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Friday, February 20, 2009

A Well-Tailored Defense of Men's Suits

By James V. Santerino

The new styles are rolling out at New York's 2009 Fashion Week! It's a time when the world of fashion sets aside its petty fears of recession and dwindling sales to garb itself in the latest designer trends and movements.

Of course Fashion changes like a girl changes her mind, and the trendy shopper has the onerously difficult task of separating new fashions that are actually designed in good taste from the feathery flops that only look good on the runway .

Of course, even a cursory glance at the men's runway shows reveals that the basic form of the suit is not at all adhered to. Designers may send out monstrously large lapels all year, all numbers of buttons crowding up the chest the next, or sleeves and trouser cuffs cut so short as to make the wearer look like a boy in his late teens squeezed into his bar mitzvah finery.

These deviations are understandable, given that the designers are obviously motivated to generate demand for new products and would dearly like to be able to sell men their latest fancies every year; but a man of good taste will have nothing to do with them. With only gentle shifts over the years, the form of the elegant men's suit has remained remarkably consistent.

But if a man has conservative taste, they will shun the dramatic changes and embrace change only very slowly. Men's suits do come in all sorts and types, but the good ones have timeless style that keep a consistent theme and use extra buttons, peak lapels and vents, but the fineness of the fabric and the detail in the cut is where the quality is determined, not in the accessory elements.

Suits made poorly in terms of fit, fabric and workmanship can not be saved by simply throwing another button the suit.

The modern men's suit is the gift of the legendary Beau Brummel, an English courtier in the early 19th Century. Dismissing the heliotropic and laced finery of the late 18th Century courts, Brummel revolutionized men's style and became a fashion icon by having the good taste not to want to draw excessive attention.

Brummel does not discount the opinions of men of good taste. According to him, a John Bull would not be aware of the quality of the apparel, but he would surely laugh at something that appeared funny to him.

He said, "If John Bull (the average man) turns around to look at you, you are not well-dressed." Which means if it was flashy, it was out. We can learn from Brummel that showy and tacky are of ill effect.

What then should a man do to win the favours and admiration of one and all? He should stick to the best in the market. A well-cut suit earns immediate approval and appreciation and makes a notch above the rest. Every minute detail counts.

What should the elegant man shop for then? Certainly not the flash, but the workmanship and the fit. It is in the small details in personal tailoring that make all the difference. Even the slouch can look sophisticated in a well made, well cut, well fit suit.

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