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Tag >> Peaked Lapel
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One thing the Brits know how to do well is wear a good suit - and we have certainly not been short of sartorial inspiration during the celebrations. The chap that has stood out to me the most as looking especially suave at every occasion of the Olympics is David Beckham.
A beautifully tailored suit, David wears a single breasted, two button jacket with notched lapels, double vents and straight flapped pockets paired with straight leg trousers. The pale pink shirt with black contrast tie works perfectly. You'll struggle to find Beckham without a Tie-pin when wearing a day suit- love it!. When the torch arrived in Britain David Beckham accompanied Princess Anne and Lord Coe, the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. They had the honour of lighting the cauldron to celebrate the flame's official arrival. For this special occasion he returned to a notched collar and selected a darker suit colour, going with a navy.
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As we are flying through one of the most patriotic years Britain has seen for quite some time, all eyes were on Wimbledon yesterday - be it for the strawberries cream or the sport itself.Following on from Royal Ascot, this was another great occasion for bringing out some suiting masterpieces - hence why I have rounded up a few of my favourites:.
Always a risky choice going with all-white, but for a summer suit why not, and with our range of thicker linen cloths you can have the light-weight, breathable jacket without the intolerable creasing. I love Graff's cropped grey jacket with patch pockets giving a little extra detail.
And while we're on sporting stars I just couldn't miss out Ryan Giggs' dazzling blue suit. It is very similar in tone to Tom Cruise's infamous electric blue suit in Mission Impossible 4. It's such a statement colour this summer and looks great with a crisp white shirt. If you're looking for a brighter blue suiting cloth take a look at our VBC range, it's a beautifully lightweight cloth made from a Mohair mix.
Further evidence of the Blue craze is James Middleton seen here at Wimbledon. James has raised the tone even further with this sky blue suit. I'd definitely recommend getting a sample of our light blue linen if this is a look you'd care to try!
Keeping my eye on the many suited gents at Wimbledon this year I've noted that the notched lapel is definitely dominating as spectators have gone for a more relaxed style not requiring the sharp effect of a peaked lapel.
For the ladies - white is most definitely the colour! A bright white cropped jacket is perfect for the summer and is so easy to accessorise with any outfit. Wimbledon is such an essential British tradition and along with the strawberries and cream really signifies the start of the summer. It's a perfect excuse to put away your wintery black and grey suits and step out in something a bit more colourful.
Pop in to Manchester or any of our studios and have a look through our extensive range of cloths to find the right colour for you!
Pop in to Manchester or any of our studios and have a look through our extensive range of cloths to find the right colour for you!
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Bespoke wedding wear at an affordable price.
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Since its introduction as the everyday dress for the well-groomed man, the notched lapel suit has been considered the most formal and classic way of dressing. A businessman who needs to create an air of professionalism and conservatism should always stick with the tried and tested notch lapel.
While the misconceptions over the proper usage of the peaked lapel have grown more misleading in modern aesthetics, many fans of traditional tailoring and classic style consider peaked lapels more of an occasion look and not appropriate for a conservative suit. However, the reality is that the peak lapel gives off a certain aura of power that can never really be obtained from a notched. With it's fuller looking edges and arched angles, it can cut across any men's chest to create a broader, stronger silhouette - it's also a little dressier than it's notched counterpart and in line with modern trends for tailored menswear.
So the next time you need your suit to make an impression for that big business meeting, think single breasted peaked lapel - it will make you stand out and leave your more conservative colleagues trying to figure out your next move. If you choose a peaked lapel for your next suit from A Suit That Fits, don't forget to have it hand stitched. This bespoke feature will add a dash of sophistication and savoir faire to your power look. Just remember that hand-stitching looks best on lighter weight fabrics.
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An adaptation of 'A Servant and Two Masters' by Goldoni it is set in the 1960's and perfect for a modern, British audience. I failed to go and see it while James Corden was in the role of Francis Henshall but the other week I treated myself to a little after work outing with a girlfriend.
I loved the way the production focused on taking visual clues from the costume to inform us of the character types and their function within the plot. This was subtle but still visable to the theatre savvy. But probably my favourite aspect of the performance (given my profession) was the attention to detail in the costume of this 60's extravaganza.
Here we see one of the iconic 60's looks; carefully contrasting cloths, trousers with a single pleat and braces with a sports jacket with a slight longer length. In the context of the play it shows the rakish vanity of the character when combined with the slick hair and general demeanour. To bring this look up to date create a slimmer line to your trousers and jacket, cut out the pleats, airing on the slim side with your lapel. White collar and cuffs are really in style at the moment and mixed with a striped cloth for the rest of the shirt, this look is just super!
