If there is a word to define clothing that is perfect yet somewhat crumpled, smooth yet somewhat spongy, patterned yet not in a way that would scare the horses, it is almost certainly an Italian word for which there is regrettably no English equivalent. Flat, shiny cloth just doesn't cut it in summer, least of all the American summer, and certainly not when you’re talking about finding the right summer blazer. You want cloth that is rough enough to look casual and has enough body to handle the vagaries of humidity and heat, and the crumple factor — well, the crumple factor is key. Linen, with its naturally burlapy look, is the perfect foundation for conveying that oh-fk-it nonchalance required of the summer blazer, and when it's blended with wool (like, say, the carefully calculated 60/40 linen-wool blend of this superlative Etro specimen), the crumple more or less takes care of itself. If only we could say the same for our tans.
Two-button linen-and-wool blazer ($2,445) by Etro
