The beauty of what we do at Atelier Munro is that we get to craft things the way we want to use them. When one needs clothes that will make you look and feel your best while visiting galleries, attending weddings, garden parties etc., it’s sometimes difficult to know what to wear for the more or less formal occasion. And since it’s summer and you may even be suffering from high heat and humidity, the question becomes even more pressing.

With 4 key pieces, we advise what to wear to which soiree and how to style it. Making sure your summer soiree is perfect. Even on a hot summer night.

A fabric like this wool linen blend speaks to us as a blazer suit. What does this mean? Well… We would style this jacket with a wide notch and jet pockets on the exterior and the interior. We could do it completely soft – unlined, unstructured – almost as if you are wearing a shirt. Why? Because when you are going to the yacht club, your best friend’s wedding, a dinner party on a patio, you can wear this suit completely or put the jacket with a separate pair of trousers in a complimentary color and fabric. A beige or white cotton trouser… What this does for you is it extends your investment to many other events that you will inevitably have. And for your matching trouser, I would suggest going with the belt-less option. Keep things light and airy with side adjusters or even having a completely plain waistband… Why? Because we have always have felt that custom trousers do not need any help staying up!

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Dare we say it…? Yes, we do. This is one of our favorite fabrics of all time. Some say Solaro is a connoisseur’s fabric, and this may well be the case. Its overall color effect is rich and complex, and its iridescence is charmingly subtle, qualities that have given the fabric a cult status among tailoring aficionados. “Solaro” is the name of a particular worsted wool fabric originating in British military use in late the 19th and early 20th century. Invented in 1907 by Louis Westenra Sambonn, an important English tropical doctor with Italian origins, its first application was as a technical fabric to protect soldiers from the sun’s UV rays, which were thought to cause mental illness and physiological disorders. But as it’s simply wool, it obviously does nothing to protect against UV rays. Regardless, Solaro found its way into civilian closets and soon became an essential style icon for summer. It still is, and rightly so, because it truly is a gorgeous fabric.

Traditionally, Solaro achieves its look as a result by weaving brick red and light olive green yarns together, often in a herringbone weave: greenish beige on the front with slight iridescent shades of red and brick red on the reverse. A Solaro suit may appear as a traditional khaki-colored suit at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you’ll notice hues of brick red, tan and olive green, and even orange, as the iridescent nature of the cloth is such that the colors come in and out of focus depending on how the light hits it.

A very handsome example, that can easily be worn as a neutral green, and although green can be scary, once you realize the capabilities of the color, that feeling quickly passes.

A Solaro suit is at once serious and whimsical, a difficult balance to strike. We imagine this outfit for an outdoor summer wedding nonetheless, confident that it will hit just the right note. For us, always a white shirt, but since we are outside in the heat, we can play with the fabric. We’d wear a crisper cotton linen blend to stay cool but not sacrifice a pressed look. The subtle texture of the fabric lends towards completing the look with a silk tie, likely in the same color family as the shoe, a mid-brown to blend it all together in a cohesive, complimentary look.

Dressed this way, you will only encourage other guests to tap into the same generous spirit with which you chose your outfit and bless the newlyweds.

We also offer several cut length fabrics alongside the Solaro’s from our own fabric collection, which are made according the original make.

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You’re getting married. It’s going to be hot. You’re worried you’re going to melt. Well then this is the ticket to staying cool. Our Bamboo, which mimics the look of silk, will keep you cool and your inner Daniel Craig will transport you to the set of Spectre.

The wider the lapels, the better. Complemented with an ivory satin to enhance the formal look. We never recommend black lapels on a white jacket. A more gentle contrast from your black trousers and bow tie will do the trick.

A crisp white, plain front with black studs shirt and a bow tie has you ready to walk down the aisle.

It’s your wedding so you’re going to wear socks – no debate here. You’re not on a boat, you’re on the altar! Plain black merino socks for the win, nothing fancy, you’re here to be as elegant as your beautiful bride.

Finally, the shoes. Patent leather plain toe loafers for a sleek, streamlined completion of your outfit. I always say loafer because it screams elegance and speaks to your taste level and confidence to push the limit. Hey you’re in a white bamboo tuxedo jacket, finish strong!

… then say I do

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For this look we are going to do the opposite: start from the bottom and work our way up! Our one plain toe loafer, in Italian slang it’s called tappini (meaning slippers) – what we have done here is soften up a loafer in the look and feel. And in this tone of color you are able to wear it with anything in your wardrobe, from jeans and a polo all the way to a more dress look such as the one we are talking about now.

Houndstooth is a wonderful pattern for every man that wants to take a step into something slightly more bold without going wild. This fabric has a bit of “loft” or substance to it so you can be confident that when we make it for you without structure that it will stand up well on your shoulders.

Overall this is a masculine, versatile look that can take you from casual Friday at the office all the way to a wedding in Muskoka on the docks. Elegant, sophisticated and comfortable for all occasions this summer.

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