Of the many luxurious fabrics we work with, silk evokes a particularly unique series of feelings. A delicate, difficult fabric to produce, its rarity and expense has always ensured its use for opulent tailoring, while its soft fluidity and subtle sheen has long cemented its reputation as an eveningwear staple. Sleek, sharp and sophisticated, silk is the ultimate choice for the dinner jacket, but it's equally adept at elevating sports jackets and shirts into louche, irreverent and downright sexy wardrobe staples. So it was only right that it would play a big part in our spring summer ’23 collection, and specifically ‘Summer Sun’, the fifth drop and the first to signal the arrival of the year’s warmer months.

With its louche, dressed-up-yet-still-somehow-relaxed feel, silk was the perfect choice for our burgundy, peak lapel jacket. One of the key looks from this drop, we’ve combined it with our sand safari shirt and midnight Contemporary trousers for a versatile, playful and subtly colourful summer look. We opted for a matte silk on this occasion, which has a soft yet slightly rough, almost unfinished feel in the hand. Loosely spun with a distinct slubby texture, it’s silk at its lightweight, imperfect best and takes on the rich burgundy hue like no other fabric could. The safari shirt dresses the look down somewhat, injecting a casual edge with its one piece collar, flapped chest pockets and loose, boxy fit. This ensures it wears just as well on its own over the deep blue trousers as it does with the jacket.

It’s our charcoal suit that really shows the potential of silk as an evening-ready, party fabric though. Cut from a wool silk blend, this is a suit for the night owl bar hopping in Shoreditch, or propped up on a stool in a Soho member’s bar. It’s just got something mischievous about it with its rich sheen and subtle fleck, especially when cut in our heroic house style. Our razor blade shoulders and sweeping peak lapels were practically made for this fabric, the two complementing each other like orange peel to a negroni.

This is a suit you could wear with a black merino wool rollneck for a truly villainous look, but we’ve paired it with our white pin collar shirt. It’s a combination that’s part Sicilian mobster, part Mayfair royalty. Eschewing the pin, we’ve instead employed our new collar studs, which slot in both sides independently for a subtle flash of gold. Their round design boasts a slight indent, which reflects the light beautifully, picking up the colours around them. It also shows off the versatility of this classic Sexton shirt. Wear it pinned up with a four-in-hand tie for ultimate sartorial nous; leave it open for a relaxed, end-of-the-night feel, or try these collar studs for an eccentric, artistic flair.

Next up is another look with a slight air of danger about it, the kind Bond’s nemesis might have worn in the south of France in the ‘70s. It consists of the off-white chevron jacket, our denim trousers and a sleek black silk shirt. The jacket comes unstructured, with a cardigan-like comfort that still retains the core essence of Sexton with its peak lapels and nipped in waist. A sort of modern take on Jagger’s wedding suit, its large chevron texture is a perfect match for the irregular weave of the denim trousers, which are cut in our Contemporary fit with a mid-rise, full thigh and subtle taper. The black silk shirt is perhaps the ultimate summer evening option, with its light weight, soft sheen and delicate, pyjama-like feel against the skin.

The final look is classic Sexton, albeit updated in an interesting and thoroughly modern way. It’s a suit crafted in our house cut, complete with striking peak lapels, front flap pockets and straight cut shoulders, which combine to create a powerful, imposing silhouette. The fabric is the most interesting part though. A wool, silk and linen blend, it’s lightweight, soft and comfortable, and comes with a strong brown stripe which contrasts against the cream base. It’s the suit Robert Redford might have worn as Jay Gatsy as he charmed his way through West Egg, its Art Deco lines complementing his Rolls Royce.

The archetypal summer suit, the brown stripe gives it a more casual edge, which is interesting as stripes usually make things more formal. It’s a strong, elegant and versatile suit and one that would work just as well at a summer wedding as it would a rooftop cocktail bar as the sun sets. It’s everything contemporary Edward Sexton represents, and shows silk at its versatile summertime best.