Custom Tailoring Related Information
TAILORED CLOTHING
Up until the late eighteenth century, it was often the man who dressed more flamboyantly than the woman, his wardrobe filled with laces and bows as well as high-heeled shoes with shiny buckles. Even our presidents were not immune, as a sartorially splendid George Washington appeared at his first Inaugural wearing a brocade jacket, lace shirt, silver appointments, and high-heeled shoes with diamond buckles.However, as the country changed, so did clothing styles. With the emphasis on democracy and the glorification of the common man, clothing became less ornate, less ostentatious. By the time Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated, he followed the fashion of his time by taking the oath wearing a plain blue coat, drab colored waistcoat, green velveteen breeches with pearl buttons, yarn stockings, and slippers.
At the turn of this century, menswear was still heavily influenced by the Victorian era, as reflected in suits which at times resembled an extension of the upholstered look of the Victorian furniture popular in American homes in the period.
And yet the first decade of this century saw the important introduction of the sack suit, a style characterized by any shapeless coat without a waist seam, the body and skirt having been cut in one piece, and the Ivy League - style clothing from England. It was also during this period that certain other fashion innovations began to appear, such as the polo coat (introduced from England by Brooks Brothers around 1910) and the button-down collar (also introduced by John Brooks, in 1900, after he´d discovered it being worn by polo players in England in order to prevent flapping during play).
The 1920s were a time of experimentation, as the suit silhouette turned to the natural-shoulder look, and the first sports jacket - the Norfolk, modeled after the hunting suit worn by the Duke of Norfolk in the early eighteenth century - was produced. This decade also saw the rise and fall of jazz clothing, which had little semblance of balance or respect for the human form, with its inordinately long, tight-fitting jackets and narrow trousers; the cake-eater suit, named for college students who wore this slightly exaggerated copy of the natural- shoulder suit; and the knicker suit, featuring plus - four knickers that fell four inches below the knee. The 1930s was undoubtedly the most elegant period for menswear, as men gravitated toward the English drape style and the sportswear industry exploded. The British drape suit made it safely into the 1940s, though it was then referred to as the British blade, British lounge, and, finally, as the "lounge suit," a fitting name for its casually elegant style.
World War II resulted in a marked austerity in dress, due in large part to the restrictions placed on the clothing industry by the War Production Board. After the war, men were ready for another change in their clothing styles, and in 1948 the "bold look" began to be seen.
The 1950s are best remembered for the "gray flannel suit" worn by the conservative businessman. Now men were back to the natural-shoulder silhouette. As reported in Apparel Arts ´75 Years of Fashion, "No style was ever so firmly resisted, so acrimoniously debated - or more enthusiastically received in various segments of the industry. Natural shoulder styling eventually became the major style influence. Brooks Bros., once a ´citadel of conservatism,´ became a font of fashion as the new ´Ivy Cult´ sought style direction. Charcoal and olive were the colors."
In addition to the introduction of man-made fibers, this period also saw the arrival of the Continental Look from France and Italy, featuring short jackets and broad shoulders, a shaped waistline, slanting besom pockets, sleeve cuffs, short side vents, and tapered, cuffless trousers. This "slick" look made little inroad on those who were staunch adherents of the more conservative Ivy League look, but it was a significant phenomenon nonetheless, as it moved Americans further away from the stylish elegance of the 1930s.
The sixties brought the Peacock Revolution - a phrase popularized in this country by George Frazier, a former columnist for Esquire magazine and the Boston Globe - which began on Carnaby Street in London and featured a whole array of new looks, including the Nehru jacket and the Edwardian suit. In contrast to the fifties, during which time choices were limited, a wide range of alternatives was now available as the focus moved to youth and protest. The designer Pierre Cardin even created an American version of the slim-lined European silhouette, which, along with the immense popularity of jeans, led to the acceptance of extreme fittedness in clothing - a far cry from the casual, comfortable elegance of preceding generations.
During this period, the American designer Ralph Lauren was attempting to convince the American male that there was a viable alternative to this high-style clothing. This alternative was a version of the two-button shaped suit with natural shoulders that had been introduced by Paul Stuart in 1954 and briefly popularized by John Kennedy during his presidency. Lauren updated the Stuart suit by using the kind of fabrics usually reserved for custom-made suits and dramatizing the silhouette by enlarging the lapel and giving more shape to the jacket. Lauren´s following remained small, however, as most men leaned toward the jazzier Cardin-style suit.
