Western Suits

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Early Tailoring

In the late 1500s that Robert Baker set up the first tailoring business in London’s Piccadilly area – named after the ‘pickadill’, an Elizabethan term for a shirt collar – becoming suit-maker to the court of King James I in the process. As was commonplace then, like craftspeople flocked together – and soon the area, from Jermyn Street to Savile Row, became the epicentre of England’s menswear trade.

https://www.fashionbeans.com/article/mens-bespoke-suits/ http://www.savilerowbespoke.com/about-us/history/17th-18th-century-history/

The Modern Suit

Beau Brummell

In the early 1800s, Brummell laid the groundwork for the suit, he created an emphasis on a close-fitting cut for men, one that emphasized clean lines and consisting of simple jackets and full-length trousers This would later become the modern suit.

https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/britishitalian-american-suits/#:~:text=Italian%20suits %20from%20Naples%20have,be%20straighter %20and%20more%20closed).

Brummell’s original design was based on uniforms he wore as a poleman at Eton College and an officer in the Tenth Royal Hussars. This military influence is still prevalent in the way a British suit accentuates the physique.

http://tabletopcommander.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-first-hus sars-historical-background.html

Hussar, member of a European light-cavalry unit employed for scouting, modeled on the 15th-century Hungarian light-horse corps. The typical uniform of the Hungarian hussar was brilliantly coloured and was imitated in other European armies. It consisted of a busby, or a high, cylindrical cloth cap; a jacket with heavy braiding; and a dolman, or pelisse, a loose coat worn hanging from the left shoulder.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/hussar

Western tailoring as we know it today originated in Great Britain, specifically in 19th-century London.

https://www.gq.com/gallery/the-gq-history-of-the-suit-by-decade

Saville Row

Located in London, street where men’s tailors make bespoke and made-to-measure suits. Hand-crafted British bespoke - so called because when customers used to choose their cloth it was said to "be spoken for".

https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/gallery/ savile-row-tailors-london

https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/a31209353/savile-row-tailors/

Bespoke

The suit jackets are known for having defined shoulders with thick shoulder pads, narrow sleeves with high armholes and surgeon’s cuffs (functional sleeve buttons), and a stiff canvas. The front of the British suit jacket is often adorned with a ticket pocket, while the back is distinguished by a double vent. The British suit fit is tailored close to the body with a tapered waist. As you can see, every detail of the British suit emphasizes structure and concise

Bespoke

Bespoke tailoring is a traditional way of making clothes by hand on the basis of an individual pattern. A pattern is the construction plan for the different parts of a garment created with body measurements, which take into consideration the unsymmetrical shape of the human form.

Made-to-measure clothes (which you will see referred to as “MTM”) are similar to bespoke clothes because they are also made individually according to the customer’s measurements. However, instead of creating a pattern from scratch, a shortcut is taken by altering an existing ready-to-wear pattern. In many cases, the result will be satisfactory because, in theory, it is possible to adapt an existing pattern to the most common irregularities of the figure. More afford able MTM clothes are made in factories like ready-to-wear garments but some companies make MTM clothes by hand. Even a handmade MTM product is not the same as a bespoke garment because an MTM suit is created by adapting an existing suit model to the figure. This means that the MTM suit will look like the suit that a designer has created for the MTM brand. A bespoke garment will be designed exclusively for one person by the tailor and the customer, and all details can be changed according to the buyer’s taste.

The Modern Suit Early Tailoring

sarto--Italian for tailor--

Italian designer suits dates back prior to the unification of Italy, in 1861. In 1850, when the Savoy dynasty still ruled the town of Cagliari, in Sardegna, Italy's first tailoring atelier, Castangia, opened shop.

Lo stile italiano was invented by Roman tailors shortly after the Second World War. Brioni, a Roman firm, is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the style. Their “Roman Style” was featured in the first-ever fash ion show to be male-centric, back in 1952. While commonplace now, the idea of using male models at the time was groundbreaking.

https://bespokeunit.com/suits/styles/italian/

The Italian textile industry was already well established in the middle of the nineteenth century when a textile company called Somma Spa established a wool-production group in Somma Lombardo, just outside Milan, in 1865. (The transition from the production of raw materials to the manufacture of garments has always been a natural progression.) The Italian suit began to reach prominence in 1910 when Ermenegildo Zegna opened a textile school in the Northern-Italian town of Biella.

https://www.styleforum.net/threads/article-on-mens-italian-suits-history.96888/ https://barcelino.com/2020/03/02/history-of-the-italian-suit/#:~:text=The%20first%20time%20the%20suit,I taly%20during%20the%20early%201800's.

The original Brioni boutique, c. 1945

https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/brioni-master-class

High armholes

Minimal shoulder padding

The Italian suit today comes from a long and prestigious heritage thanks to a cadre of creative innovators and artists with fabric. The term, “Made in Italy”, evokes the subtle guarantee that you are buying the very best the world has to offer. Most Italian suit companies are still family run and it makes a world of difference especially when it comes to setting tailoring standards. Each family has their own style of tailoring; how they hold fabric or sew the stitch and all these family secrets are well guarded. The most defining difference with Italian tailors is how they revere quality.

