SWD Discussion Thread for Tailoring

[OccultaVexillum]

The idea of the "set up" that's been mentioned, and i've seen it called an "un-suit" before is something i've been very into the last few years. If there's something i like from a designer and there's a "matching" / same fabric top or bottom then 9 times out of 10 i'll buy both.
But i think the relationship to tailoring can be pretty loose in that case.
I have these "sets" that are silk "pyjama" sets from Lemaire, some cotton/silk sets from Umit and LEJ, corduroy 5 pockets and overshirts from Lemaire and Jil. Things that are 100% matching but by no means a suit.

Brands that do that stuff really well are De Bonne Facture, Margaret Howell, Lemaire and Umit

 

[xeoniq]

I'd be interested to hear from members who have used bespoke (or even MTM) tailors to create a more casual silhouette and design. I'm sure it's possible, but the temptation to go trad or biz formal seems to rule the day in my commissions.

I always liked David Bowie's look in Fire Walk with Me and had my partner make up a silk linen suit from her MTM brand in a similar boxy cut in a green silk linen. MTM worked well in that context when I had a specific look in mind (and a few extra details I wanted like a hidden drawstring for the pants and internal zip pockets). I didn't feel I could pull off a print button up like Bowie did, but I think it works pretty well with other casual shirts and doesn't read formal / business.

 

[Herders_Gulch]

WFH has really dampered any desire to "dress up," even in a SWD tailor way.

I just recently learned I will be permanent WFH, and so I have changed my thinking on work-from-home wear (or as it’s known in German, Die Work-From-Home Wear). I now dress daily, mixing in sports coats, cardigans, over shirts and chore coats on equal footing. I find that dressing up for my day does change my attitude, and that people notice the difference.

 

[kindofyoung]

I'm currently at school for arts and crafts so 90% of the time I'm in work clothes, but both before this and on weekends here, some type of tailoring is often part of the fits I enjoy the most and find worth sharing. And in the cases where there's no tailoring I usually still go for casual wear that somewhat corresponds to the same era and proportions that I love of the 70s, more famously also being worn by people like Luke Day and Ben Cobb.

A couple fits from the past year or so

 

[dieworkwear]

Curious, @FlyingMonkey do you know why it's called a "set up" in Japanese? In English, that seems like a strange term for matching jacket and pants.

 

[OccultaVexillum]

The first time I saw that term was on Uniqlo a couple of years ago. They don’t seem to use it on the US website, but elsewhere they do.

@FlyingMonkey probably has some insight as to the why of it.

 

[dalevy]

There is also a whole selection on the document webshop called set up. https://en.document-document.com/setup and some items with set up in the name. Always wondered what it meant but I guess it means there’s a matching top and bottom.

 

[GaiusM]

Curious, @FlyingMonkey do you know why it's called a "set up" in Japanese? In English, that seems like a strange term for matching jacket and pants.

Set Up (セットアップ) originally comes from a transliteration of the IT use of setup as in setup and installation. It is commonly found in all kinds of manuals and instructions for software and hardware including IKEA products, speakers, Windows installations, etc.

How it ended up as a term for fashion is rather nebulous as is so common with Japanese slang and jargon. If I'm not mistaken it was first used with women's clothing where matching tops and bottoms were/are sold as a set yet were too casual to be a suit which has a stricter definition. Eventually it made its way into men's fashion as well. See the following which is from a search for セットアップ on Zozotown, a major (fast fashion) online retailer.

Note that the Japanese term can refer to clothing purchased separately or together.

The common definition is "Assembling/building top and bottom clothes" (服の上下を組み立てること). One website writing about "set up suits" said that whereas regular suits are the same size on top and bottom, requiring them to be altered, set up suits can be selected in different sizes without resizing. Jackets or bottoms can be sold separately as individual pieces or bought together should one want to do so. In casual wear set up means "coordinated upper and lower clothes". Apparently this applies to accessories sometimes as well when they are intended or able to be worn with matching outfits.

As to why the term 'set up' I can only guess. Just as Windows setup simplifies the installation process so do set ups simplify the dressing process, providing a quick and easy way to have a coordinated outfit ready to go with minimal effort. When shopping you are 'set up' to have a complete outfit ready to go out the door. One-stop shopping so to speak.

My apologies if any of the above is incorrect, please take it with a grain of salt. I am no expert and the origins of Japanese terms tend to be either idiot-proof or ridiculously confusing. For instance, if anyone could explain why pants breaks are called "cushion" (クッション) I would be much obliged.

 

[Superb0bo]

I have several "suits" from old Town. Here in well-worn Irish linen (pre pandemic Venice)

 

[Salad]

I think this fits here. I've been looking for vintage dinner jackets lately but haven't had much luck. If I were to get something new, it would be like this one by Giuliva Heritage. I think it has a good "night out" vibe.

Gaspare Blazer in Wool and Cashmere - Giuliva Heritage

Single breasted blazer with shawl collar in wool and cashmere blend.

giulivaheritage.com

 

[Superb0bo]

@oulipien

Very nice. Stiffest fabric suit known to man?

 

[ziggy1984]

Always love Lemaire stuff though I don't own any. Curious about can "normal CM stuff" creates the similar vibe of this look.
e.g. unpadded shoulder sport coat, regular cut/ not flared trousers, open neck crisp shirt

 

[hoodog]

I really like the casual tailoring that has been posted in the thread so far. Inspirational stuff!

I usually wear pretty classic tailored clothes when it's required at work. Otherwise I am mostly in swd stuff (to my colleagues amusement most of the times). A snapshot from about half a year ago:

 

[FlyingMonkey]

Set-ups I have (in a rough spectrum from more workwear to more directional): Universal Works (lightweight grey-purple cotton check), Epaulet (blue ikat), 1st PAT-RN (dark blue and black wool-nylon blend - I really like this company), Todd Snyder (orange Harris tweed), Engineered Garments (big red plaid wool), Rosen (deep green gabardine - also a very underrated label, doing amazing things for the price).

I also have a few more conventional casual suits (one Isaia, plus of course two of the famous SF 'blazersuits'), but I've also taken to casualizing other more CM suits I have, for example, I've found that my PRL navy pinstripe looks great with a cream or white turtleneck and brown suede desert boots.

I did think about buying an IM Homme Plissé set-up a while back, because I love the weird retro-futurism of the design that's like something from a 1960s science fiction film, but polyester isn't my favourite thing to wear except if I'm running. I'd really like to find some of the more interesting and colourful CdG runway suits, but you never see them on sales sites, only grey versions, which I assume are either lesser commercial iterations - or fakes.

(pointless stuff on set-up origins edited out, because I hadn't read @GaiusM's post above before)

 

[breakaway01]

Really enjoying this thread, thanks @dieworkwear . It’s a pretty obvious thing to say but I find summer tailoring much easier to casualize due to the fabrics (linen, seersucker, etc) and colors (tan, lighter tones generally) My winter tailoring consists of more sober fabrics. Trying to figure out if I can pull off the rollneck with suit look. There also seem to me to be more social opportunities in warmer weather to dress a suit down.