The London Lounge

For high profile designers like Ralph Lauren Black Label and Thom Browne of New York, the inspiration this season is the straitjacket. Pants are as tight as jeans, lapels are narrow, and the suit is fitted (for a size 38 with a 10 inch drop). 42 is the largest size for Thom Browne. "Sleek" and "modern" are the buzzwords; "emaciated" and "extreme" are the proportions.

What are your opinions on this new trend in suits? (The word "trend" makes the classicist in me wince.)

Minh

A reinterpretation of the "Conduit Cut"?

I'm not sure which audience they are chasing. If it is the mature man, then I would describe their clothes this season as stupid. If 42" chest is the maximum then I would imagine they have eliminated, probably, at lest 60% of their potential clients. If, on the other hand, they are chasing young body builders, then I would imagine their designs will be successful.

Leonard

This trend won't have "legs".

Americans have gotten fatter not slimmer over the years. As Mr. Logsdail points out, the small sizing eliminates the majority of the mature market who have the money and need for suits.

Furthermore, Master Browne's suits look ridiculous as if someone had thrown them into the washer/dryer by mistake.

Horrible look.

Next year will be different; subsequent year even different ... and so on ...

To quote Dean Martin giving SAmmy Davis Jr. the business:

"How come we wear trousers and he wears tights?"

I agree with Jona.

And while the youth (or those wishing to look young) may be drawn to "fashionable" looks, makers are pricing a lot of people out of the market for hwom the look won't work.

Of course, that doesn't stop them from trying to squeeze into a silhouette that doesn't fit their body type. As has always been said: you can't simply go on the fact that you like the look of a soft shoulder on somebody else, or a highly chissel toed shoe, you have to go with designs that work with your body.

Greetings,

I recently visited New York and spent some time walking on one of my favorite shopping streets, Madison Avenue. I generally don't walk much farther north than Ralph Lauren's lavish 1898 Rhinelander mansion. When I finally reached 72nd Street I noticed that the Black Label suits were featured in the windows. During my flight from California to NY I also happened to read an article in the New York Times about this new collection. Between the windows and the article I was interested in seeing the clothing up close and trying it on. I worked my way upstairs and was greeted by a small shop they'd created to feature this new collection. As others have noted, the suits are slim, narrow, vertical, and taught. The corresponding shirts and ties are also scaled to harmonize with the attenuated suits. I have the good fortune to be somewhat lean, so I figured these suits would fit well. When I put the coat on I could feel it all over me--clinging to my arms, snug around my torso, and close around my hips. I knew I had to take it off immediately. The suit is a success if its objective is to make the wearer look like a spindly follower of fashion. I just can't see the suits aging well; they are of the moment and in several years they will be painfully dated. Perhaps if one were planning a trip to, say, Las Vegas, they'd be perfect for several days of lounge lizard activities. But I'd rather not enter into such a short term relationship with a garment, especially if it hugs me as tightly as a Black Label suit does.

Aaron