A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them. – Hardy Amies
Perhaps it was because Cary Grant failed his first screen test when his neck appeared too large on the celluloid, that he was inspired to acquire the sartorial grace of one of the world’s most elegant men. In fact, his early rebuff in film stardom should serve as encouragement to all novices at the skills required to compose the elegant stature of a truly well dressed gentleman.
These are not innate skills, but rather born of observation and practice, and acquired taste; although, this said, some are more readily able to catch on to color, balance and form, and even combine with a dash of whimsy for an original yet appropriate look for the occasion. And certainly they are worthy skills, as Shakespeare had Polonius aptly state in Hamlet:
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express’d in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
Menswear styles have changed through the centuries since Polonius advised Laertes, but in our own century alone, there have been more extremes of fashion than in the hundreds of years of contemporary civilization heretofore. What is the correct style, given the greater freedoms and informality of the modern era? The answer is to understand what best suits you, gives balance and frame to your figure and face, and not to be besotted with fleeting fashion. Regardless of the changes of the last half century, despite the speed with everything around us has altered, there has remained a remarkable consistency to classic style, which a smartly dressed gentleman can readily recognize it in the great film stars of the 1930s. Elegant men’s style really begins in the 1930s and finds its most engaging prototypes in Cary Grant, and Cary Cooper, and Fred Astaire. These men were British by birth or style, and the clothes they carried so effortlessly were greatly influenced by their English tailors. In the same period, David, the Prince of Wales, later to become the Duke of Windsor, introduced the wider American audience to English tailoring, and thus romanced by his image, American menswear absorbed the essence of British style, and elegant drape, but modified it to the American figure. English impact had been felt before, after the first War, when Americans had begun to travel abroad, returning with regimental ties, boaters, or argyle socks. Now, under the influence of the dashing romantic figure of the Duke of Windsor, Americans began to wear Panama hats, knot their ties in thick knots under their Windsor collars, or tighten their neckties high under tab collars. They doffed brown suede shoes, wore Glen plaid suits, sported chalk stripe double breasted suit jackets, and buttoned them on the bottom button, and when they played at leisure, put on their Fair Isle sweaters. This was an era of stars to be emulated. Clothing was elegant, as were the stars who modeled it. Yet, it was comfortable and easily moved in, as anyone watching Fred Astaire dance would know. Most of the language of good taste, and proportion and balance in styling, emanates from that era. Although today’s American is more informal in his actions, and less inclined to have as many types of occasions for as many kinds of attire, the basic patterns for the well dressed gentlemen stem from the decade of the stars and the Duke.
Despite, and perhaps because of, the disinterest in elegant style wrought
by the social upheavals of the 60s and 70s, and also perhaps as a response
to the excesses of the 80s, there is once again an interest in classic style.
Some men may have always known how to dress smartly, despite the upheavals
in fashion. Nevertheless, they may have found it increasingly difficult over
the past two decades to find clothing which met their criteria for classic
taste. Other men are only now discovering the difference between style and
fashion, and are eager to acquire the skills to dress tastefully, with enjoyment
of and appreciation for materials, craftsmanship and cut. To all of these,
we offer these details of tailoring, but especially to those younger men,
who have not had mentors, and who are betwixt and between designer labels
with outrageous off-the-rack prices. If you ask, What is this all about? -
here are some answers. Top
First, we must examine the cut of a suit. In the British American tradition, there are only two silhouettes that have historically been cut into suit patterns.
The American cut is a 3 button, natural shoulder jacket, with a notched lapel, and a welt upper pocket and flap pockets below. The jacket is vented in the center back. The top button is not buttoned, but is actually on a part of the lapel which is rolled, so that the jacket fastens at the middle button only, as the bottom button is left open. The top buttonhole is finished on both sides, and is intended to be seen. The shoulders of this silhouette are soft and gently sloping. The stance of the fastened button is higher than the waist, and the jacket itself is not darted inward to the waist, so that the entire look is one of comfort, but rather square in shape. Though this pattern does not follow the body’s shape, it is easy fitting, with wider armholes. In its most traditional form, this silhouette has a "sack" shape, almost boxlike. It is usually paired with straight front trousers with cuffs, and the trousers do not break (fall forward with a crease) on the shoe.
