Classic Menswear Lounge

[dieworkwear]

Nice belly. IMO, this is a good example of how a subtle belly can give lapels a soft, organic feel.

Coat by Logsdail.

(cc'ing @Sander)

 

[Gus]

^^^ Very nice example. It has an elegant shape to it.

 

[venividivicibj]

The ad campaign with Metallica seems like a "Hail Mary" pass at trying to score with a new audience. The designer, O'Shea, says his influence is "70's pimp". Good luck to them.

Wilkes Bashford carried Brioni for as long as I can remember (since the 70's?) along with the SFA main store on 5th. They always had a conservative, edited assortment of Brioni. Their clients looked elegant. But when I saw the brand at other stores 5, 10, 15 years ago, there were odd design touches and fabric selections that, to me, looked far too Las Vegas or Mob and nothing that interested me. I suppose it was up to the individual store buyer to know what to select. But now, I'm really not sure who will buy this look?

Brioni was also flirting with sportswear there for a bit. Really weird direction choices for the company.

 

[jcmeyer]

I thought John Varvatos already had the "rocker suit" market cornered.

 

[Gus]

Just because you hire mature rock stars to wear your clothing in ads I'm not sure that means you've cornered that market. It just means you've paid someone to wear it.

Tommy Hilfiger was paying rock stars back in the late 80's to wear his stuff, but I can't recall any of them actually wearing it in real life.

 

[dieworkwear]



I thought John Varvatos already had the "rocker suit" market cornered.

I think Varvatos would be to this what April 77 would be to Saint Laurent. Much more down market, accessible, and not as "cool."

 

[sugarbutch]



I'm really not sure who will buy this look?

Why, rich old men who want to bang strippers, of course!

 

[Sander]



Nice belly. IMO, this is a good example of how a subtle belly can give lapels a soft, organic feel.

Coat by Logsdail.

(

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

cc'ing @Sander)

Hmmmm, while this certainly doesn't look bad, I'd still much prefer a concave lapel. Guess I'll never warm up to the belly.

 

[LinenMoses]

The ad campaign with Metallica seems like a "Hail Mary" pass at trying to score with a new audience. The designer, O'Shea, says his influence is "70's pimp". Good luck to them.

Wilkes Bashford carried Brioni for as long as I can remember (since the 70's?) along with the SFA main store on 5th. They always had a conservative, edited assortment of Brioni. Their clients looked elegant. But when I saw the brand at other stores 5, 10, 15 years ago, there were odd design touches and fabric selections that, to me, looked far too Las Vegas or Mob and nothing that interested me. I suppose it was up to the individual store buyer to know what to select. But now, I'm really not sure who will buy this look?

Well, 15 years ago I was still in grade school, but I can certainly attest to the elegant and conservative look Brioni always had. It seemed very akin to something a Patrick Bateman or Paul Allen would wear. In fact, all of my "friends" in finance wear Brioni, Zegna, PRL Purple Label, etc. This new guy who took over Brioni seems a bit thick. The redesigned brand is just a reflection of his own personality if you can call it that. An aged idiot who thinks he was a rockstar in the late 70's. Its all very Alexander McQueen/John Varvatos. Black Chelseas and Jodhpurs, slim suits with peaked lapels, wild designs and patterns. It's the polar opposite of what Brioni used to be. If anything, I think it's an attempt at making a runway brand out of a classic menswear brand. Trying to get oohs and aahs out of VIP crowds and celebrities, while failing to recognize that nobody is actually going to wear the stuff. Brioni basically just alienated their entire core demographic with one seasons collection.

 

[Mr. Six]



On another note, can someone explain the appeal of bellied lapels to me?

Bellied lapels give the appearance of... well, a belly. They guide your view down and out instead of up, also often look dated. What's the deal?

A little late on this but I enjoy both straight and a bit of belly. As long as the other elements are coherent, some belly gives the lapels an organic and flowing feel. They're softer and can create a sense of approachability. Straight can feel a little more aggressive, like they're drawing a line. Other elements of soft Italian tailoring offset that but it's an impression that I've gotten from straight cut lapels where there are a lot of visually hard straight lines (sorry, no examples handy).

 

[LinenMoses]



Nice belly. IMO, this is a good example of how a subtle belly can give lapels a soft, organic feel.

Coat by Logsdail.

(cc'ing @Sander)

I think there's a fine line between just enough and too much lapel roll. IMO having a belly like that creates too much lapel roll and it makes the jacket seem like it's trying too hard. It should have an element of sprezzatura, but too much makes it look intentional.


Also, the creasing around the middle of the lapel looks wrong. Perhaps this is because the jacket is on a mannequin and not the person it was made for, but it still looks awkward.

 

[dieworkwear]



I think there's a fine line between just enough and too much lapel roll. IMO having a belly like that creates too much lapel roll and it makes the jacket seem like it's trying too hard. It should have an element of sprezzatura, but too much makes it look intentional.

I think you may be talking about two different things.

Belly is how the lapel was cut -- whether there's a curve or not.

Roll is about how the lapel rolls over, which is determined by the canvas and how the jacket was pressed.

You could have a very straight lapel (ie no belly) on that jacket and it would have the same roll. Just trim off the curve. Similarly, you could have a lapel with a lot of belly and little roll.

 

[TweedyProf]

On the aesthetics of stripe density and stripe width.

I can't imagine any general rules here but for non-block stripe ties, I prefer: (a) thinner stripes; (b) not more than two stripes per unit and (c) not overly dense. One could go so far as providing precise quantification of dimensions/parameters but I think pictures are better than words. So here are some examples of navy light striped ties without comment:

Well, one comment: @tchoy 's lovely diverse collection:

 

[Pliny]

Only a couple there going in the wrong (down to left) direction.

Not much to add apart from the obvious: namely, that tie stripes need to be proportionate to the width and length of the tie, so a narrower tie will need narrower stripe and a longer tie a broader; and that tie stripes need to contrast with stripes, if any, on your shirt and jacket, so a thin-striped tie, for example, won't look good with a thin-striped shirt, or suit.

I hate reps with more than three colors, and prefer two. White's the most versatile stripe.

 

[heldentenor]

Agree that simplicity of color and pattern is key for stripes; they should accent the dominant tie color rather than confuse or muddle it. I tend to like a single dominant stripe like this (would like it even more sans the white border):





Where does that leave block stripes, though?