The 6 Best Summer Pants for Men? Breathable Casual and Dressy Trousers

Every year, when it hits summer, there’s this raging debate about whether grown men should wear shorts. But this article isn’t about that debate; it’s about what to do when you’ve decided to wear pants in summer, or when it’s only appropriate to wear pants and you’re doing it begrudgingly.

To help me out here, I’m interviewing a guy who knows more about menswear than I do: Peter from the YouTube channel Peter’s Prism, who crossed the river from Manhattan to join me in Queens.

The two of us are going to walk through different styles and fabrics for summer pants (many of them are emphatically not dressy), what to wear with each option, and the dos and don’ts that escape so many guys.

Note: This article is sponsored by Huckberry, an online menswear store that blends its in-house brands with a curated selection of other brands you already like.

Trousers vs Shorts in Summer: What’s Wrong With My Chicken Legs?

Why can’t I wear shorts whenever I want? Especially if I’m not at work? I know so many guys who have never thought about what they wear, and then their girlfriend gets mad at them for wearing shorts to their friend’s engagement party.

“Yeah, if you get invited to your friend’s engagement party, don’t wear shorts,” says Peter. “If you get invited to a smart casual event, don’t wear shorts. If you’re trying to get dinner reservations at a nice restaurant, don’t wear shorts.”

If that sounds stuffy, think of it this way: if you’re entering someone else’s space, it’s your job as the guest to stay away from the borderline. If anything might be too casual, it’s best avoided. Hey, this is growing up.

I think the main thing to keep in mind is that even when shorts are smart enough, trousers are always smarter. If one guy is wearing shorts even somewhere as casual as a bar, he looks less put together than a guy in trousers.

Personally, though, I just miss wearing boots in summer.

So this is not a guide to dressy summer trousers. We’re just discussing the best fabrics and products for wearing long pants when it’s hot.

1. Best Casual Summer Trousers: Fatigues

• Typically made of cotton sateen
• Very casual
• Good mix of durable and breathable
• Originally designed for jungle warfare
• Identified by patch pockets on the front

Fatigues are the best way to wear boots in summer — they started out as military pants, after all — but they also look great with high-top sneakers. I first discovered them when I heard them called the best pants to wear with a denim jacket.

Fatigues can be identified by the big patch pockets on the front, and they usually have flap pockets on the back, button cinches on the waist (so you might not need a belt), and a roomy leg.

“There are a lot of brands known for great fatigues,” says Peter. “Engineered Garments, Orslow, Tellason, and Bronson are at the top of the list. Bronson’s fabric is a little thick, but you might like that.”

The typical fatigue pant is made of cotton sateen, a great weave for hot weather because it’s durable, breathable, and dries relatively quickly for cotton. These qualities, of course, are why sateen fatigues were once widespread in jungle warfare.

Sateen sometimes has a slight sheen to it, and it has a cool texture that looks like horizontal streaks. It’s not hard to find sateen that’s under 10 ounces, and it’s a fabric that’s worth experiencing — but if you’d like something else, Orslow and Engineered Garments are good places to find fatigues in other materials.

I’m rocking some chambray fatigues above with desert boots, which is a classic pairing.

2. Most Versatile Summer Pants: Lightweight Chinos

• Traditionally made with cotton twill, a flat front, and side entry welt pockets
• Great in both casual and business casual settings
• More summer-friendly cotton fabrics include seersucker, lightweight poplin, and sateen

Chinos are simple trousers with side entry slash pockets that are usually made of cotton twill that weighs around 8 or 9 ounces per square yard. Many will only consider your pants to be chinos if they’re made with cotton twill, but there are more breathable fabrics you can try (even if some purists will insist that they’re not real chinos).

Peter and I are wearing our favorites in the picture above: I’m in Buck Mason’s 5.5oz poplin chinos, and Peter’s in a 5.5oz pair from Relwen.

“They’re super versatile and have extra features to facilitate movement like darted knees, a gusseted crotch, and three percent elastane,” he says. “Synthetics like elastane usually hamper breathability, but when the fabric is this light, it’s not a huge deal. I field tested them and found them very cool.”

Meanwhile, did you like the sound of cotton sateen, but you’d rather try it on trousers that are more versatile than those super casual fatigues? Some brands make chinos out of sateen as well; above, I’m wearing a pair from Benzak Denim Developers.

3. Best Dressy Cotton Pants for Summer: Seersucker

• 100% cotton, but the “puckering” keeps it from sticking to your skin
• For my money, the most comfortable fabric for hot weather

“Seersucker really is an ideal summer fabric,” says Peter. “It’s lightweight, breathable, and woven with a puckered texture that keeps it from sticking to your skin. That one feature makes it impressively comfortable in the heat.”

