a little substance so the volume of the leg has something to balance against.

Darker and Earthier Tones

Linen in olive, rust, charcoal or deep brown shifts the feeling of an outfit toward the cooler months on its own. A light-colored linen shirt paired with dark wide-leg pants, or the reverse, bridges the two easily.

One Layer You Can Always Remove

The point of linen in cooler weather is not to fight the temperature but to stay ready for how it changes. Build each outfit so that one piece can come off by lunch and you will still look dressed. If a size or color does not work once you try the layering at home, our Return & Refund Policy explains how to send it back.

Thank you for shopping with us, and for letting good linen into more of your year.