The seventies were the era of the designer. They were also a time of intense fashion experimentation, coming at a point when the largest growth in the number of people buying fashions occurred and manufacturers tried desperately to capture the one- third of the buying public that was spending two-thirds of the money. Toward the end of the decade, after years of following the fitted clothing styles of Milan and Paris, there was a dramatic turnaround as a number of European designers and manufacturers began biting off pieces of the American style of dress. Brooks Brothers´ baggy garments and button-down shirts, both indigenously American, began to be produced in European versions, for Europeans had suddenly become attracted to the looser, more comfortable style of dress and were eschewing the tight-fitting silhouette they´d embraced in the past.
While the European look still retained a foothold among American men (represented by designers such as Giorgio Armani, Basile, and Gianni Versace), the pendulum had begun to swing in the direction of a less stylized, more natural-fitting garment. A new generation of American designers joined Ralph Lauren in presenting an updated, purely American style of clothing.
Today, American men´s designers are continuing to rediscover the traditions of their past, exploring the American heritage in menswear. Of particular interest to most is the 1930s, the era of elegance, in which designers continue to find much to inspire them. Yet the experience of the last twenty years has taught them that men want not only quality, shape, and elegance but comfort as well. Clothes that lead the marketplace today are made of high-quality materials. They are soft and comfortable, but their designs still reflect the qualities of traditional Old World style.
For nearly two hundred years now, men in prominent positions have been going to work wearing proper business suits. Over the years, there have been occasional rebellions against this custom, and, in fact, a mere twenty years ago the future of business suits in this country looked bleak, as dire predictions of men appearing at work wearing jump suits and the like abounded. Yet today, perhaps more then ever before, the business suit is the accepted uniform of the successful entrepreneur.
Naturally, this brings to mind the following questions: Why has the business suit enjoyed this longevity? What purpose does it serve? Why should a man even bother wearing one when it seems to limit self-expression and stifle individuality?
Perhaps a starting point in responding to these questions appears in an advertisement placed by the pre-eminent men´s clothing store, Paul Stuart, which states that "a proper function of the business suit is to offer a man a decent privacy so that irrelevant reactions are not called into play to prejudice what should be purely business transactions."
While this is certainly true, there is no reason why a man in a business suit has to look bland. Even in a business situation, it is possible to dress within certain professional parameters while still managing to avoid the trap of looking as if one just walked off the assembly line. The business suit can and should at least offer the suggestion of character and a sense of individuality. If, for instance, one works in advertising as opposed to banking, one can get away with a bit more verve in a suit rather than adhering to the more conservative look required in the latter profession. But even a man working in banking should not exempt himself from thinking about dress, for whatever one wears says something about the wearer.
More than any other single item of clothing, it is the suit that ultimately determines the overall style of a man´s dress. Although the shirt, tie, and hose all have an important contribution to make to a man´s style, none plays nearly so major a role as the suit, which, since it covers 80 percent of the body, actually defines the general mood and impression of one´s appearance. Accessories should relate to the suit and not vice versa. To think otherwise would be tantamount to beginning the decoration of an empty apartment by first purchasing an ashtray.
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Natural Fibre Used For Suits.
Mohair
Mohair is the hair from the Angora goat. It is distinctive from wool, in that it has a different fibre structure, which hangs in ringlets and is exceedingly fine, soft and silky.
The name ‘Angora’ originates from the province of Angora in Turkey where these goats have been farmed for centuries and are said to have descended from the Cashmere goat. To achieve the best quality of Mohair fibre, the fleece should b...
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Mens Shirts - Thread Count.
Thread count refers to the number of threads, both vertical and horizontal, in a one-inch square of fabric. Thread count is affected by a number of factors, including ply and thickness of the threads used. The ply of the fabric refers to how many threads are wrapped together into a single thread. Single-ply fabrics use threads on their own, while two-ply fabrics twist two pieces together into a stronger thread, as well as doubli...
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Merino And Cashmere Wool.