A note for any ladies reading; the use of suiting separates and carefully mis-matching cloths gives you great versatility. When choosing your suiting go for a few full suits in cloths that will work with each other. Then pick a few stand out cloths for single garments again remembering versatility is the key here. Bold trousers and skirts with simpler blouses and jackets are must this year.
I find the costume of the character Francis utterly charming. A little nod perhaps to the diamond print of the harlequin role that he presides within. Checks and tweeds within suiting have been really winners on the catwalks the past couple of seasons. Brown and blueish tones work beautifully together and something like the Check-875083-2 or our TPO range are all appropriate here. With summer not far off though it might be a good idea to bear in mind the CB range of checks as light weight alternatives.
Looking at other characters within the play we come across the use of crisp white shirts. This look is simple but kept almost comically 60's with this crazy paving tie with a diamond print. A style tip here would be to try not to mix check suiting with bold print ties.
Another great tip this play has to offer is the use of classic men's tailoring on women. Provide you are not to full in the chest this can create a bold look. A slim fit dinner jacket can give you great taster of this look, a great advocate of this being Kate Moss (see Hana's blog for more info). These slim line slightly masculine jackets offer great options for pairing with jeans for a more casual look.
Another great tip this play has to offer is the use of classic men's tailoring on women. Provide you are not to full in the chest this can create a bold look. A slim fit dinner jacket can give you great taster of this look, a great advocate of this being Kate Moss (see Hana's blog for more info). These slim line slightly masculine jackets offer great options for pairing with jeans for a more casual look.
One of the reasons the characters costumes are so important is that visual character clues are a must in any comedy of errors. The importance of dress is also true in every day life. A persons first impression of you is often based on the your handshake, your smile and the way you dress. A crisp well cut suit speaks volumes but the devil is in the detail
-A slim lapel can give a slick modern look suggesting you're a forward thinker and like to keep up to date. But be warned if it's wrong for your build (such as a very broad or boxy shape) it may suggest that you follow fashions blindly and need a lot of direction even if you are a hard worker.
-Peaked Lapels look great and ladies can wear them all the time but gents need to be careful as they suggest power and if you're a young guy in a low level job it might come across as arrogance. It might be best to keep it for sports jackets until you've got a few more years under your belt.
- Small, bright contrasting details on a very sombre suit hint to a fun side of your personality. It's a nice detail and subtle enough for a day in the office but be careful, a full set of contrasting button holes is a statement not a detail.
If you have any worries about coming over as 'just another man in a suit' come and see your local Style Advisor. We'll help you pick details that are right for you.
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Having a quick scout on the spider web for new inspiration, I came across a really cool picture of every ladies dream man - Colin Firth. Ever since he was Mr. Darcy, Colin has had a huge following and has always stepped up to the plate in terms of his attire.
For starters, it's a dark colour and a 2-button jacket at that - perfect business attire. It shifts slightly from a purely work based suit, when the peaked lapel is used. The peaked lapel was taken from the double breasted suit and used on the single breasted suit - most popularly in the 1930s. Since then, we've adopted the single breasted, peaked lapel suit as something quite dressy and therefore, when styled correctly, can be a perfect day to night cross over.
The buttons, also vary from the four that we usually see on the cuff. The last buttonhole is left open; this is a sign of a working buttonhole, something all great suits should probably have - in my opinion!
Have a look at a similar suit in a midnight blue here.
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TV presenter Rick Edwards, known for his appearances on Channel 4 and E4, needed something that looked great and was eye-catching on screen. With a regular style column in The Observer, Rick already had an eye for fashion.
It went down a storm. In a good way. Words like 'dapper' and 'snappy' and 'gent' were being bandied about by the crew.
Green and black birdeye's a bold fabric choice - what made you go for that?
I think I just fancied something a bit different, but not too outlandish. It's quite subtle but I really like the texture up close.
You went for some great options like the hand-stitched, peaked lapel - was it hard to decide what you wanted?
To be fair, Johnny was extremely helpful. Without him I might have made a right hash of it. He was wearing a jacket with a peaked lapel - something I would never have normally gone for - and I thought it looked great. I'm very happy with the details.
Did the half lining keep you cool under the glare of the lights?
It did! I was amazed. Normally I find wearing suits in a studio-setting quite arduous (red-faced is a bad look), but I barely broke a sweat.
