The Future of Tailored Clothing

[Mercman]

The man told you his orders were up. Why do you need him to justify that? Hence, my reaction.

rob

It was a perfectly sensible and reasonable question about something that interested me, and various other posters have subsequently discussed this matter in a polite and reasonable way.

Yet you felt it necessary to jump in with a silly and disrespectful comment - which frankly I don't appreciate. So, if, in future, you have nothing constructive to say, don't bother. Thank you.

Now jog on and don't come bothering me again. Go play on the freeway, sunshine ?

 

[josepidal]

gotta look better than the next guy applying for the same job ==> buy new suit for a chance of being hired or alter old suits to fit ==> get hired, placebo effect good suit = success ==> buy more suits and end up on Styleforum

Which suits look good on Zoom interviews?

 

[Octobab]

I worked in a physical retail setting throughout the pandemic (my industry was deemed 'essential') and so I've had the fascinating opportunity to see people's dress change in front of my eyes. Yes, for a while there, people were absolutely coming in unshaven in their pyjamas, up to and including the mayor. Over the last few months since vaccinations reached their peak and the city re-opened, there has absolutely been a surge in tailored clothing. More men in full suits, more men in casual suits, flashy show-off (eg bright pink) suits, and a lot of separates on middle aged men. The feeling I get from all of them though is that these are not new things for them, that they've had these garments in the closet and now they're taking the opportunity to dust them off, rather than guys who have gone out and bought tailoring for the first time.

As has been discussed at length, style these days comes from the 'bottom-up', and so if tailoring is ever going to see a resurgence, it needs to be easily accessible by men who are intrigued enough to try dressing better (a lot of men), but don't care enough to put in a lot of work or to make it their hobby (this tiny collection of nutjobs). They need to be able to walk into a store, feel comfortable in there, spend a reasonable amount of money for a non-enthusiast (>200 IMO), and then look and feel good after. You can get cheap, but the cut is often so awful from brands like H&M and Target that you're immediately uncomfortable, mostly around the armholes and shoulders. You can get kind-of good items, maybe from a politician/ceo catering boutique, but the price is absurd for 90% of the population.

Think about what the actual experience of going shopping was like back in the heyday of suits - an abundance of reasonably priced stores that you, as a man with no knowledge except 'I want to look sharp' could walk into and walk out of happy. Susu is going a long way, and there's been a very clear correlation in my city between when they opened and how many young men I see in tailoring, but it needs to go much further still. When Target fixes their cut and fabric, and begins to market it, that will be the day tailoring truly comes back to the population, mark my words.

 

[Despos]

@Viral

This makes zero sense

This make even less sense - if that’s possible

Seems logical to me so am curious how you see this doesn't make sense?

 

[Crispyj]

@Viral


Seems logical to me so am curious how you see this doesn't make sense?

Probably more appropriate for the 2008 crash, as most jobs lost I assume were in the financial sector. Big banks restructuring/rehiring would definitely require business professional attire when you interview.

Most jobs lost recently I assume were predominately small businesses and the service industry due to lockdown. Hence, the surge of demand of tailored clothing this time were not for job interviews, but for getting back out / socializing (weddings).

 

[Knurt]

Just a few comments. I subscribe to belief in the impact of crises. Large, long-lasting crises change many people’s situations and perceptions. It would be wrong, for example, to think that a pandemic or a financial crisis would create a uniform sartorial urge in the the male population. It would be better to think that many people would change or adjust their attitudes and priorities. Some would start and continue wearing pyjamas in the public. Others would begin using tailors. What matters to the current and future situation would be the net trend. My own gut feeling, stemming from my own gut, and therefore with restricted validity, but I have thought about it trying to take in other people’s attitudes as far as I can tell, is that dramatic and life-changing situations call for taking oneself more importantly. Dressing up is a way of meeting the world, saying »here I am», a citizen for the future, one to be counted in in the new society we all are here establishing.

 

[dieworkwear]

 

[Octobab]

I understand why people do it, but I just can't bring myself to care about what financial firms are doing as it relates to dress. In school I used to have a lot of interactions with the students from a 'big deal' finance branch of the university, and, unless something magical happens between graduation and their first job, the average finance worker wouldn't recognize 'taste' or 'style' if it beat them at beer pong.

Even in the heyday of tailoring finance was wearing the worst possible version of what was permissable. Like, when did we start pretending that Gordon Gecko's outfits aren't supposed to be god-awful looking? Iconic? Sure. But gaudy and ugly as-f.

 

[Connemara]

The decline of civilization is advancing at a breakneck pace.

 

[josepidal]

Hey! I don't mind a couple of contrast collar shirts!

 

[mak1277]

I understand why people do it, but I just can't bring myself to care about what financial firms are doing as it relates to dress. In school I used to have a lot of interactions with the students from a 'big deal' finance branch of the university, and, unless something magical happens between graduation and their first job, the average finance worker wouldn't recognize 'taste' or 'style' if it beat them at beer pong.

Even in the heyday of tailoring finance was wearing the worst possible version of what was permissable. Like, when did we start pretending that Gordon Gecko's outfits aren't supposed to be god-awful looking? Iconic? Sure. But gaudy and ugly as-f.

But how many people get their first real exposure to tailoring through wearing it at work? If you eliminate the need for tailoring at the office, I think a lot fewer people will ever experience it / develop an interest.

 

[dieworkwear]

I also have little interest in these happenings but am posting it here because I thought maybe it's a bellwether for what might happen in some important industries. If more law firms move to a partial WFH structure, that means less need for tailored clothing and fewer tailored clothing sales.

Earlier in this thread, I said that I think it's useful to segment the tailoring market between enthusiasts, workers, wealthy types who are just buying clothes, etc. I still think this market will be affected unevenly. Some companies mostly serve office workers while others serve enthusiasts. I imagine some will be harder hit than others.

 

[VegasRebel]

But how many people get their first real exposure to tailoring through wearing it at work? If you eliminate the need for tailoring at the office, I think a lot fewer people will ever experience it / develop an interest.

Particularly at a place like Cravath, where associates make enormous sums of money and (I assume) spend it freely on luxuries like tailoring. Also, law is a little strange in that Big Law tends to set the trends country-wide which, eventually, filter down to the lower tiers. I wouldn't say law takes fashion advice from big law exactly, but if even Cravath (about the epitome of a white shoe law firm) is recognizing casual / work-from-home days, surely it's acceptable anywhere.

 

[ValidusLA]

No arguing w/ the fact that Cravath has traditionally been a trendsetter. But all my DTLA corporate lawyer buddies vociferously hate WFH and have all been trying to get back into offices. They have mostly been kept out by stringent Los Angeles city ordinances and risk averse firm policy.

 

[dauster]

Rick Owens is taylored clothing will people cotinue to wear it?

not unless we all turn into vampires and monsters. cant stand rick owens