Merino
The Merino is the most economically influential breed of sheep in the world, prized for its wool. Superfine Merinos are regarded as having the finest and softest wool of any sheep.
Merino sheep produce a clean, white fleece ideal for dying to clear, fresh colours, while the long, fine fibres can be spun to the finest count, woven into the finest fabric and tailored into the finest suits.
The wool has characteris...
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Make Your Own Clothing.
How to make your own custom clothes patterns. If you don't have the perfectly symmetrical body that clothing patterns are designed for, then this article will help you to alter them so they look custom made.
When you look at someone whose clothes fit perfectly, do you wonder what their secret is? It really isn't a secret, it is knowing how to custom fit patterns so you, too can have clothes that fit perfectly. Perhaps one shoul...
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Color Coordination.
COLOR ME KNOWLEDGEABLE
“Honey, does this red shirt and orange tie look OK together?”
We don’t need a degree in color engineering, but a lot hinges on this! Everyday you put together many elements of your attire. Your choice of the colors you mix and match can make a significant impression on how you look to others.
Colors are like kids and employees. Some work together, and get along just fine; others always fi...
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Types Of Skirt.
Straight skirt or Pencil skirt, a tailored skirt hanging straight from the hips and fitted from the waist to the hips by means of darts or a yoke; may have a kick-pleat for ease of walking.
Full skirt, a skirt with fullness gathered into the waistband
Short skirt, a skirt with hemline above the knee.
Bell-shaped skirt, flared noticeably from the waist but then, unlike a church bell, cylindrical for much of its lengt...
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Trousers - With Or Without Pleats?.
Pleats are useful if you wear your trousers high, or if you are overweight. Otherwise they are useless.
Traditionally, most trousers had pleats rather than being flat fronted. Usually two on either side, and usually outward-facing (meaning that the hollow of the fold was on the side of the hips rather than the fly). The pleat closest to the fly was deeper. The English often wore their pleats inward-facing, considering the way...
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Common Fashion Blunders.
Why be concerned with your appearance?
Is it really that important to your career, romance, or influence over others?
Absolutely!!!
It’s a scientific fact that people who don’t know you make up their minds about you on a subliminal/prehistoric basis in 30 seconds or less. This evaluation of you by others takes place so quickly and is so entrenched in the human brain that it is not usually conscious thought.
Beha...
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Vintage Style.
ZOOT SUITS
Worn first by rebellious black and hispanic teenagers on both coasts in the late 20s/30s as a statement against the majority, the zoot was soon picked up by musicians and dancers in the early 1940s and even found its way into mainstream fashion.
The zoot jacket is oversized, wide-shouldered, and hangs almost to the knees. Often, it is double-breasted with wide, low lapels. Zoot pants are low-crotched and high-w...
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Formal Wear - Mandarin Suit.
The mandarin suit is less well known than its relatives, the Italian, British and American styles of mens suits, but it is the perfect attire for some occasions. Inspired by the lines of menswear in the east, this suit style might not be what you would choose for a highly formal occasion, but it has its place among the business suits in many a savvy dresser's wardrobe.
If you are unfamiliar with the concept of the mandarin suit,...
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Every Short Man Should Know .
In order to achieve a taller appearance, you must establish a unified look from top to bottom that uses vertical lines, smooth transitions and thematic consistency. The goal is for people to perceive you either in passing glance or by general perception as a whole and not broken up in parts. Below are the top ten tips tactics (in no particular order) on how to look taller.
Short Hair:
be sure to keep your hair short and ...
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Interview Attire For Men.
Interview attire is certain to be a critical element in the employer's first impression of you. Taking the extra time, energy and even costs to get this part right is paramount.Let's just suffice it to say, within the first 7-17 seconds of meeting you, the employer is formulating deep personal impressions of you that are terribly difficult to change. Take advantage of this and get your appearance right then we can talk about th...
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Clothing & Garments.
Various items of clothing, also known as apparel, garments, dress or attire are worn not only in order to protect the body against extreme weather conditions but also for functional as well as cultural, social reasons. Clothings also have an attached emotional value for the wearer. It actually reflects social classes, sexes, occupation, marital status and ethnic or religious affiliation. Apparel, Clothing & Garments can be c...
