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Tag >> separates
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The dapper boys of Made in Chelsea are gearing up for the new series that starts tonight. We can't wait to see our favourite, Ollie Locke seen here sporting the Union Jack waistcoat we made him, below with the rest of the MIC crew.
The beauty of owning a three-piece suit is that it looks great worn together and the individual items can be integrated into your existing wardrobe and breathe new life into jeans, suits and casuals. As Ollie demonstrates above, a waistcoat can add a smart edge to jeans and separates to create a different look. A waistcoat also allows you to look smart whilst keeping cool in warmer months.
Did you know that you can source your own fabric to make suit or tailored item? Ask your Style Advisor for more details!
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The 1 button jacket is something that we don't see too often, aside from the Dinner Jacket, yet it can provide a very smart look with minimalist, clean lines.
If you prefer a separate jacket however, the 1 button style will also work equally well. A half lined linen jacket in navy or light brown would be extremely versatile, especially with the recent warmer weather.
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We have a rather special jacket in our City Road branch at the moment. Sitting surreptitiously in my office, it's attracting quite a bit of attention. Crafted for one of our long-time customers to wear to formal army dinners, the jacket in question features shawl collars, a 4 button all-fastening double-breasted front and elaborate black cording details.
I understand where they're coming from - it can get boring wearing jeans, and a full suit can be too stiff and formal. This is where separates can really shine. David Minns wrote an article extolling the virtues of his tailored separates trousers and indeed there are many great variations on this theme - cashmere herringbone fabrics also work well and I was quite impressed by a recent date's black-and-white puppy-tooth trousers.
Jackets can be a little trickier, as a bog-standard suit jacket can look a little odd with jeans. Two fabrics that you may not have considered are corduroys and velvets.
Velvet, as I have already discussed in my earlier blog, is a pile fabric. It takes on rich, dark hues when dyed and its soft texture, depth of colour and pile give a luxurious feel, making it the perfect choice for evening wear separates. A lot of men may not feel quite at home wearing such a fabric but so long as it's expertly tailored into a sharp shape then it's great for menswear. Try a bespoke velvet jacket for upcoming Christmas and New Year parties or winter weddings when you want to look a little dressier and stand out from the crowd. If you can't quite handle an entire jacket of velvet you can add a discreet touch to the collar of your bespoke overcoat or lapel of your dinner jacket.
Corduroy is also a pile fabric; I like to think of it as velvet's informal cousin. It is woven in a similar manner to velvet except for the extra sets of fibers are woven into the base fabric in rows, producing clear vertical ridges called wales when the fabric is cut into pile. Corduroy is usually woven out of wool or cotton and is a durable fabric ideal for light jackets or more casual tailored trousers; it's more the kind of fabric you choose for sipping pints in the pub in front of an open fire.
If you can't handle an entire jacket of velvet or corduroy, you can always use it as a trimming fabric. I love velvet piping and pocket flaps on a tweed jacket - just dressy enough to raise a standard blazer above the norm.
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I feel it's appropriate to begin my first post in several weeks with a confession. So here it is - I am short. Really very short - 5'1'' on a good day. On the rare occasions that I confess this statistic to acquaintances, I am often met with surprise - sure, people know I'm short, but most don't seem to realise quite how short I am.
If, like me, you are on the more petite side then there are lots of dressing tricks you can use to disguise this fact. Dressing a short or petite body can be challenging if you are shopping on the high street, but it's not as hard as you might think. Here are my top tips for the vertically challenged (a lot of these tips are also appropriate for slim builds, regardless of height). 1) Fit
This is absolutely crucial. Wearing properly fitting garments is the single most effective thing that you can do to downplay the fact that you are lacking in the height department. One of the biggest 'give aways' that you are short are garments that are too large and long - perfectly cut and fitted tailored items will do more for you than a pair of 'lift its' ever will.
- Always go for a slim fit shirts, jackets and trousers even if you are not used to it. Don't drown your smaller from frame in too much fabric - keep it tailored and neat. Our bespoke suits and shirts are made exactly to your measurements are and ideal.
- Too-long sleeves, trousers and, most importantly, jackets will draw attention to your size; conversely correct proportions will conceal.
- A petit man in a too-long jacket will always look like a teenager in a hand-me-down - make sure that your jacket comes no lower than your crotch in front only just covers your seat.
- avoid low waisted trousers, as they shorten the legs.
-trouser hems can be 0.5 longer than 'standard' to add extra length to the legs, but should under no circumstances bunch up at the back! Similarly, suit sleeves can be a little longer than the standard so long as you maintain that perfect 0.5 of cuff.
2) ProportionAn oft-forgotten contributor to overall look, the proportions of your garment should be considered second only to fit. If all the details of your clothing are proportional to your frame then it's harder for the frame to look small.
- avoid any outsize details such as chunky belts, big buttons or wide lapels. A lightly narrowed lapel is flattering on a compact, slim gentleman.
- Petite ladies should consider short, hip-length jackets and high-waisted skirts to lengthen the legs; tall heels paired with long trousers will also give you inches. Generally I find straight trousers (wide or slim) more leg-lengthening than bootcut.
3) StyleAlways think neat, clean, and streamlined - don't overwhelm your small frame with extras.
- For jackets, stick to one or two button fastenings; their longer lapels lengthen the torso. Ladies should go for a sharp, nipped-in one-button blazer.
- Slanted pockets on the jacket lengthen the upper body.
- Chose 3 rather than 4 buttons on the sleeve to maintain proportion with arm length.
