The Adventures Of A Gentleman

Today’s post offers a particularly interesting example that perfectly demonstrates the subtle art of mixing colours and patterns.
It is a composition found in the F/W collection by beautiful and great Brioni, which PG appreciates to its true (and high) value.
At first glance, there is no doubt that the ensemble is very well executed and that the colour blend is well-balanced. Needless to say, each piece is a wonder in itself, especially the burgundy blazer and the chocolate cardigan, both in pure cashmere.

Nevertheless, we consider that one detail falls short of the aesthetic intention, as it goes against a fundamental principle that we have often explored in these lines, namely pattern combinations.
Indeed, the very similar patterns on the bowtie and coat divert the gaze away from the face and ultimately somehow blur the overall result.
The rule being bent here is simple: when blending two similar patterns (in this case checks), make sure that they are of different dimensions (which is not the case here).
In addition, the bowtie being in (excessively) perfect harmony with the coat suitably exemplifies “anti-sprezzatura” (the famous purposeful nonchalance ).
In other words, if you met this handsome gent on the street you would immediately know that he had thought long and hard about his outfit.
Now, picture the same ensemble with a block colour bowtie: the effect would have been far more nonchalant and therefore, a lot more spontaneous.
One single flaw with our analysis: its collapses if you take off the coat…
Related articles:
http://www.tailoredcustomsuits.com/index.php/on-the-spirit-of-pg/ http://ausuit.blogspot.com/2013/05/white-pinstripe-light-grey-suit.html

Men’s Suits and Dressing Common Terms

For Men’s wear, particularly in Men’s suit there are various words used by tailor or shoppers. These common terms are necessary to know for Men’s wear. Knowing terms for Men’s wear give perfect guidelines in selecting or tailoring Men’s dress.

Men’s Suit: Jackets :

•    Full dress: Tails or Tailcoat   
•    Cutaway:  Morning coat. They are short in the front and long in the back. Tapers from the front to a wide back tail. Usually reserved for "Morning or Daytime" weddings.
•    Mandarin: standup style coat with no lapels.
•    Tuxedo:  "regular" coat
•    Stroller: semi-formal suit jacket
•    Single-breasted: Single-breasted coats button down the center. In regards to jacket; symmetrical front; buttons at the center; option of leaving coat buttoned or unbuttoned
•    Double-breasted: Double-breasted coats cross-over the center to button. In regards to jacket; one side of coat overlaps the center and buttons across to the other side; usually gives a fuller look in the chest area; suggested that these coats be buttoned at all times while standing.

Men’s Suit: Lapels:

There are different types of Lapel (commonly known as collar) for Men Suit’s Coat as follows:
•    Notch Lapel: Triangular Indentation in lapel (It is considered as most common and popular lapel style for man’s suit)
•    Peak Lapel: V-shaped Lapel that points upward
•    Shawl Collar: Rounded lapels

Men’s Suit: Coat and Trouser Material:

For Men’s suit, terms used for various types of fabric such as super wool of 100, 110, 120 count
•    Worsted Wool: 100% Wool fabric (standard); thread count is generally 60 to 75 threads per inch in worsted wool.
•    Super 100s: Finer and softer wool that Super 100s for Men’s suit. In super 100’s material thread count is 100 threads per inch.
•    Super 110s: even softer than the Super 100s; thread count is 110 threads per inch.
•    Super 120s: Men’s suit with Wool Super 120’s is considered as the soft material. In super 120’s the softer thread count is 120 threads per inch.

Men’s Suit:dress Shirts:

•    Wingtip: Standup collar with downward points. Most popular and most formal choice.
•    Mandarin: Standup collar without the points.
•    Down collar: Similar to your standard dress shirt
•    Cross wick: Crosses in front and is fastened with a button cover
•    Material options: 100% cotton, poly/cotton blend, micro fiber
•    French cuffs: Folded over and closed with cufflinks
•    Convertible cuffs: not folded over; closed with cufflinks

Men's Suit Fabrics

When ordering a custom suit, a man is confronted with a sometimes discouraging selection of fabrics. While proportion and fit are mostly dictated by your body, you may select your suit's fabric considering climate, occasion, and the image you hope to project. What follows is a primer on textile terminology intended to demystify the world of suit fabrics.

For centuries now, most men's suits have been made out of wool. This faithful textile drapes beautifully, maintains its form reliably, and can be spun and woven to be lightweight and breathable, or to be warm and cozy. Worsted wool, from which most suits are made, goes through a finishing process that leaves it smooth and somewhat shiny.

Suitings are often categorized by fine quality. The wool number, e.g. 90s, originally meant the number of 560-yard spools a spinner could get out of a pound of raw wool at the thickness in question, with three-digit numbers earning the prefix Super." Since textiles are not harshly regulated in most countries, these numbers may be overstated. Finer yarns are smoother in appearance, softer to the touch, and produce lighter fabrics. They are also more luxurious, less durable, and more prone to wrinkling. 80s wool makes beautiful suiting’s that are perfect for work. 

Super 100s is a bit more luxurious, and Super 120s is extremely smooth. Many men believe that anything finer is too finicky for normal wear, but for those who crave decadently fine cloths the high-tech textile manufacturers turn out fabrics as fine as Super 200s.

The weight of the fabric, e.g. 10 oz, is what a yard of the fabric weighs. Heavier fabrics are, naturally, warmer than lighter ones. 10-12 oz suitings are ideal for spring and fall, as well as Northern summers and Southern winters. Lighter fabrics, often called "tropical" wool without a specific weight, are nearly as cool as shorts, perfect for hot summers. Flannel and tweed, in weights of 14 to 18 oz, are best for cold winters.

Wool flannel is not complete the same way that worsted wool is, and it is so softer, even slightly fuzzy. It can be heavy, for winter, or light, for spring, fall, and cooler summers. Flannel was the fabric of choice for business men of the post-war United States, as shown in the 1956 film The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, and today it retains a prominent spot in the pantheon of business attire.