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Fabric Manufacturing.
Fabrics
Fabric refers to any textile material made through weaving, knitting, braiding or plaiting and bonding of fibers. The term fabric has its origin in the Latin term fabrica meaning a workshop.Fabric can be classified based on various criteria. On the basis of fiber used for manufacturing, it can be classified as natural fabrics such as Cashmere, Cotton, Hemp, Jute, Linen, Ramie, Silk, Wool and synthetic or man-made...
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Womens Fashion Trend.
To be updated about the latest fashion trends is must for every woman. Whether she dons them or not but proper knowledge is must. It is so because women represent fashion.
Fashion is an inconstant thing which keeps changing from time to time. Therefore you should chase it every time for knowing what is latest in fad. With it fashion is very unpredictable also and you will never come to know what can come next. Sometimes it take...
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Formal Clothing.
Shirts with suits
Dress shirt
The type of shirt worn by men with a suit is a top made of woven cloth, with long sleeves, a full-length buttoned opening down the front, and a collar. This type of garment is known in American English as a dress shirt but simply as a shirt in other English dialects. This type of shirt is sometimes called an Oxford shirt; however, this properly refers to a shirt made from a specific kind of fabric...
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Formal Wear For Men.
Dress shirt
The type of shirt worn by men with a suit is a top made of woven cloth, with long sleeves, a full-length buttoned opening down the front, and a collar. This type of garment is known in American English as a dress shirt but simply as a shirt in other English dialects. This type of shirt is sometimes called an Oxford shirt; however, this properly refers to a shirt made from a specific kind of fabric, namely Oxford cloth,...
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Business Suits.
The uniform impression of a suit can carry numerous connotations. In business settings, it can communicate respectability and taste. In different milieus, the connotations of corporate life that the suit represents convey unadventurous conformism. Extreme variations on the suit (like flamboyant colours) can convey the opposite.
Because wearing a suit conveys a respectable image, many people dress in suits during th...
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Suit Etiquette For Men.
The uniform impression of a suit can carry numerous connotations. In business settings, it can communicate respectability and taste. In different milieus, the connotations of corporate life that the suit represents convey unadventurous conformism. Extreme variations on the suit (like flamboyant colours) can convey the opposite.
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Elements Of Formal Clothing - Part 4.
Waistcoats
Waistcoats (often called vests in the USA) were almost always worn with suits prior to the 1940s. They were revived in the 1970s and remained popular throughout that decade in some parts of the world, and remain popular, for example, in Germany. Waistcoats can be either single-breasted or double-breasted. A style that was quite popular among fashionable young men in the 1920s was to wear a single-breasted coat...
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The Most-asked Web Question In 2010 Is How To Tie A Tie!.
NEW YORK — News trumped celebrities in 2010 as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and World Cup soccer in South Africa topped the list of most-searched items of 2010, and the most-searched for question was "How to tie a tie," according to Yahoo.
It is the first time that news came up first since the technology company began publishing its yearly review a decade ago.
Vera Chan, the company's senior editor and Web trend analys...
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Details In A Suit Jacket.
Single- vs. double-breasted jacket
Most single-breasted suits have two or three buttons, and one or four buttons are unusual. It is rare to find a suit with more than four buttons, although zoot suits can have as many as six or more due to their longer length. There is also variation in the placement and style of buttons, since the button placement is critical to the overall impression of height conveyed by the jacket. The cent...
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Business Formal Wear.
Parts of a suit
There are many possible variations in the choice of the style, the garments and the details of a suit.
The cut
The silhouette of a suit is its outline. No suit is skin-tight; the amount of extra fabric and the way it hangs is known as the drape. The shape of the front of the suit is particularly affected by the way the suit buttons. The two main cuts consist firstly of double-breasted suits, a conservative des...
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Business Suit - Part 1.
Business Suits
The variations in design, cut, and cloth, such as two- and three- piece, or single- and double- breasted, determine the social and work suitability of the garment. Often, suits are worn, as is traditional, with a collared shirt and necktie.Until around the 1960s, as with all men's clothes, a hat would have been also worn when the wearer was outdoors. Suits also come with different numbers of pieces: a two-pie...