The British cut is a 2 button, natural shoulder jacket, with a notched lapel, and a welt upper pocket, with flap pockets below. The top button is buttoned, and the lower button is left unbuttoned. The stance of the fastened button is to the waist, for a longer, more graceful look than the American sack jacket. Several other aspects of the silhouette accentuate this longer look: first, the jacket is slightly tapered at the waist by darting. Secondly, the shoulders, while soft, are a bit more shaped than the American model. The armholes are higher to the arm, and there are two side vents in the back. All of these elements conspire to give the appearance that the jacket conforms to the lines of the body, though not rigidly. In fact, typical of English jackets is the "blade" which is the fold beside the shoulder attachment on the back of the jacket, which provides the extra fabric for ease of movement. The British jacket is typically paired with pleated trousers, slightly tapered, whose cuffs break to cover about 2/3 of the shoe.
There is also another British style widely admired in America – the double-breasted suit, gently tapered, with a firm but natural shoulder, and side rear vents. This style buttons one, second from the bottom button, out of six front buttons. Keep in mind that a double-breasted jacket is always buttoned! Some double-breasted jackets are cut to fasten at the lowest button only. This is a result of a style made popular by the Duke of Kent, the brother of David, the Duke of Windsor. It allows for a longer look, as the lapel appears longer. The lapels are peaked, the upper pocket is welted, and the lower pockets are either flap or inset besom. The trousers are pleated. At Ben Silver, we always carry a classic double-breasted suit in a traditional wool pattern.
It should be noted, however obvious, that a man’s jacket in any cut, always buttons left side over right. The origin of this pattern is because it avoided catching the top of the sword in the opening, on the assumption that the sword was drawn right-handed.
At Ben Silver, we offer slightly modified versions of both of these silhouettes. Our British silhouette is a traditional English cut, but with a little more ease in the armhole, and somewhat more softness in the shoulder. Our American silhouette is slightly tapered and darted, with a slightly more fitted armhole. We offer the American 3-button classic in a traditional blazer with an breast patch pocket, lower flap and patch pockets, and a center vent. We also usually offer this model in classic tweeds, such as Harris Tweed for an easy fitting, sporting look. Occasionally, we offer a 3-button suit in a classic wool pinstripe or other traditional suiting fabric. When we cut a 3 button American model at Ben Silver, we make the trousers easy fitting forward pleated pants, and we suggest hemming the cuffs so that they break.
The lapels of jackets are a throwback to military uniforms, which were high collared tunics. When soldiers unbuttoned the upper buttons, and rolled back each side, a notch was apparent in the break in the tunic collar. When the folded back collar became the civilian model, the notch was retained, as was the buttonhole, which on British blazers is present on both lapels.
The width of a lapel has varied on single-breasted suits (and jackets) over the years according to dictates of fashion, but in fact should be balanced to be no greater than across half the distance on the chest to the shoulder. Balance and proportion are essentials of elegant, as opposed to fashionable dress. In this regard, a man with a very small head would find its size appeared exaggerated by excessively wide shoulders, and the lapels that would necessarily be wider as well. One must always keep in mind the proportions of one’s own body in determining the variations to the model and cut most appropriate to oneself. The peaked lapel is only on double-breasted jackets. Single vents are characteristic of American natural shoulder jackets, while double vents are always on the back of the English jacket. Vents were designed so that a rider had greater freedom of movement on the horse, and in accessing his pockets. The English style allows easier access to the pockets, and also emphasizes the line of the body, while the single vent shortens the body somewhat. The only possible drawback of a double vent is for a man of very wide hips, because it will call attention to a prominent rear.
Flap pockets below have always been acceptable on both the British and the American models. However, on a sports suit in a country tweed, a patch and flap pocket is also acceptable. Jetted lower pockets have come to replace flap pockets below on many suits, although a well made garment, or a bespoke garment, often is made with the flap capable of slipping inside the jetted pocket, so that there are alternate looks. Upper pockets are always welted but on a country jacket, in tweed, or a classic American blazer, an upper patch pocket is acceptable. On the blazer, the intended use is to carry the emblem, or patch of the wearer’s school or club.
An elegant suit can be in a variety of wool fabrics, in a range of colors and patterns. The weight of cloths is measured in either ounces or grams, with summer garments in the range of 7 to 8.5 oz., and winter weights from 9 to 11 oz. in a temperate climate. Blue, black and Gray are considered business colors in the traditional world. However, in recent years, there is greater variation, depending on the formality of the office environment, and in many instances tans, olives or brown tones are appropriate. Classically, the pinstripe (a pin line in a narrow setting) or chalk stripe (a soft chalk line in a wider setting) are woven on ranges of deep blue or Grey. A winter Grey flannel, or a navy plain worsted are staples of a dress wardrobe as well, as is a navy or Grey tropical wool weight in summer. Certain patterns are considered classic: the nailhead is one. Most classic is the Glen plaid. Prince of Wales check is the version of the plaid made famous by the Duke of Windsor. It is actually a fine colored overcheck on a Glen Urquhart plaid.