- Avoid ticket pockets that clutter the torso.
- Chose side adjusters on your trousers. Wearing a belt shortens the legs and creates an unwanted horizontal line right across the torso; beltless trousers with no loops create a cleaner look and allow the eye to run right down the body, creating an illusion of extra height
- Flat-fronted slim cut trousers lengthen and streamline the legs.
- No more than 2 pockets on waistcoats! As always, avoid extra horizontal lines
- ladies - avoid frou-frou styles with lots of fabric
4) Colour and fabricIt's a myth that short people should wear only dark colours - it doesn't add any inches! However, I do recommend that shorter people avoid large, busy patterns and stick with more subtle alternatives and plain colours (for example, I own very few printed items).
- patterns with vertical details, such as a herringbone, work better on shorter frames than other patterns such as birdeyes and checks; I recommend our RTallwool-100215 range
- patterns should always be proportional - so look for smaller herringbones and closer, finer pinstripes. Large patterns can overwhelm small frames.
- for shirts, chose a stripe over a check
- generally, avoid heavy, bulky fabrics
5) WardrobeAll these tips are all very well but what about putting it all together? Careful wardrobe planning is the icing on the cake for the perfect petit look.
- Keep it clean and uncluttered - don't have too much going on in your outfit at once. A patterned suit should be paired with a plainer shirt and tie, and vice versa
- Similarly, don't bring in too many colour families. Keeping things in the same 'tone' adds a lean, uncluttered air
- Exercise careful use of accessories.
- A tailored suit is an ideal garment for a petit man, simply because having the top half of the body matching the bottom lengthens things out. Ladies - this tip goes for you, too!
- For jeans, stick with more slim, tailored styles. Avoid both low-rise skinny jeans and bulky, baggy styles with lots of pockets.
- Be wary of the garment layering that is oh-so-popular in modern times - it breaks up the body.
- A simple sheath dress is a great choice for ladies
- Match your socks to your trousers, and some advocate matching your shoes as well. (Personally, I like an interesting shoe so I disregard this tip with relish).
For further advice and help with wardrobe planning, just drop me an email to isobel@asuitthatfits.co.uk or book an appointment with me in our City Road branch.
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Back in the 80's Madonna's unique style blended confidence, power and femininity and inspired a generation of young women hungry to be taken seriously. Her ability to create trends, inspired by her outlandish music videos and own unique wardrobe, confirmed her status as an icon for her generation.
Thanks to Madonna, the 80's became a time where women could wear a diamond studded cross, worn with a bra and bangles. Her most adventurous and outrageous outfits include - the leotard worn in the 'Hung Up' video, the famous Jean Paul Gautier 'coned bra', and our all-time favourite: The 80's Power Suit. Madonna's first wore her power suit in the music video 'Express Yourself', which underlined her message that women should assert their independence. A Suit That Fits was thrilled to see that 25 years on, Madonna is determined to bring back the 80's trend: spotted last month at Diane Von Furstenberg launch party wearing a modern version of her tailored suit.
She looked great, and the suit looked better than ever. Madonna combined her 2- piece -suit with a pair of wide legged trousers, adding elegance to the aggressive jacket. It's inevitable that as Madonna continues to adapt to the times, we will all follow suit (pun intended). The power suit is back and heading to a high street near you. A Suit That Fits recommends that you wear your jacket with over exaggerated shoulder pads, wide lapels and an extra helping of confidence. Combine your jacket with feminine separates; by wearing it with a sexy pair of denim shorts, a deep cowl, fish-nets and heels.
For those in need of a further Madonna fix, Brand Madonna' continues to inspire our wardrobes; teaming up with her 13 year old daughter- Lourdes, and launching her debut fashion range: Material Girl. As the world awaits the unveiling of Material Girl, at Macy's department stores next week.
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In the run-up to Christmas, we all want to look our best at the office party. There are a few easy ways to show that you have made an effort while remaining within the confines of the office dress code, so I thought Id showcase a couple of them here.
He has combined it with a brown herringbone waistcoat and links the theme to his ensemble through his brown shoes brilliantly. This idea of separating the waistcoat is not new of course, it is used by many celebrities including Ashton Kutcher, and is a staple of the wedding suit.
Another easy option is to wear jacket and trouser separates, some colour in your jacket combined with neutral trousers look amazing. Johnny, our West End manager, wears a fantastic tweed jacket with his grey trousers here; and Tom, our style advisor also from the West End wears his navy jacket and grey trousers with alacrity!
Of course, if you want to really stand out in a tailored suit that looks really different, there are is another option at Christmas. It has to be the full-on tailored santa suit...Merry Christmas to all our readers and enjoy the party season!
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Love to wear a super stylish suit jacket but don't want to wear a full suit all the time? Opt for stylish separates!
Do you want to really stand out from the crowd? Why not wear a pair of bright trousers. Do you want something a little more classic? Why not wear a dark tweed and denim- perfect for the winter season. Stylish separates can really reflect your personality!. When choosing the attributes for your separates, you can choose a traditional look or go for something that really stands out. A ladies jacket looks lovely over an evening outfit. A bright lining with the sleeves rolled up, therefore flashing a little colour, can look really stunning.
When having a suit jacket as the key piece, why not opt for bespoke touches such as working buttons, a peaked lapel and contrast stitching?
With everything said, it's your garment, choose something that really suits you and wear it with pride!
Any pictures included in these entries are free of copyright to the best of the author's knowledge. If you are the copyright holder of any imagery displayed, please contact onlinesupport@asuitthatfits.com for immediate removal.
