Embarking on summer travels brings the promise of new adventures, but it also poses the challenge of packing smartly. Choosing the right summer travel clothes is essential not only for ensuring comfort and practicality but also for maintaining your style on the go. This guide will navigate you through selecting fabrics, outfits, and accessories that will keep you cool, comfortable, and chic, no matter your destination—plus, be sure to read to the end for a special mention of one of my favorite brands and an exclusive 15% discount you won’t want to miss!

Challenges when Choosing for Summer Travel Clothes

Selecting your summer travel wardrobe involves balancing efficiency and style. Here's how to tackle common challenges:


  • Minimizing Bulk and Enhancing Comfort: Focus on ultra-lightweight, breathable fabrics like light cotton, linen, and thin synthetics to reduce luggage bulk and increase comfort.
  • Extending Wearability and Reducing Laundry Needs: Choose odor-resistant materials such as merino wool and certain synthetics to decrease washing frequency.
  • Balancing Comfort with Style: Opt for versatile, adaptable pieces like stretchy, breathable trousers and lightweight shirts that ensure style without sacrificing comfort.
  • Activity Appropriateness: Select stretchy, versatile clothing suitable for various activities, from outdoor adventures to cultural outings.
  • Weather Variability: Prepare for a range of conditions, from heatwaves to cool evenings, with appropriate clothing choices.
  • Fabric Selection: Prioritize breathable, quick-drying, and easy-care materials to streamline your travel wardrobe.


Now, let’s explore fabric selection in more detail to enhance your travel packing.

Best Match Fabrics for Summer Clothes

When it comes to assembling your summer travel attire, the fabric of your garments plays a pivotal role in your overall comfort and enjoyment. Here are the standout benefits of choosing the right fabrics for your summer wardrobe:


  • Cotton: Renowned for its softness and breathability, cotton allows for excellent air circulation, helping to keep the body cool in hot weather.
  • Linen: Characterized by its high air permeability, linen is exceptionally lightweight and known for its ability to wick away moisture, ensuring you stay dry and comfortable.
  • Merino Wool: Unlike traditional wool, merino wool is ultra-light and regulates body temperature by moving moisture away from the skin, making it surprisingly suitable for summer.
  • Silk: While more luxurious, silk is lightweight and has natural temperature-regulating properties, making it cool in the summer.
  • Tencel (Lyocell): This eco-friendly fabric is derived from wood cellulose, known for its breathability, moisture absorption, and gentle feel on the skin.
  • Hemp: Durable and breathable, hemp fabric softens with each wash, making it cooler and more comfortable over time.
  • Rayon/Viscose: Made from natural fibers, these materials are soft, light, and have a cooling effect, though they may not wick moisture as well as others.
  • Polyester-Cotton Blends: While polyester is not typically recommended for hot weather, blending it with cotton improves the strength and moisture-wicking properties of the fabric without sacrificing too much breathability.


Each of these materials offers unique benefits, from natural fibers that enhance breathability to advanced synthetics that manage moisture, ensuring your summer travels are as comfortable as they are memorable. But let’s take a closer look at merino wool specifically and whether it might be so suitable for hot-weather travel.

Merino Wool: The Summer Fabric Myth-Buster

The common perception of wool as purely a winter fabric is a myth that merino wool shatters with its unique, season-transcending qualities. Contrary to traditional wool, merino wool stands out as a game-changer for summer travel, thanks to its exceptional breathability and temperature regulation. The natural structure of merino wool fibers allows them to absorb moisture vapor from the skin and release it into the air, a process that significantly aids in keeping the body's temperature balanced in warmer climates.


Now, let's explore all the benefits of merino wool for summer, thanks to its natural features:


  • Breathability: Allows for excellent air circulation, helping to maintain a comfortable body temperature.
  • Temperature Regulation: Natural fibers adjust to body temperature, keeping you cool in warm weather and warm in cooler conditions.
  • Odor Resistance: Natural antibacterial properties of merino wool help prevent odor, reducing the need for frequent washing.
  • Moisture Management: Absorbs and wicks away moisture, ensuring the wearer stays dry and comfortable.
  • Quick-Drying: Dries faster than many other fabrics, making it ideal for travel and outdoor activities.
  • Softness: Unlike traditional wool, merino is soft and gentle on the skin, avoiding the itchiness associated with coarser wool fibers.

Choosing the Right Merino Wool Clothes for Summer Travel

When integrating merino wool into your summer travel wardrobe, understanding how to select the right weights, weaves, and styles is key to maximizing comfort and versatility.


  • Selecting Weights and Weaves: Choose light or ultralight merino wool for warm climates and active use, offering breathability and moisture-wicking without the bulk. Fabric weave affects comfort too, with looser weaves for airflow and tighter weaves for a bit more warmth on cool evenings.
  • Styling Tips: Merino wool's elegance allows for versatile styling. Combine a lightweight merino t-shirt with linen pants for day wear, and opt for a merino button-up shirt for a smart-casual evening look. As the day transitions into evening, switch to a smart-casual look with the Limitless Merino Button-Down Shirt from Western Rise. This shirt exemplifies versatility and comfort, making it an ideal choice for travelers seeking to maintain a polished appearance without sacrificing comfort. Its merino wool composition offers excellent temperature regulation and odor resistance, ensuring you stay fresh throughout your journey.
  • Layering Strategies: Layering is key in unpredictable summer weather. Use merino wool as a breathable base layer and adjust with additional items like long-sleeve shirts and jackets to stay comfortable through varying temperatures and conditions.

Summer Clothes Wardrobe Incorporating Merino Wool

Incorporate merino wool into your summer travel essentials for its temperature control and odor resistance. Here’s a concise list of must-haves:


  • Lightweight T-Shirts: Opt for breathable cotton or moisture-wicking synthetics.
  • Comfortable Shorts and Pants: Choose linen for breathability and stretchable synthetics for activity comfort.
  • Base Layers: Light, soft fabrics for cooler evenings or air-conditioned areas.
  • Dresses and Skirts: Easy-to-pack, versatile options in cotton, rayon, or blends.
  • Long-Sleeve Shirts: Protect against the sun with lightweight cotton or synthetics.
  • Light Jacket or Sweater: Fleece or lightweight knits for changeable weather.

Conclusion & Discount Code

By following these recommendations and incorporating merino wool into your summer travel wardrobe, you’ll be ready for any adventure in comfort and style. Plus, if you’re ready to give merino wool a try, CLICK HERE to get 15% off your purchase—perfect for upgrading your travel essentials. Happy traveling!


My blog post may contain affiliate links where I make a commission on qualified purchases.

Kelly Buchalski

Kelly Mahar

Kelly, 34, American. I've explored all 50 US states & 33 countries, quit my corporate job to inspire others to chase their dreams, and now teach how to monetize social media.

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