Are the days of tailored clothing numbered?
Robert Fripp and King Crimson are back on the road with new material. As usual, bucking the trends, including sartorially . . . .
Tony Levin rocks in this one ...
wow
23rd century schizoid man..............
23rd century schizoid man..............
Actually, they didn't dress so differently 45 years ago.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/14284923796696672/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/14284923796696672/
QED
(RE trend implied by thread title—no less tailored now; if anything, more.)
(RE trend implied by thread title—no less tailored now; if anything, more.)
It does not happen everyday that one of your favorite London sartorial institutions makes a move across the ocean and opens a shop just 4 blocks from your house doorstep.
But it did happen. Budd just opened an US shop in Washington DC at the premises of the pretty Sterling & Burke store in Georgetown. So far
it´s a Budd light -no pun intended- since it offers mainly MTM (measured at the shop, cut and put together in Andover). For the time being, bespoke (pattern cut for you) has been only offered on the occasions when some of the London cutters visited the outpost. They are in the process of setting up a workshop at the Sterling & Burke basement.
As a reminder, Budd is owned by Huntsman but allowed to be run on its own.
I thought that a new thread could be justified with these news, but I also thought that this could be posted in this thread as a piece of anecdotal evidence contrary to the assumption that the days of tailored clothing are numbered.
But it did happen. Budd just opened an US shop in Washington DC at the premises of the pretty Sterling & Burke store in Georgetown. So far
it´s a Budd light -no pun intended- since it offers mainly MTM (measured at the shop, cut and put together in Andover). For the time being, bespoke (pattern cut for you) has been only offered on the occasions when some of the London cutters visited the outpost. They are in the process of setting up a workshop at the Sterling & Burke basement.
As a reminder, Budd is owned by Huntsman but allowed to be run on its own.
I thought that a new thread could be justified with these news, but I also thought that this could be posted in this thread as a piece of anecdotal evidence contrary to the assumption that the days of tailored clothing are numbered.
Dear Hector,hectorm wrote: As a reminder, Budd is owned by Huntsman but allowed to be run on its own.
Budd shirts has indeed a sleeping beauty kissed by a gentlemen
- but this information is slightly outdated. This co-ownership was ended when Mr Lagrange bought Huntsman. Mr. Stephen Murphy who was the principal shareholder owning both institutions kept the little Piccadilly Arcade jewel. While he keeps a low profile, Mr. Rowley continues to charm the customers scared by Mr. Butcher. Keeping the front as it is while lifting the business to another level has been the foundation of their success.Cheers, David
Glad to hear that the company director (Mr. Murphy) is also principal owner. That means that Budd will not be tainted by all the misleading that Huntsman has been subjected to.
BTW, I was also positively impressed by Budd at finding that now Mr. Rowley is accompanied at the Piccadilly Arcade store front by a female associate with impecable credentials. That definitely will compensate any fear that Mr. Butcher could generate on new customers.
The Budd outpost at Sterling & Burke in Washington DC is also under the responsibility of a charismatic lady.
BTW, I was also positively impressed by Budd at finding that now Mr. Rowley is accompanied at the Piccadilly Arcade store front by a female associate with impecable credentials. That definitely will compensate any fear that Mr. Butcher could generate on new customers.
The Budd outpost at Sterling & Burke in Washington DC is also under the responsibility of a charismatic lady.
Not at all.
If you need uplifting sites: come to Amsterdam.
If you do not wear a suit, one is frowned upon.
Having said that: stay clear from "coffee shops". . .
If you need uplifting sites: come to Amsterdam.
If you do not wear a suit, one is frowned upon.
Having said that: stay clear from "coffee shops". . .
Yesterday I visited a client in London; in an office in Mayfair.
He is a perceptive fellow that cares about his work and I don't want to cast aspersion on his character. But he received us wearing pikachu slippers. As in the Pokemon character.
It's not the end of tailored clothing; it's the end of elegance.
He is a perceptive fellow that cares about his work and I don't want to cast aspersion on his character. But he received us wearing pikachu slippers. As in the Pokemon character.
It's not the end of tailored clothing; it's the end of elegance.
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Jimmy9lives
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That's precisely the logical conclusion of egalitarianism, catering to the lowest common denominator. Stupidity becomes the standard. American domination of the post WW2 world has been one horror story after another, I just wonder if the world or especially Europe can rid itself of Americanism all together once and for all. Hopefully Trump brings about the collapse of America's external empire and we can return to sanity.Luca wrote:Yesterday I visited a client in London; in an office in Mayfair.
He is a perceptive fellow that cares about his work and I don't want to cast aspersion on his character. But he received us wearing pikachu slippers. As in the Pokemon character.
It's not the end of tailored clothing; it's the end of elegance.
I've been perusing old LL threads and this one caught my eye.
I thought it would be interesting to re-open the discussion after the pandemic.