And finally, did Johnny give you any 'must have' style tips that you can divulge?
When we were talking about accessories to go with the suit, Johnny mentioned that he would err on the side of not matching his tie and pocket square. I have since passed this wisdom off as my own in my Observer column. Thanks Johnny!
Thanks Rick - enjoy wearing your new suit!
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Vintage at Goodwood is set to be a celebration of 'cool Britannia'. The event features vintage fashion and music from the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, as well as classic cars which Goodwood is most famous for.
Being a vintage festival means that you have to dress the part, so I thought I should divulge what would be appropriate to wear. My personal favourite styles of suits are from the 1940's and 1960's. A Suit That Fits, has some great vintage style fabrics, I really like HAB-1 a grey herringbone, in a double breasted 3-piece and I also love our Prince of Wales Check CB-700033-2 . If you want to go for a country look, which is quite fitting with Goodwood, then we have some great tweeds. To make your suit look as 'vintage' as possible I would go for peaked lapels with double breasted jacket, pleated trousers and also add some brace loops to the trousers, our expert Style Advisors can really help with the design of the suit, if you have a particular style in mind.
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Since its introduction as the everyday dress for the well-groomed man, the notched lapel suit has been considered the most formal and classic way of dressing. A businessman who needed to create an air of professionalism and conservatism always stuck with the tried and tested notch lapel for his suits.
While the misconceptions over the proper usage of the peaked lapel in men's suiting have grown more misleading in modern aesthetics, many fans of traditional tailoring and classic style consider peaked lapels more of an occasion look and not appropriate for a conservative suit intended to be worn in a professional atmosphere. However, the reality is that the peak lapel gives off a certain aura of power in any man's suit that can never be obtained from a notched. With it's fuller looking edges and arched angles, it can cut across any men's chest to create a broader, stronger silhouette - it's also a little dressier than it's notched counterpart and in line with 2010 trends for tailored menswear.
So the next time you need your suit to make an impression for that big business meeting, think single breasted peaked lapel - it will make you stand out and leave your more conservative colleagues trying to figure out your next move. If you choose a peaked lapel for your next suit from A Suit That Fits, don't forget to have it hand stitched. This bespoke feature will add a dash of sophistication and savoir faire to your power look.
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Every time I read a book on men's style, I underline facts I don't know. Over the past few years, the number of underlinings in my books (and magazines) has got mercifully less. Fewer defaced volumes on the shelf.
And a history not only contains more facts, those facts come with quotes, anecdotes and supporting evidence. I'd heard most of the stories about Edward VII, for example, but I didn't know this quote from German Chancellor, Prince von Bulow: In the country in which unquestionably the gentlemen dressed best, he was the best-dressed gentlemen.
Equally, I knew Edward's innovations included the dinner jacket, wearing tweeds at the races and leaving open the button of a waistcoat. But I didn't know he was also responsible for the black Homburg hat, shorter tails on evening wear and turn-ups on trousers (to protect the bottoms from muddy ground).
I shall endeavour to scatter some facts from Sharp Suits throughout future posts. But for the moment here's a few to be getting on with:
A 1960 inventory of the Duke of Windsor's wardrobe listed 15 evening suits, 55 lounge suits and three formal suits (all with two pairs of trousers).
By 1849 Brooks Brothers had 1,500 people making its clothes, and could put a claim to being the first company to offer ready-made clothing.
After the Second World War there were approximately 100,000 tailors working in Italy, dressing around 85% of the adult population. And yet it was the Italians that became the leading manufacturers of ready-made suits in the modern era.
Hickey Freeman's greatest innovation was to bring the various parts of suit production into a single factory. Up until then different tailors worked on different parts of a suit in different locations, often at home.
The innovation of Hart Schaffner Marx (which bought Hickey) was to offer proportioned suits with basic body types tall, short, stout and thin.
Pierre Cardin was arguably the most influential menswear designer of the twentieth centuryhe changed attitudes to dress in men who had relatively little interest in their appearance Colin McDowell. Cardin ruined this reputation with astonishingly promiscuous licensing.
The hottest trend of 1962 was the suit silhouette worn by a group of public school boys that gathered around Le Drugstoe, a caf on the Champs Elyses in Paris. They went to Marina, an old tailor on Rue Vernier in the seventeenth arondissement, who was the first to cut flat-fronted, wide-bottomed trousers with small cuffs known as marinettes.
I'm done. More reading to do now.
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