In determining whether a suit fits properly, be sure that the shoulders are wide enough to allow the sleeve to fall straight gracefully. Biceps should not press out of the sleeve. This means that you need to know the distance across the chest and upper arm to determine the coat size. The jacket should feel comfortable when buttoned, allowing for give. In a British cut, the blade will allow movement as well in the fold of garment behind each armhole. The armhole should not feel too tight and constricted. The length of the jacket should be half the distance from the end of the collar to the heel of the shoe. It should also line up at the bottom with the thumb knuckle. A jacket is cut longer in the back than the front, and should cover the buttocks. Keep in mind that the fit should be balanced and proportional, so that variations are possible for a very short man, for whom the appearance of longer legs will lengthen the entire figure. For him, a slightly shorter jacket may be appropriate. The opposite is true for the very tall man, for whom a longer jacket may give the appearance of reducing his height by reducing the length of the leg shown. The collar of the jacket should sit well on the shoulders, not buckling or standing away, and it should reveal a half-inch of the collar at the back. The sleeve should be at the point where your wrist meets your hand. Remember that another half-inch of fabric will be lower than the sleeve length, as your shirt must reveal that much below your coat sleeve.
Each style has its adherents, but we recommend that they not be considered as exclusionary. Sometimes a gentleman wants an easier fitting, center-vented coat. Other times, he may want to have a slimmer line, along with the look of center vents. Top
It is hard to believe that there was no such thing as a sport jacket until well after World War I. Until then, men’s lives were more formal, and the occasion did not call for what became known as the "odd" jacket. The first jacket was called the Norfolk after the Duke of Norfolk whose shooting parties inspired a jacket design which allowed for more freedom to shoot. It had a looser fit across the shoulders and chest, and box pleats, and pockets with bellows to hold cartridges. It became a sign of wealth to have jackets designed expressly for sport, and soon hacking jackets appeared with hacking pockets, for easier access while riding. Sport jackets have evolved today, still in more casual, and often more hardy, fabrics and patterns, with different pockets, and buttons, and stitched edge lapels instead of the bluff edge of the more tailored garment. Some jackets have patches at the elbows. The informal model and fit and fabric resulted in more vivid cloth patterns as well, in fabrics as diverse as linen, cotton and silk and wool blends, or in seersucker (from the Hindu word ‘shirushaker’ meaning "puckered"), cotton poplin, or madras. Cloth patterns have traditionally been the boldest such as houndstooth or herringbone. Bold shepherd’s checks are underlying an overcheck of a windowpane, or a glen plaid as well. The classic country cloth for a sport jacket is tweed, which is mistakenly attributed to the River Tweed. In fact the name is a misspelling of twill on an invoice for fabric sent from Hawick, Scotland to London. The name tweed remained! Woolen tweeds were the choice of Edwardian gentlemen and remain as popular today because of their rugged nature and the variety of patterns and colors woven. Irish tweed, with its white warp and dark filling, Donegal tweed, with flecked pepper and salt weft, Cheviot tweed, with both weft and warp dyed the same color – these are all excellent choices for the "country" sport jacket. Since 1844, when the Earl of Dunmore, the Lord of Harris encouraged the hand-weavers on the Scottish island he owned, to copy a pattern of the Murray tartan in their local tweed, using local dyes which were highly colorful, the resulting Harris Tweed has been the most popular in both England and America. It is still woven by hand on the Islands of the Outer Hebrides, including Lewis and Harris, and only these tweeds are entitled to the label. Often it is patched with leather on the elbows, but even without, it will give years of wear.
Of course, the sport jacket, whether country or city, is still a sport jacket – it is not intended for the business locale because it is inherently more informal in pattern and fabric as a result of its evolution. Nevertheless, today, given the greater informality of dress, there are occasions in which a finer cloth, in a more muted pattern, can be appropriate for the office.