There are two topics being discussed here, the formality of the clothes people tend to wear and the state of tailoring these days.
I think it’s fairly obvious that dress codes have gradually disappeared in much of the West. We've experienced a relentless casualisation of dress since the post-war period. The pandemic accelerated this process. This trend has of course positives and negatives. In the past people had little option but to wear a suit if they worked in a white-collar profession or in many social settings (church, restaurants, parties, ceremonies). There was also limited choice in casual clothing. This was fantastic for those who loved tailoring. The suit gave the wearer the safety and simplicity of a uniform: A man didn't need to think much about what to wear. It was easy to conform. On the negative side, if one didn't like the clothing there wasn't much that could be done.
Today it's generally possible to wear whatever one wants. However, there's also a kind of false egalitarianism or reverse snobbery that has contempt for any person who attempts to dress well or less casually. This isn't a positive development at all. However, in my experience, at least in Stockholm and London this isn't very common.
In regards to the state of tailoring, I think it's fair to say that fast fashion has altered the perception of value. In the past people spent a higher proportion of their income on clothing. Craft and quality were valued in everything. Delayed gratification was a virtue as was working hard for something. People were more willing to save for something they wanted. Today a small number holds these values. On the plus side, there is a significant minority that appreciates quality and craft that keeps bespoke alive. It applies to other garments as well, like high-quality selvedge denim, loop wheel sweatshirts, Japanese repro brands making leather jackets, fantastic hand-framed knitwear and so on. The Internet has probably helped some of these smaller manufacturers reach those of us who are interested in their craft and are willing to pay for higher quality.
I've never had to wear a suit for work, I've worn tailoring for my own pleasure (I work in IT). I've usually worn a shirt to work and I continue to do so. Sometimes knitwear and sometimes a jacket. Depends on my mood and the client.
I rarely wear dress shirts but I wear Oxford's button-downs, denim, corduroy, chambray, linen, hawaian and flannel shirts.
I wear quite a bit of knitwear, chunky shawl cardigans, knitted polos, roll necks (chunky and lighter ones that go under a jacket) and crewneck.
I wear trainers only for exercise. I mainly wear loafers, monks, chelsea, chukka and other boots. Many of them are in suede which is a wonderful material that bridges casual and formal. I only have three pairs of formal oxfords (black, dark brown and mid-brown) and I could probably do with just two and get another pair of suede loafers. I don't really like the look of trainers. I've tried wearing simple leather ones but I just prefer a pair of loafers. Work colleagues even wondered why I was wearing trainers when I wore them to work.
In regards to trousers, I wear mainly jeans, chinos, linen trousers and flannels. Flannels have received the most compliments. They're unusual yet understated and can be combined with anything from a western shirt to a chunky roll neck.
On tailoring, I used to order mostly separate jackets from my tailor as I found it more difficult to wear the two worsted suits I have more casually. However, since the pandemic, I've been gradually ordering 'casual suits', that is tweed and corduroy (I already had two linen suits). I look forward to my first flannel suit made with LL cloth later in the year. Winter in Stockholm is wonderful for overcoat wearing, which I have in different styles.
The only thing I wish I could wear more is ties. Unfortunately, they increasingly look anachronistic outside of weddings or formal parties and I don't have the confidence to wear them in more casual environments. Even my London club no longer requires them (although many still wear them which makes it easy to do so).
I think there's some cause for optimism. I detect that after the extreme casualwear worn during the pandemic, there's more of an interest in dressing up for its own sake. Here in Stockholm, I see plenty of tailored jackets, trousers and suits. I see that DB blazers are fairly popular with women who wear them both casually and as office wear. The suit's association with business is gradually eroding which helps in it being accepted as leisure (lounge?) wear again. Tailoring will always appeal because it's all about enhancing the appearance of the wearer, making him look elegant. It's also the best way of wearing beautiful fabrics. It's possible now to play around with tailoring. Wear a linen suit with a Hawaiian shirt, a knitted polo, or anything else you like. A tweed suit can be worn with a pique polo or a roll neck for a more urbane look. Flannels can work with leather jackets. There are tons of options. I personally have never felt safety to be a problem neither here nor in London where I lived for ten years.
I thought it would be interesting to re-open the discussion after the pandemic.
There are two topics being discussed here, the formality of the clothes people tend to wear and the state of tailoring these days.
I think it’s fairly obvious that dress codes have gradually disappeared in much of the West. We've experienced a relentless casualisation of dress since the post-war period. The pandemic accelerated this process. This trend has of course positives and negatives. In the past people had little option but to wear a suit if they worked in a white-collar profession or in many social settings (church, restaurants, parties, ceremonies). There was also limited choice in casual clothing. This was fantastic for those who loved tailoring. The suit gave the wearer the safety and simplicity of a uniform: A man didn't need to think much about what to wear. It was easy to conform. On the negative side, if one didn't like the clothing there wasn't much that could be done.
