Graham Lawless of Davies & Son was wearing one the other day, and the sight made me realize that we rarely see windowpane checked city suits like the one in the Esquire illustration these days. That is opportunity lost, in my opinion. Any time a man can break out of the solids and stripes routine without going beyond the pale, so to speak, he is better off for it.
The Pale of course was the part of Ireland that was directly controlled by the English kings after the Norman settlement. It was surrounded by a staked fence or palus and, within what is very roughly now county Dublin, English language, laws and customs reigned. To go beyond the Pale was to leave that form of civilization, just as wearing a bright red suit (and I saw one of those in Madrid a few years ago) would be to step outside the accepted norms for business dress. But I digress.
The elusive windowpane business suiting is a relatively discreet overcheck, though one that might be better worn in a more sophisticated city than in a place where it might be too noticeable. Like the far more common glen check, its non-directionalness combines well with equally non-directional neckties. Foulards of all types work well, for example, as do textured solids.
The challenge with windowpanes is finding them but they are out there. Harrison's of Edinburgh has several in its 13 ounce/370 gram P & B Fine Classics range for example: light gray on dark gray, light blue on navy, a very handsome dark red on charcoal and a couple shades of blue on gray.
Consider the windowpane.
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9 comments:
Hmmm, I checked their website but couldn't find a windowpane in charcoal grey with red. However, I did find a charcoal grey with red pin stripe and it is most striking. Well then, note to self: consider charcoal grey with red for an autumnal suiting.
There are some that are so discreet that you don't even see them from 10 feet away.
How does a windowpane look as a 3-piece? I don't know if I've seen one.
Sarge,
http://www.harrisonsofedinburgh.com/collections.html
#47365
Levi,
Not sure I understand your question. With proper pattern matching it looks like a suit with a vest.
Will,
Ah, thank-you. I can see this will likely cost me a bit. Time to stop spending and start saving up for one. Gorgeous!
Nice digression.
Last spring I saw a chap wearing charcoal with a soft pink windowpane check, and like NJS remarked it was unnoticeable at a distance ( I think you remarked upon the same in another post).
I wouldn't say this city is a stranger to suits beyond the navy/grey norm, but I don't think I'd have chosen it without having seen it work on someone else first. I suppose that's what we all need: examples to reverse the idea that interesting suit patterns are only dandyish oddities rather than just interesting.
Excellent digression.
No doubt you're aware of the photo of Duke of Windsor in an a navy tweed suit with a very loud white windowpane. A little beyond the pale, I think, but Porter & Harding has a subtler version in 14 oz navy tweed: GLENROYAL 44516, which would make a nice suit with the possibility of wearing as an odd jacket.
The larger gent to proceed cautiously, of course. The windowpane can enhance the blockiness of a profile if it isn't carefully rendered.
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