cloth weight & construction for three-season suit?

[minimal]

I'm about to have a suit made in a relatively open-weaved cloth that should be wearable for Spring/Summer/Fall (and possibly Winter), and was hoping some of you more experienced suit-wearers might give me the benefit of your knowledge.

The issue is the following: I like the weave and hand of the 12oz fabrics compared to the 8/8.5oz ones, but (at least in a lined suit) this seems too heavy for Summer wear. If I have the coat made unlined, will this make it light/breathable enough for warm weather? Of course, there is the weight of the pants to be considered as well.

As a side question, what weight cloth can be used in an unlined coat?

I've heard various terms for the amount of lining (or lack thereof): "half-lined", "unlined", and so on. Does someone have an idea of the different possibilities here (or even better, some images)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[whoopee]

Where do you live?

 

[minimal]

Originally Posted by whoopee

Where do you live?
At or about New York, USA!

 

[whoopee]

If the weave of the fabric is porous like a fresco (12 oz is fine), and the suit is unlined, it will be very wearable in the summer. But it will not be enough in the later bits of fall and early spring, depending on how sensitive you are to cold. You could add a waistcoat for those seasons, but the suit'll feel like nothing in cold wind.

Any weight of cloth can be made unlined. Very lightweight cloths are not best for this treatment though. What matters more is the reasoning behind making something unlined. Most unlined coats actually have lining at the shoulders and sleeves.