Today it's generally possible to wear whatever one wants. However, there's also a kind of false egalitarianism or reverse snobbery that has contempt for any person who attempts to dress well or less casually. This isn't a positive development at all. However, in my experience, at least in Stockholm and London this isn't very common.
In regards to the state of tailoring, I think it's fair to say that fast fashion has altered the perception of value. In the past people spent a higher proportion of their income on clothing. Craft and quality were valued in everything. Delayed gratification was a virtue as was working hard for something. People were more willing to save for something they wanted. Today a small number holds these values. On the plus side, there is a significant minority that appreciates quality and craft that keeps bespoke alive. It applies to other garments as well, like high-quality selvedge denim, loop wheel sweatshirts, Japanese repro brands making leather jackets, fantastic hand-framed knitwear and so on. The Internet has probably helped some of these smaller manufacturers reach those of us who are interested in their craft and are willing to pay for higher quality.
I've never had to wear a suit for work, I've worn tailoring for my own pleasure (I work in IT). I've usually worn a shirt to work and I continue to do so. Sometimes knitwear and sometimes a jacket. Depends on my mood and the client.
I rarely wear dress shirts but I wear Oxford's button-downs, denim, corduroy, chambray, linen, hawaian and flannel shirts.
I wear quite a bit of knitwear, chunky shawl cardigans, knitted polos, roll necks (chunky and lighter ones that go under a jacket) and crewneck.
I wear trainers only for exercise. I mainly wear loafers, monks, chelsea, chukka and other boots. Many of them are in suede which is a wonderful material that bridges casual and formal. I only have three pairs of formal oxfords (black, dark brown and mid-brown) and I could probably do with just two and get another pair of suede loafers. I don't really like the look of trainers. I've tried wearing simple leather ones but I just prefer a pair of loafers. Work colleagues even wondered why I was wearing trainers when I wore them to work.
In regards to trousers, I wear mainly jeans, chinos, linen trousers and flannels. Flannels have received the most compliments. They're unusual yet understated and can be combined with anything from a western shirt to a chunky roll neck.
On tailoring, I used to order mostly separate jackets from my tailor as I found it more difficult to wear the two worsted suits I have more casually. However, since the pandemic, I've been gradually ordering 'casual suits', that is tweed and corduroy (I already had two linen suits). I look forward to my first flannel suit made with LL cloth later in the year. Winter in Stockholm is wonderful for overcoat wearing, which I have in different styles.
The only thing I wish I could wear more is ties. Unfortunately, they increasingly look anachronistic outside of weddings or formal parties and I don't have the confidence to wear them in more casual environments. Even my London club no longer requires them (although many still wear them which makes it easy to do so).
I think there's some cause for optimism. I detect that after the extreme casualwear worn during the pandemic, there's more of an interest in dressing up for its own sake. Here in Stockholm, I see plenty of tailored jackets, trousers and suits. I see that DB blazers are fairly popular with women who wear them both casually and as office wear. The suit's association with business is gradually eroding which helps in it being accepted as leisure (lounge?) wear again. Tailoring will always appeal because it's all about enhancing the appearance of the wearer, making him look elegant. It's also the best way of wearing beautiful fabrics. It's possible now to play around with tailoring. Wear a linen suit with a Hawaiian shirt, a knitted polo, or anything else you like. A tweed suit can be worn with a pique polo or a roll neck for a more urbane look. Flannels can work with leather jackets. There are tons of options. I personally have never felt safety to be a problem neither here nor in London where I lived for ten years.
Interesting post.
I think that in terms of straightforward social analysis, the days of tailored clothing being necessary or commonplace are clearly numbered, unless the trend is (improbably) sharply inverted, somehow.
At the same time, there is considerable pluralism in lifestyle so I would guess that tailored clothing aficionados will remain a small but accepted minority for some time and that the sort of "contemporary" tailored style one can see on the London Lounge will not go the way of top hats and spats for some time.
Indeed, I would suspect that, as the collective memory of suited people being "the man" gradually fades, the potential for adverse reactions to tailored clothing should also diminish.
I think that in terms of straightforward social analysis, the days of tailored clothing being necessary or commonplace are clearly numbered, unless the trend is (improbably) sharply inverted, somehow.
At the same time, there is considerable pluralism in lifestyle so I would guess that tailored clothing aficionados will remain a small but accepted minority for some time and that the sort of "contemporary" tailored style one can see on the London Lounge will not go the way of top hats and spats for some time.
Indeed, I would suspect that, as the collective memory of suited people being "the man" gradually fades, the potential for adverse reactions to tailored clothing should also diminish.
I don't care. I will continue to dress the way I want until they carry me out of here. What other people do or do not do is no concern of mine.
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