It's that time of year again. We are all indoors a lot and it affords us the opportunity to have a dig through the wardrobe and donate any clothes we are not wearing, don't intend to wear or have, erm, 'grown out of.' For us men it also gives us the chance to review our selection of suits and think about giving them a refresh in line with updated fashion and trends.
Of course, there are certain classic looks that stand the test of time, but on the other hand, year on year the trend shifts – sometimes subtly, sometimes rather more dramatically – in a new direction. For 2023 this trend seems to be in the direction of looser fitting, even baggy suits. Of course, this comes with the disclaimer that not everyone is able to pull of every trend and not every baggy suit will fulfil the requirements to be able to make it work either.
To give you an idea of what you are aiming for if you decide to jump aboard the loose train, you need to think back (or look back) to the eighties and nineties. Look at Di Caprio in The Wolf of Wall Street (set in the nineties) or Christian Bale in American Psycho (only his suit, mind – oh, and maybe his business cards too!). You want to be aiming for a look that is carefully put together but screams “carefree”. The suit version of beach hair, if you like. A considered grunge.
The flip-side of this rather comforting coin is that while slim suits are certainly still in and proliferating, skinny suits are most definitely also en vogue and feel very fresh. Those with larger thighs will struggle with this look and it's not a look for everyone, but here are some tips on making it work.
You don't want to think of the skinny suit as sizing down, but rather the suit should be considered something of a second skin. You want the shoulders sitting flush with yours and the jacket should be button-able without any fabric pull. Most importantly (and against all instinct for Generation X-ers) the trousers should end on the ankle.
If either or both of these trends don't sit right with you, never fear as the classic tailored look is certainly going nowhere. The last thing you want to be doing for serious events like important meetings or choosing a suit for a funeral, is experimenting too far outside of your comfort zone. There will always be a place for a well-fitted suit in a classic style.
The regular suit fit is a safe and enduring option that most men can make work. A high quality, regular fitting suit will still look great many years down the line, providing you opt for quality, well-fitted garments. The key here, as it so often is, lies with the shoulders and collar. The suit's collar must sit flush with that of your shirt, so there's no wrinkle or protrusion when you button up your jacket.
