There is a good discussion going on over at the London Lounge regarding why a few men make the effort to wear tailored clothing when it's not required of them. Of course, few is the accurate description, for, Hollywood depictions aside, even in its heyday tailored clothing was limited to a small fraction of the population.
I spent fifteen minutes looking at the Grammy Awards last night and it was very noticeable that there is no standard of dress for men in the United States. A time traveler from fifty years ago may have wondered about the cosmetic surgery scars but he or she would have found the women's dresses recognizeable. I doubt whether the same thought would have applied to much of what the men were wearing.
Without a standard, we are free to either ignore our clothing or make as much of it as we can. If there is one thing that I hope A Suitable Wardrobe accomplishes it is to encourage others to make the most of theirs and have fun doing it. Life is too short for chinos and tee shirts.
In the photo, an Irish poplin necktie is combined with a light blue royal oxford shirt, and a tan glen check suit. The red and green wool paisley pocket square would not be my usual choice but I wore it because it put a smile on my face.
Which happens to be the conclusion of the participants in the forum discussion. They dress for the pleasure it gives them, as all men should.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Pleasures of Tailored Clothing
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18 comments:
Will,
You set a standard that is missing, if not being forgotten. That is a fine suit, as usual. Keep up the good work.
Bill
Hi Will,
Some confuse pleasure with comfort, and thus the preponderance of casual wear. It is reputable role models like yourself and the loyal readers of ASW who demonstrate the pleasures and comforts of male elegance.
- Charles
Will,
Thank you so much for your blog. Even though the majority of the clothing discussed here are things I can only dream about, I find useful tips that are applicable to my more pedestrian...or lower middle class..wardrobe. With the lamented transition of GQ from a classy mag to a trendy rag, and the untimely demise of Classic Style magazine, I am forced to surf the net looking for useful information..and I stumbled upon your site. Thanks..
If I may say so, though, as a newcomer to the idea of taking one's clothing seriously: one of the things I'm learning by reading Will's blog and others is that dressing well can actually be more comfortable than dressing badly. Clothes are more comfortable when they fit right. Suspenders really are more comfortable than belts.
Kurt, I couldn't have written it any better.
Will,
That is a fine looking suit. I am noticing the lapels on your vest. When I was purchasing my gray flannel suit at Paul Stuart some months ago, it came with the option for a vest with lapels. I wanted the vest but the lapels made it look a bit cluttered on me so I didn't buy the vest. But yours looks great on you. Makes me want to stop back at PS and buy the vest.
John
Will-
Your work is appreciated and applauded. Your sartorial expertise is never-ending and you seem to enjoy the added bonus that you also get to learn as you go. You do a wonderful job of highlighting worthy discussions and are always willing to answer an email. Thank you.
A dedicated reader,
ZG
Lovely suit Will. I think the PS is very nice. Can't tell on my screen but the plaid suit looks like there is a hint of reddish tan running through it and the blue in the square compliments the tie and shirt. When I get dressed each morning for work, I know what is my most comfortable suit and what isn't. Trial and error can come at some expense.
Yes, Will, thank you for guiding us all. I've also saved a fortune reading ASW by learning what (and where) to buy. I really had to cast around before and got it wrong a lot. All that's a fancy way of saying that I'd love to see a tip jar here soon.
Very nice look indeed
This photo's convinced me to get lapels on my next vest.. very smart look.
The phrase, "They dress for the pleasure it gives them, as all men should." could really be applied to the lack of standard in men's wear, at the grammy's. The people attending are (assumedly) not wearing things they feel uncomfortable in, or else they'd not wear them.
If anything, I would point the finger at the stylists I'm sure many of them are dressed by. They should be the ones ensuring all clothes are tailored etc etc etc.
I don't watch the grammy's, i live in Australia and to me, they're pretty irrelevent. not to mention, i was working when they were broadcast. however, as they are musical awards, in my mind, you can hardly expect the artists to be so conventionally sartorial (ie all wear tailored suits etc), especially as they're mostly mainstream pop stars, hip hop stars etc etc.
anyway, that was my 2c
Will....great post. Made to Measure and Bespoke are things that in my opinion, have to be "worked up to". For those who can't access this level yet, there are plenty of viable interim choices for prudent, stylish and correct sartorial choices. Kids with limited funds, right out of undergrad can make out just fine with Brooks or Banks as a first step. The only challenge I see in those options these days, is that there are fewer and fewer salespeople with the deep knowledge to really educate newcomers.
I have fewer resources to indulge in clothing than I used to but the value found grounded in tailored clothing shouldn't be indexed exclusively to financial resources.
Granted, my closet is already well populated. However, I would rather have one bespoke garmet every other year than five off the peg items every year.
Will,
To chime in with my praise, because I hate to be left out, I would like to point out the opposite of what a couple of commenters have mentioned. Reading your blog has actually shown me that the world of made to measure, at least, is not out of my price range. (Bespoke is still light years, away....ok, maybe "getting the kids through college and on their own" away). Had I not come across your blog two years ago now, I may have never tried these avenues for my clothing, primarily with shirts, as I will never buy another shirt off the rack.
Keep up the good work. And, should that pocket square I won some 15 months back ever finally be delivered by our postal service, I will let you know. Maybe I should keep a look out on the neighbors to see if anyone is sporting a pocket square.
Well put.
I feel that comfort is relative. When I first started wearing a coat and tie to work I barely made it to 10:00 before loosening the tie, unbutoning the shirt and throwing my jacket over my chair. A few months later, I feel more uncomfortable on casual Friday than I do in a bow tie and vest.
It has more to do with quality and fit than standards of formality. I've gotten rid of sweatshirts and jeans that were just plain uncomfortable. And although I have nothing completely bespoke in my wardrobe, higher quality item's that I've had tailored feel like a second skin sometimes.
Although I have a general idea, could someone give me a more precise delineation between made to measure and bespoke?
Pavo, made to measure is made to standard sizes and then adjusted to fit the individual. The adjustments can be more or less effective depending on how well the individual conforms to the pattern that was used.
A bespoke garment is made from a pattern that is made for the individual. Done correctly, this provides the best fit, and it also costs more for the customization.
Are your collars fused or non-fused? and why do you pick one of the two?
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