The Death of the Suit

The Atlantic interviewed Colin Firth about the debut of his new movie The Kingsmen a british-led spy thriller where the spies are smart, savvy, well-traveled, well-heeled, and most importantly well-suited. Normally the Atlantic would not be printing this kind of pedantic entertainment news. The article goes on to talk about something I think is vitally important: the death of the suit. The suit has been a staple of men’s fashion since the 1840s and had its last major update in the 1920s. The suit has been the staple of everyone who works in an office or professional setting and at one time was the symbol of the middle class. However, suits have only so many fabrics, so many acceptable patterns, and only 3-4 styles commonly worn in western settings. It leaves men’s fashion very limited. Is not manhood more than a jacket and a pair of pants?

Let’s face it, the world is getting more casual. There is just no way to get around it. Jeans have gone from the mines to the beats to the everyday go to item to cover your legs. When Karl Lagerfeld, the Emperor of Couture wears them everyday you know that denim is here and here to stay. Unfortunately for the jacket and pants pairing that makes the suit in its modern form that just doesn’t leave much room for it. Men don’t want to be stuck in restrictive structured jackets or delicate fabrics that have to be dry cleaned. The modern man wants freedom of movement and if he spills coffee or some Red Bull on his pants, he doesn’t want to have to pay $12 or more to have them cleaned. In short, fashion is become what once was considered casual. In an age where we have dress pants made from activewear material, what is someone who wants to look stylish to do? Three words: ditch the suit.

Personally, I welcome this trend because I don’t look good in a suit no matter how well it fits or how much it’s tailored. I am a larger guy and the overall shape and cut of a normal suit does nothing for my shoulders (wide) my arms (large and getting larger) and frequently, because of my long arms, the sleeves never fall right. Unless I go to full custom suiting, suits just don’t work for me. I’ve never been comfortable wearing one despite the fact that I’ve worked in several scenarios where I’ve had to wear one regularly. I, for one, welcome a more “casual” environment where a simple jacket (deconstructed please), jeans, and a dressy shirt/sweater become the normal. I think people will feel better, want to dress more, and I think it will lead to an overall more fun fashion environment. After all, why should women have all the fun with jackets, patterns, and jeans? It is well past time for men’s fashion to break out and I will be interested to see how interesting it gets!