Of all the sport jackets, none is more widely worn than the blazer. While there are some who attribute its history to the blazing colors of the striped jackets of the public school sports competitions during the late 19th century, most say the name stems from the H.M.S. Blazer, a frigate, whose captain, when faced with a visit to his ship by Queen Victoria, decided to outfit his crew in short double breasted jackets in navy blue serge, with brass Royal Navy buttons. It is said to have been modeled after the reefer jacket of midshipmen. Apparently the Queen was so smitten with the "uniform" that it became the style. Today, the blazer remains navy blue with brass buttons, although variations can be had in black, tartan green or even red. Colored and striped blazers have been the style since the public school days, and there is also a tale that the red summer jackets of the oarsmen of the Lady Margaret Boat Club, in Cambridge, were said to look "ablaze" and began a tradition which today is seen in single breasted blazers at Henley Regatta.
The difference between Bespoke and Made-to-Measure Clothing
Bespoke tailoring got its name because the clothes were literally bespoken – spoken for or ordered – by the customer. To this day, a custom suit has the label of its tailor in a hidden place inside a pocket, while the customer’s initials are shown where the maker’s label would be on an off the rack garment. Savile Row in London has always been the address associated with custom tailoring, and men travel from all over the world to Savile Row for a custom suit. Unlike a finely made suit or jacket which is off the rack, a custom suit is entirely measured to the body of the customer. It is not the same as a made-to-measure garment, which is a standard cut pattern only moderately, if at all, altered before cutting, to the figure of the man whose basic measurements have been taken. In America, where there is no tradition of bespoke garments, men are confused by the difference, and deluded into thinking that they are purchasing a custom garment because a few key measurements of their body are taken, or because they are photographed against a yardstick. Nor is the selection of fabric specific to the suit sufficient to make the suit a bespoke one. Any better suit off the peg can be cut in any fabric available for that season from the maker’s selection of materials. Thus a "trunk show" is an opportunity to select from fabrics which the maker has access to for the season, and then have the fabric cut in a suit which is a standard model for the maker.
For a bespoke suit a minimum of 20 measurements are taken for the coat alone. The trousers require a minimum of 5 further measurements. The style of the suit is classically appointed, but takes into account specific needs of the customer. For example, if a sport jacket is made, is it to be with a bellows pocket? Or an upper patch pocket? A pattern is then cut, which is exclusively the result of the stature and personal characteristics of the customer. These templates are retained and verified each time the customer comes for a new fitting, since the customer’s physique will change from time to time. After the paper is drafted, the fabric, which may have been selected at the time of the fitting, and then ordered from the mill, is cut. There are several subsequent try-ons to guide the tailor toward a precise fit. Wallet, keys, watch, for example, are all taken into consideration. The garment is fitted first in canvas, and outer fabric, and then, at varying stages, with increasing amounts of the outer material, all chalk marked for corrections. The original canvas front, first fitted, is a floating piece between the outer shell and the inner lining. The hand-sewn canvas, often with horsehair, gives the jacket a lasting shape and elegant drape, and gives the proper roll to the lapel. Each piece of the custom garment is hand cut with scissors, not a machine or laser: the chest pieces, the lapels, the collar. It is sewn entirely by hand, other than seams sewn on a individual sewing machine, including the armholes, and the buttonholes, chest pieces, lapels, collar, pockets, sleeves, and lining. The padding of the lapels and collar are stitched by hand as well. The lining, preferably Bemberg, is sewn to the completed garment by hand. The buttonholes on the sleeves work. The buttons are horn.
If you are buying a suit off the rack, it has not been cut to your shape or needs. Yet, it is possible to purchase a suit or jacket at a very high level of craftsmanship and materials which has not been customized to your figure. In the made-to-measure scenario, there is no reason to equate the quality of construction with the taking of a few measurements. Nor is there any reason to assume that where fabric is selected for a particular suit or jacket, the end product is a hand-sewn garment of the highest quality. What then, should you seek in order to have a garment approximate the workmanship of the bespoke suit?
In the finest off the rack suit, there should be no difference in the construction from a custom suit, except for the absence of working sleeve buttonholes. The difference should be in the assembly of the product, not in its manufacture or construction. Thus, the parts are still cut by hand, and sewn by hand, albeit by a form of assembly team of tailors. Nevertheless these tailors are artisans. The fabrics in which such garments are offered are generally of the same high quality as a custom suit, because the workmanship is so fine that it is appropriate to make the garment in the finest cloth. Such a suit can be personalized further by the selection of personal fabric choices from a "trunk show," but since it is not fitted to the customer’s body, regardless of measurements which might be taken, it is not a bespoke suit.