Though there are different intra-Italian variations on the they tend to share some common traits, which are:

Flapless Pockets

https://blacklapel.com/thecompass/british-vs-american-vs-italian-suits/

Higher-Than-Average Button Stance Slim, Extremely Clean Silhouette

https://bespokeunit.com/suits/styles/italian/ https://barcelino.com/2020/03/02/history-of-theitalian-suit/#:~:text=The%20first%20time%20the% 20suit,Italy%20during%20the%20early%201800's.

The Sack Suit Early Tailoring

Brooks Brothers “No. 1 Sack Suit” was released in 1901. A child of the Industrial Revolution, the Sack suit was the first-ever mass-produced tailored garment for men.

“The sack” actually comes from the French “sacque”, which is a particular construction technique for coats and jackets. The jacket, in fact, is made out of only two straight fabric panels. A technique that would be perfect for large scale production of clothes.

https://bespokeunit.com/suits/styles/american/#what

https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/british-italian-american-suits/

http://thefashionformen.com/2016/03/the-complete-history-of-sack-suit/

The Sack Suit

After World War II, there was a trend to full-cut clothing as luxury indication. The khaki pants came home with the veterans and took their place in civilian life.

Even the new style called “Bold Look” which featured loose fitting, three button, single breasted suits with vents and notched lapels.

Peaked lapels were reserved for double-breasted styles from then on.

http://thefashionformen.com/2016/03/the-complete-history-of-sack-suit/

https://www.gq.com/gallery/the-gq-history-of-the-suit-by-decade

The Sack Suit

Straight, roomier fit in the torso

Low armholes

Light shoulder padding

Full

Flapped pockets

https://blacklapel.com/thecompass/british-vs-american-vs-italian-suits/

Semiformal/Business Attire

Professional attire is the look that gentlemen wear in very professional environments. It's the uniform of lawyers, bankers, professors, Wall Street traders, and other business environments where decorum and professionalism are woven into the culture and fabric of the organization.

Recommendations

Suit: Navy is considered the power color but gray and black are also strong business suits

White shirt: Plain white shirt is always a great option but you can spice it up with textured shirts or inconspicuous designs like window pane stripes or gingham print

Neckties: Blue, gray, black are standard business colors for ties. Don’t feel limited as there are varying shades of blue and grey and designs such as polka dots, stripes, and paisley are great ways to add more style.

Pocket Square: White, straight fold handkerchiefs adds a crisp and classic element to the overall look. Colored pocket squares can work depending on the environment.

Oxford shoes: Shoes should be the same color as your belt; brown or black. Again, shades of brown vary so there is still a lot of variety available.

Socks: Trouser socks that that matches the pant leg of the suit. It’s the safest bet to stay with solid socks.

https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/social-dress-codes/

Creative Black Tie

This can be considered the least formal aesthetic in the formal wear category. It's a new school twist on traditional formal wear. It's seen most often at Hollywood events such as red carpets and award shows.

The creative black tie look has a playful element that intelligently substitutes bold colors on subtle pieces for a bit of pizzazz.

Being that formal wear is a uniform of sorts, the creative black tie fun way for your formal attire to stand out in a crowd. This look is popular amongst millennials who typically defy the traditional conventions of menswear

Recommendations: The looks almost identical to traditional black tie with colored accessories such as:

Vest Cummerbund

Bow tie

https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/social-dress-codes/

Black Tie

Less formal than white tie, but more formal than creative black tie – it is reserved for social functions and evening events. It is less regulated than white tie dress so more latitude for variations is given for this aesthetic.

Black Tie Recommendations:

A jacket with ribbed silk facings on a shawl collar or peaked lapel

Trousers with a single silk or satin braid covering the outer seams

A black cummerbund or a low-cut waistcoat

A white dress shirt, French cuffs and cufflinks, and a turn-down or detachable wing collar

A black ribbed silk bow tie matching the lapel facings

Optional shirt studs and cufflinks

Black dress socks

Black shoes—highly polished or patent leather Oxfords, or patent leather court shoes

https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/social-dress-codes/

White Tie

White tie is the most formal style of dress and is usually reserved for high society events such as state dinners, formal balls and evening weddings. It is typically considered only appropriate after 6 p.m., but it has been extended to anytime after dark.

White Tie Recommendations

Black or midnight blue dress coat with silk facings, horizontally cut-away at the front

Trousers of matching fabric with one single wide stripe or two narrow stripes of satin or braid and are worn with suspenders

White plain stiff-fronted cotton shirt

White stiff wing collar, preferably detachable

White bow tie

White low-cut waistcoat matching the bow tie and shirt

Black silk socks or stockings

Black court shoes

https://www.realmenrealstyle.com/social-dress-codes/