The Suit - The New Tailoring

Now, the suit has been around for ages just like the tunics have and like the tunics, the suit has evolved in many variations that suit the modern not only men, but women as well. The world is changing and so are the cuts and designs of the suits. But one thing that one might realise - women are the new men! yes! man's suits are more feminine while the ladies' apparels are injected with masculinity, like this ladies' suit by Topshop. (who says I only feature big names here?)

Do you know that the original man's suit of clothes is a garment, originated in England, that is crafted from the same cloth? Yup, and the English word suit derives from the French suivre, "to follow", i.e. trousers and waistcoat follow the coat's cloth and colour.

A man's suit of clothes comprises;

• coat
• dress shirt
• trousers
• necktie (optional)
• wasitcoat(optional)

Its variants, lounge suit, business suit, three-piece suit, and two-piece suit denote garments the design, cut, and cloth of which determine their social and work suitability. Generally, the man's suit of clothes comprises the suit, itself, a collared shirt, necktie, and a hat. Yet, throughout the 20th century, the hat fell from the mainstream of men's fashion, to the purview of the dandy. (i love my dandy! thanks to them, we have nicer clothes! )
Originally, as with most all clothes, a tailor crafted the suit from his client's selected cloth, i.e. "bespoke". The said suit was custom made to the measure, taste, and style of the man. Yet, since the Industrial Revolution, most suits are produced en masse, and, as such, are sold as "off-the-peg", "off-the-rack", garments. Currently, there are two modes for a man to be suited, the original, crafted, bespoke mode, and the made to measure mode. (to simplify things) The former is best for proper fit and function, involving, as it does, the creation of a garment from scratch entirely for the client; the latter variant features an off-the-peg design manufactured to match the individual's measurements. (thanks wikipedia.com for that history)

Dozens of things have changed with the suit. In fact, quite a number of suits nowadays do not adhere to the original definition of suits. The trend of it being worn with a hat is coming back. In fact, wearing of hats is definitely coming back again especially for spring '08. How it get back to becoming so the next accessory? Well, thank Mr. Sexyback then!

While most suits can be categorised in four conventional variants such as the British suit, the Italian suit, the American suit and the Double breasted suit, there are those that we just have to place under the Contemporary suit category. The four conventional variations of a suit tend to stick to the boardroom and meetings and black tie party. Even though it has seen a couple of changes to it in terms of colour and materials, it still sticks to the fundamentals of a suit, and thus, just remains a classic.

The contemporary suit are the ones that is really the talk of the town. Yes, the suits are more bold in terms of colour, more experimental in terms of fabric and prints, more casual in its stylings and still pushes the boundaries of tailoring. It has definitely become a new way of tailoring. Take this Dolce & Gabbana suit as an example, it doesn't use the usual bespoke materials. its all velvet! so luxurios! Substitute the velvet with normal cotton and what have you, and you will get your conventional suit! hehe! Just a tiny thing can do wonders!

And, also look at this creation by Dior Homme, the play of different fabrics and tailoring creates a unique look for this otherwise conventional double breasted suit! Its classy and sophisticated and yet, sets you apart as being the more style-savvy individual! (I so love dior homme!)

The choice of colors and patterns too have taken a different route. Its no longer a solid color or block motif. The suits are now pretty much divided into various standalone pieces that makes it more versatile as it can be mixed and match. And yet, some of it attains that very distinctive and almost surreal kinda cut to it as seen in this Burberry Prosum number. I love the black lining which creates that very structured look for the jacket. (and notice the lapels and collar? awesome, right?)

And the suits are tailored to be more casual now. Something that is more suitable for like a day out or a casual lunch with business partners or a lunch party with friends. And such, more pastel and calm colors are chosen like this baby blue and biege suit by Louis Vuitton! The sandals adds to the relaxed feel of the suit. Definitely something you can consider for a chich beach party! You don't have to go for the white suit thing or the flowy tops for a resort chich look no more. That is so last season.

And yet, black still prevails in the modern suit but its not always worn with a collared shirt. Like this Calvin Klein suit for example. The all black ensemble creates a more serious and sophisticated look but the t-shirt injects a little bit of casualness while the white shoes makes it fashonably stylish.

And of course, the reason for the rise of the contemporary suit is pretty much due to the evolution of the ladies' suits. You see, ladies suits have always had more leniency in terms of cut, silhoutte, color and fabrics. And thus, it has propelled the men's suit into an explosion of change. Having said that, the ladies' suit too goes through changes with times. It too has evolved. Just look at this two creations by Prada and YSL.

So, start investing in a suit for yourself! And oh, all the designs shown here are from the Spring/ Summer 2008 Collection by the various designers! So, look out for them in stores now!