Do you need a bespoke suit? If you are unable to be properly fit in a suit which is from a standard pattern, and you demand the quality of construction of a hand made suit of fine fabric, then a bespoke suit is for you. Men whose shoulders are wide in relation to their waist will not fit into suits with the traditional 6-inch "drop" between jacket and pant. Men with larger mid-sections, or those with rounded shoulders, or unusually sloped or straight shoulders, may also fall into this category. However, the other reason for buying a bespoke suit is that there is an undeniable pleasure in having it made exactly to your figure. And while the customer as a novice to the bespoke field may at first feel intimidated by the process, fearful that he will be obligated to purchase something he does not want – for how will he know what it will be like until after it is done? – nevertheless, this fear is seemingly always surmounted with the completion of the finished garment. The relationship between the customer and his tailor is a legendary one, about which many books have been written. Clearly, there are pleasures inherent in the attention afforded by a custom tailored suit. Once the original template has proven satisfactory, assuming no change in physique, additional suits may be produced after fabric is selected, with few additional visits. Given the high price of the fine fabrics on a hand sewn off the rack suit, and the high cost of the workmanship that goes into making them, the better off the rack suit costs approximately the same as the custom suit, and in fact, given the advertising budgets of designers, may be more. Therefore, it would appear that the principal reason for refraining from bespoke tailoring would be the difficulty attendant in finding a custom tailor, or alternatively the convenience in finding an off the rack item instead.
The Other Levels of Quality in Construction of the Garment
Below the handmade level, the next level of workmanship is nearly as high. Instead of hand basting the lapels, they are machine sewn. The other key parts are still hand sewn, and the front is still formed with canvas.
Below this level is the semi-canvas front. The bottom front of the canvas is fused. This is the process of bonding or gluing a layer to the outer, or shell, fabric, instead of relying on the reinforcement of the canvas and horsehair inner lining. In the semi-canvas, the fusing is at the bottom of the front only, and the lapels, collar and chest are not fused. Therefore the lapels still roll.
The lower level of construction is sewn on machine, and fused. The garment does not breathe or move as well. Lapels do not sit on the chest, but rather curl away. Dry cleaning takes a toll on the fusing too, with puckering and buckling common. While the most affordable garments are made in this manner, oddly enough, many garments with the lowest level of construction are still costly. It is best to be an educated consumer. Top
The dinner jacket is the British name for the American tuxedo. Designed it as an alternative to swallowtail coat at dinner parties at home or at the club in the late 19th century. One such jacket was made for Edward VII in 1885. This dinner jacket was admired by an American houseguest at Sandringham, who asked Edward if he could copy it, was granted permission, and promptly had one made for use in America, where in 1886 Griswald Lorillard wore his version to a ball at the Tuxedo Club in New York, causing such a sensation that he was asked to leave! It was left to David, Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, and finally known as the Duke of Windsor, to introduce the dinner jacket as we know it today in the 1930s. He patterned it after the smoking jacket with its shawl collar. The original design was midnight blue, purportedly because the Prince disliked the greenish cast of black under artificial lights.
Today’s shawl collar tuxedo is black, has satin facings, including a stripe of pure silk down the trouser leg, and a single button on the jacket, which is left unfastened, the better to show the cummerbund beneath. The rounded cummerbund is especially handsome with the classic shawl collar tuxedo, as they repeat each other’s curvature. It is worn with the folds opening upward to enable the wearer to place tickets in the fold. The dinner jacket can be a single breasted peaked lapel also, under which a waistcoat or a cummerbund is worn; or it can be a double-breasted peaked lapel, under which no band or vest is worn. Pockets are always jetted. The vent may be single on a single-breasted coat, but must be double on a double-breasted one. Originally, the dinner jacket was ventless, and while this creates an attractive profile, it is not comfortable to sit in, and therefore jackets are generally vented.
In summer months, or at any time in a tropical climate, a white dinner jacket
with black formal trousers can be substituted for the black tuxedo suit. It
is also acceptable to wear a structured smoking jacket, in velvet, with silk
facings, with frog closures, as a substitute for the dinner jacket.
Among the other fashions which the Duke of Windsor initiated was the turndown
tuxedo collar. Until he wore it, the only formal shirt was a wing-tip evening
shirt, with a pique bib front. The turn down shirt is dressed with a pleated
front. Studs and cufflinks on the double cuffs are used instead of buttons.
It should be noted that black patent pumps, or alternatively tied black leather shoes, should be worn with a tuxedo. Interestingly, the word "pump" originates from the pomp related to the occasions on which they are worn. Top