Peter has owned a seersucker suit from Engineered Garments for years, but I only recently started wearing this fabric. I was genuinely shocked to find that it is definitely the most comfortable fabric for hot weather trousers, period. Personally, I think it’s even better than linen.

While seersucker is associated with southern gentlemen and bolo ties, there are more versatile trousers available from places like Flint and Tinder and Buck Mason.

4. Best Wool Trousers for Summer: Tropical Wool

• Wool is naturally thermoregulating and anti-odor
• Tropical wool, also called high twist wool, is lightweight and has an open weave that maximizes hot weather performance

“Tropical wool is lightweight and defined by its open weave,” says Peter. “It’s a misconception that wool trousers can only be worn with dressy outfits. You can wear them with a loose top, or even a t-shirt and white sneakers, and it’s a great look.”

Peter is wearing Wills’ Rosedale pants, which are made with two percent spandex. Again, synthetics usually aren’t amazing for breathability, but wool is simply a different beast: bioengineered over millions of years to be comfortable all year round, Peter found that the spandex didn’t mess with the comfort.

Tropical wool is more often found on suits, as it’s a favorite for summer weddings. I own this tropical wool suit from Proper Cloth.

5. Most Popular Summer Pants: Linen Pants

• Breathable, cool, moisture-wicking, and surprisingly durable
• Many brands sell linen blends that can reduce wrinkles

“Linen’s great because it’s breathable and cool, and when you sweat in it, it dries very quickly,” says Peter. “It’s also much stronger than many people think.”

Cotton is breathable, sure, but anyone who’s been caught in wet jeans knows that it doesn’t dry fast. Linen does.

Yes, it wrinkles like crazy. But that’s part of the charm: I once saw Todd Snyder call a linen shirt elegantly rumpled, a term I use all the time now. You’re not wrinkled, you’re elegantly rumpled.

My favorite and most lightweight linen trousers are from the Brooklyn-based Alex Crane, while Peter owns a lot of linen from Alex Mill and Quince.

Taylor Stitch has solid options too, but for something extra casual, I’ve enjoyed Flint and Tinder’s Mill Pants: they’re a cotton-linen ripstop fabric with double knees, elements that make them look way tougher (and appropriate for boots) than most linen pants.

“Linen pants are just the perfect alternative to shorts,” says Peter. “They keep you cool and make you look pulled together.”

6. Drawstring Pants for Summer

• Probably the most comfortable waist a pair of pants can have
• Best worn with a shirt that covers the waistline

Drawstring pants are one way to be comfy in summer, and you don’t have to look like you’re wearing pyjamas.

“I have a couple of drawstring linen pants from Quince, and I love them,” says Peter. “To keep them from looking too casual, I like to tuck in a knit polo and pull it out a bit to drape over the waistband. This covers the elastic, which makes it look more intentional.”

Another foolproof combo: drawstring pants with a camp collar shirt. Because they’re not meant to be tucked in, camp collar shirts have neat, straight hems that cover the waistband without looking as sloppy as other button-up shirts can look when they’re untucked.

I have a pair of linen drawstring pants from Alex Crane that I quite like, but I did have to heed Peter’s advice: if worn with drawstring pants, a white t-shirt can make you look like you forgot to get dressed that morning. Any other color t-shirt should be fine, though.

7. Lightweight Summer Jeans

• Most jeans weigh 12 ounces per square yard; anything lighter will feel breezier
• Just note that denim is usually too dense to be a great summer fabric
• Some brands blend the cotton with linen or hemp to boost performance in the heat

Even though most jeans are 100% cotton, which is usually good for breathability, the point of denim is to be durable without being too hot — its breathability is secondary to its toughness, so denim is usually woven a bit too tightly to be a particularly good summer fabric.

But some brands are good at offering lightweight jeans. And my favorite is Naked & Famous. Denim usually weighs some 12 ounces per square yard, but Naked & Famous always includes lighter-weight options in their spring/summer collection. The offerings change every year, but I’m wearing their “High Noon” denim above.

They’re less reliable, but some other places that often sell summerweight jeans are Benzak and The Stronghold.

Wrapping Up: Best Summer Pants for Men

That’s our guide to summer trousers, including both casual and dressy options, so you’ve always got choices no matter what.

I know that men aren’t used to being told what to wear, but trust me: your girlfriend will be happier if you’re more thoughtful about dressing appropriately.

Shorts are often perfectly appropriate, but when they aren’t — and especially if you’re not sure — opt for one of these breezy alternatives.