iStyle: Casual suits
Suits are enjoying something of a revival at the moment, helped in no small part by their more relaxed feel, says Lee Holmes
iStyle: Casual suits
Show all 7Suits you, sir! Beyond the Fast Show fast-gag, there’s truth to the phrase. It may have originated in the 17th century, but there’s no denying that, 350 years on, the suit is still a cornerstone of a man’s wardrobe. At least, most men’s. Away from Savile Row and City Boy suiting, there’s a faction of men who would rather run the proverbial mile than wear a three-piece. Their excuses range from feeling too constricted and trussed-up, to looking as though they’ve been dressed by their mothers for their first day at school.
Unfortunately for them, the suit is having a renaissance of sorts among designers and high-street labels. Even the clothing label Folk – which, as the name suggests, has designed casual, unstructured clothing rather than buttoned-up wools since its launch in 2001 – has recently added tailoring to its services.
There’s a twist, though. Even the most suit-phobic chap will fathom that Folk’s take on tailoring fits in with its relaxed and informal vision for menswear. Naturally there’s the obligatory three-piece for the smarter gentleman, but with a waistcoat that has a distinctly artisanal feel. Likewise, trousers have a looser fit while shirts have bound cuffs and curved-back yokes. And the double- and single-breasted jackets are unstructured, which gives that all-important relaxed silhouette. Rather fittingly, these pieces can be worn as separates, too, working with the rest of your wardrobe, rather than standing as a working wardrobe by themselves.
So here at last is tailoring that is perfectly tailored for the aforementioned man – namely, one who doesn’t want to look like he has tried too hard. And although formality hasn’t been given short shrift completely, it’s tailoring with a pared-down simplicity. Actually, what it is, is tailoring without all the bells and whistles. Which is a very good thing indeed.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies