Greetings Gentle Readers,
If you recall, a few posts ago there was a navy Burberry peacoat that Usher was wearing that we were.... uhhh... "enthused" about to say the least. And instead of just sending pleas for donations/barrages of messages to Mr. Raymond requesting he bequeath the aforementioned garment to us, we decided to turn our moment of lust into a teachable one... Welp, here we are again...
This grey double breasted suit that John Legend wore to the VH1 Save the Music Gala the other night, is, quite frankly, epically perfect. On every level. And we don't usually gush about clothes like this (ok, so that might not be exactly "true.") but, this, this whole look is exceptional.
Usually, we're not even fans of double breasted suits. The silhouette is generally too boxy for our tastes, and they reek of 80's nostalgia, and not in a good way; yuppies, and power suits, and Reagan-era politics oh my!
We'd noticed the resurgence of double breasted suiting in many of this seasons collections, and many designers had reinterpreted the dated classic, giving it a sleek, streamlined, modern makeover. Soon enough, double breasted found its way into many fall issues of our favorite publications, but we still weren't quite sure... And then we saw this... And suffice to say, this is the moment that we drank the Kool-Aid. We could go on for hours about this whole look, the peak lapels, the color, the slim cut, the spread collar shirt, the proportion between the tie width and the collar.... *sigh*. But, we won't put you through that. Instead, let's get to Why It Works so that you'll know how to rock this right and make it work for you...
Why It Works
1. Fit: Of course, you should've known that the 1st thing we'd note was fit. But, it's true dammit!! Fit is everything! Especially here. In the past, double breasted has been boxy and too big. But in it's renaissance, designers have adapted double breasted to the current aesth
etic in suiting, which is a sleeker, slimmer silhouette. That's a huge part of why we love this look. High arms+ slim sleeves+ a tapered torso = *drool*. The slacks accent perfectly with the streamlined silhouette of the suit; slim cut, slight break... great all around. Also, note the lengths of both the jacket and shirt sleeves; the jacket sleeves stop about 1/2 -1" above where the shirt sleeves end. This is how ALL of your suit jackets and blazers should fit. When you're shopping for suiting/blazers you should wear a dress shirt so that you can see where you'll need to have your sleeves tailored to. Should you venture into double breasted suiting territory, print pictures of this look, and take it with you whilst you shop.
2. Perfect Proportion: Often in our #AfternoonTip Tweets (Are you following us on Twitter? You should be! How else do you expect to stay Sartorially Savvy up to the minute? Click here to solve that whole problem) we talk about proportion and why it and balance are essential elements. Proportion is one of those tiny things that can make or break an outfit.... it's like that thing, that when it's not right, you can immediately tell something's wrong, even if you can't pinpoint it. Mr. Legend nails proportion here. The peak lapel of his suit jacket calls for a wider tie. Remember gentle
men, the wider the lapel, the wider tie. A slimmer or skinny tie would have looked 7 kinds of out of place here. Also accentuating the proportion is the spread collar dress shirt. A narrow, or pointed collar would have been the wrong choice.
3. Subtle Nuance: Sometimes, subtlety makes the most powerful statements. This, is one of those times. John isn't over accessorized or over styled. The suit is the focal point here. Which we both respect and appreciate. The choice of color is perfect, right on trend, season and occasion appropriate. A crisp white dress shirt will NEVER let you down, the tie complements the color story perfectly. And a great black lace-up dress shoe adds to the overall appeal of this and is another weapon every man should have in his wardrobe arsenal. Perfectly polished without being over coiffed, the entire look is done just right.
Well, that about does it for this time around. We hope you enjoyed our love letter to John Legend's suit... But seriously, this is a timeless, modern, and extremely stylish and sophisticated look. Implementing what's done here is an instant upgrade. Hopefully we've helped school you on how to pull this off on your own. Until next time, we remain...
Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy
"Fashion fades, style is eternal." ~Yves Saint Laurent
P.S. For your up to the minute tips on staying classically stylish, timelessly sophisticated, and always Sartorially Savvy follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or click here)
etic in suiting, which is a sleeker, slimmer silhouette. That's a huge part of why we love this look. High arms+ slim sleeves+ a tapered torso = *drool*. The slacks accent perfectly with the streamlined silhouette of the suit; slim cut, slight break... great all around. Also, note the lengths of both the jacket and shirt sleeves; the jacket sleeves stop about 1/2 -1" above where the shirt sleeves end. This is how ALL of your suit jackets and blazers should fit. When you're shopping for suiting/blazers you should wear a dress shirt so that you can see where you'll need to have your sleeves tailored to. Should you venture into double breasted suiting territory, print pictures of this look, and take it with you whilst you shop.2. Perfect Proportion: Often in our #AfternoonTip Tweets (Are you following us on Twitter? You should be! How else do you expect to stay Sartorially Savvy up to the minute? Click here to solve that whole problem) we talk about proportion and why it and balance are essential elements. Proportion is one of those tiny things that can make or break an outfit.... it's like that thing, that when it's not right, you can immediately tell something's wrong, even if you can't pinpoint it. Mr. Legend nails proportion here. The peak lapel of his suit jacket calls for a wider tie. Remember gentle
men, the wider the lapel, the wider tie. A slimmer or skinny tie would have looked 7 kinds of out of place here. Also accentuating the proportion is the spread collar dress shirt. A narrow, or pointed collar would have been the wrong choice.3. Subtle Nuance: Sometimes, subtlety makes the most powerful statements. This, is one of those times. John isn't over accessorized or over styled. The suit is the focal point here. Which we both respect and appreciate. The choice of color is perfect, right on trend, season and occasion appropriate. A crisp white dress shirt will NEVER let you down, the tie complements the color story perfectly. And a great black lace-up dress shoe adds to the overall appeal of this and is another weapon every man should have in his wardrobe arsenal. Perfectly polished without being over coiffed, the entire look is done just right.
Well, that about does it for this time around. We hope you enjoyed our love letter to John Legend's suit... But seriously, this is a timeless, modern, and extremely stylish and sophisticated look. Implementing what's done here is an instant upgrade. Hopefully we've helped school you on how to pull this off on your own. Until next time, we remain...
Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy
"Fashion fades, style is eternal." ~Yves Saint Laurent
P.S. For your up to the minute tips on staying classically stylish, timelessly sophisticated, and always Sartorially Savvy follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or click here)
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