Italian conservative business dress

[Cleav]

Hurrah!

I would like to be associated with the words of the last speaker

 

[mktitsworth]



not conservative business dress but i like this

I feel justified.

Oh wait, I was viewing from a phone, thought it was just brown. Yeah, Solaro sucks.

That's okay. More for me.

 

[Cantabrigian]



Really? How about the sky-high shirt collars of almost Karl Lagerfeld-like proportions, the very close fitting suits, the gargantuan wrist watches and the myriad of #menswear bracelets?
Not exactly old-fart Italian industrialist conservative business dress, if you ask me...

But I agree with you, he sure does look good.

The problem in that photo is the jacket collar being too low, not the shirt collar being too high.

Low collar bands are for people without necks and no one else.

 

[suaviter]

American businessmen today tend to wear very dark charcoal or navy suits in a single-breasted notch-lapel model. The fabrics are hard-finished worsted. The suit shoulders are wide and the fit rather boxy. The elegant minority influenced by Italy or Britain aside, most American businessmen do not wear pocket squares. The shirts are usually white. If they're spread collar, it's a moderate spread with very little roll, though BDs are sometimes worn. The collars sit lower and expose more of the neck. The ties, as the Duke of Windsor once pointed out about American dress, are often in highly saturated colors like bright red, blue, or purple.

The first thing you notice about Italian conservative business dress is that businessmen do not confine themselves to hard-finished worsted, but will wear textured or napped fabrics like flannel or worsted flannel. The color range of the suits is wider. Instead of the American nearly black, you see lighter shades of navy and charcoal, and more blue-greys, mid-blues, and mid-greys. Italian businessmen will wear both DB and SB suits. The shoulders and waist are more fitted, though not to an extreme, fashionable degree (we're talking here about Italian conservative business dress rather than Pitti Uomo). The shirts will have a higher collar band to frame the face more elegantly. The spread collar might be wider, and it will have more of a roll. The Italians are masters at the most subtle, light, and beautiful shades of pale blue shirts. They combine them with tasteful navy, grey, or blue-grey ties, the tones complementing the shirts, instead of the harshly saturated ties seen on American politicians. Ties can sometimes be made of wool or cashmere, which you'd never see on a Cabinet member in the US. Italian businessmen will finish their outfits with a discreet white pocket square.

Really well done on the reader's digest version. Spot on.

 

[in stitches]



Manton invented conservative business dress but he isn't conservative business dress. At least not all the time.

like when he is surfing in santa monica?

 

[Zeppelin]

I really like the use of the 'traditional' ties like shepherd's check, gingham or glen plaid.

More pics please

 

[EliodA]

Time for some more Italian conservative business dress. Nice fitting shirt...

 

[Ich_Dien]

He's let the side down with a belt, however.

 

[Cleav]

Good spot Ich

 

[bourbonbasted]

I know Derek has already waxed poetically on the fit of his shirts, but I would not be comfortable in something that tight. It's like a constant reminder to hit the gym--but not too hard.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

In general I think people obsess too much about the slimness of their shirts. Despite being a bespoke client I couldn't really care less about how my shirt fits other than the collar shape. I think it is one of those obsessive things people get wrapped up it because it's a detail that is relatively easy, and cheap to obtain, however typical ends up a failure because not much thought is given to many other aspects that truly make a great look.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]

I think this is weird:

Despite being a bespoke client I couldn't really care less about how my shirt fits other than the collar shape.

If you keep your jacket on at all times, fine. But for those that don't, of course you're going to care about what the rest of the shirt looks like, for the same reasons that you'd care what your coat looks like.

I think it is one of those obsessive things people get wrapped up it because it's a detail that is relatively easy, and cheap to obtain, however typical ends up a failure because not much thought is given to many other aspects that truly make a great look.

Eh... I think sleeve length, collar height/shape, shoulders, and fullness/trimness all have a meaningful impact on how nice a shirt looks. Obviously. I think it's a crusade for some people because it's actually difficult, not easy. As a shirt gets more fitted, all the dimensions have to be much more exact and their interplay becomes more conspicuous (arms/shoulders/chest/sleeve).

Brooks Brothers can and does churmn out shirts that fit like a tent, because then all you have to go is get the collar size and sleeve length right. Presto, a prarachute that "fits."

I'm against skin tight stuff like pictured above, and also darts in general, for what it's worth (but against tent shirts - especially if you have a decent body).

 

[Griffindork]



In general I think people obsess too much about the slimness of their shirts. Despite being a bespoke client I couldn't really care less about how my shirt fits other than the collar shape. I think it is one of those obsessive things people get wrapped up it because it's a detail that is relatively easy, and cheap to obtain, however typical ends up a failure because not much thought is given to many other aspects that truly make a great look.

I think it depends in large part on how close-fitting your suit is to your body. My Cifonelli jackets are cut very close to the chest and with incredibly high arm holes. A shirt that doesn't compliment that fit will be pretty uncomfortable, particularly if it bunches in the arm. I don't like things skin tight and I always prefer to have enough length in the sleeves so that they don't climb up my arm when it is outstretched, but my undarted shirts aren't great with Cifonelli.

 

[edmorel]



In general I think people obsess too much about the slimness of their shirts. Despite being a bespoke client I couldn't really care less about how my shirt fits other than the collar shape. I think it is one of those obsessive things people get wrapped up it because it's a detail that is relatively easy, and cheap to obtain, however typical ends up a failure because not much thought is given to many other aspects that truly make a great look.

Interestingly enough, these are my thoughts also. I pay most attention to the collar, outside of that, as long as I am not wearing a bag or sleeves too short/long, I don't care. I also agree that on shirts people lose their mind on things that are irrelevant to your overall look. A shirt begins and ends with its collar for me, everything else is almost irrelevant. Also, those wide spreads that everyone seems to love, they don't work on 90% of those that wear them.

 

[TRINI]



In general I think people obsess too much about the slimness of their shirts. Despite being a bespoke client I couldn't really care less about how my shirt fits other than the collar shape. I think it is one of those obsessive things people get wrapped up it because it's a detail that is relatively easy, and cheap to obtain, however typical ends up a failure because not much thought is given to many other aspects that truly make a great look.

Interestingly enough, these are my thoughts also. I pay most attention to the collar, outside of that, as long as I am not wearing a bag or sleeves too short/long, I don't care. I also agree that on shirts people lose their mind on things that are irrelevant to your overall look. A shirt begins and ends with its collar for me, everything else is almost irrelevant. Also, those wide spreads that everyone seems to love, they don't work on 90% of those that wear them.

+1.

This is why I can't spend $$$$ on shirts. I'm happy to spend $65 a shirt from a travelling HK tailor because they'll get the basics right and the fabrics are decent enough.