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You can thank Don Draper and his Mad Men cohorts for their role in illustrating the great sartorial virtues of a well-tailored suit. Who wouldn’t want to look as dapper as the guys at Sterling Cooper, with their whisky chasers and three-piece-suits? Their slim-fit business look has dominated the latter half of the last decade.
But strict suiting rules have relaxed of late as fashion takes a turn towards slouchier shapes, lightweight constructions and soft blazers. Reminiscent of the look pioneered by Giorgio Armani in the 1980’s when he dressed Richard Gere in American Gigolo, the influence of the film was enough to revolutionise tailoring for an entire generation.
Today, designers are re-embracing a languid ease that speaks to our changing times; gone now is the need for a ‘uniform’ and in its place, the need to express our individuality.
Take for example sports inspired tailoring brand Eidos; under the creative helm of Antonio Ciongoli, a former Ralph Lauren designer, Ciongoli launched the label in collaboration with the godfathers of Neapolitan tailoring, ISAIA. Eidos’ slouchy jackets and relaxed polo shirts represent the best of both worlds and are the perfect pieces in which to start loosening up the conventional ‘stiffness’ of tailoring. His signature lapels feature a softly defined pleated shoulder, emphasizing a distinct athleticism.
“Soft tailoring just makes the most sense in the lives of the modern man,” says Ciongoli. “As the necessity to wear more formal clothing decreases, the lines between work clothing and casual clothing is becoming blurrier. Soft tailoring is great because it’s comfortable and travels well, so you can wear it on a flight and go straight to a meeting just as easily as you can wear it with a t-shirt and jeans on the weekend.”
For men who are reluctant to stray from their conventional business attire, Ciongoli recommends one should ease into the idea: “Start with a deconstructed jacket in a more classic fabric like a navy hopsack or a suit in a gray Loro Piana Zealander wool. The fabrics will be familiar but the sense of comfort is a whole new state of mind.”
Camoshita – founded by Creative Director of United Arrows and one of Tokyo’s most stylish, Yasuto Kamoshita – also takes a lighter hand with his softly constructed double-breasted blazers with oversize lapels and deconstructed houndstooth coats. While Venetian label Barena delivers a range of loose-fit silhouettes such as baggy trousers paired with tailored gilets.
“The less internal construction the better. Look for completely unlined with no shoulder padding at all. This type of jacket wears like a sweater – there is nothing more comfortable!”
This casual elegance is a welcome change in the world of tailoring, which is now more than ever, putting comfort and the lifestyle we lead first; all ingredients in a convincing recipe for dandified deconstruction.
