VALUE YOUR OWN IMAGE - A Must Read!

THROWBACK THURSDAY - to when we made this gorgeous wine suit for our most stylish client Mr. Andrea Corsini.

Because no man should get away with wearing denim every day, and because very often  you need something more dressed-up than a basic corduroy. Formal woolen trousers are the perfect for your every day wear!

Even if your job right now is less than heroic, you probably have plans to reshape the entire company in your own image. Before you do that, though, you'll need to reshape the way your co-workers see you. You will need a set of new power suits and formal wears for sure. 

What About textures?

A solid suit is the most versatile suit. But it can also be solidly boring. Enter textures, which can look sharp - as long as you don't get carried away. Keep them restrained, like a glen plaid, which is so fine it's almost neutral.

Single- or Double-Breasted?

Single - breasted suits are always a class apart, It gives you a modern formal look. Double-breasted is the way the big swinging’s go, and it can make you look big, but not necessarily in a good way. If your hips are broader than your shoulders, all that extra material crisscrossing your belly can turn you into a barrel.

If you have a Men's Health build, however, congratulations: Designers are once again making double-breasted suits singularly chic. No question the double-breasted is in every major collection.

 How is the Suit Built?

Between the outer fabric of your suit and its bemberg lining is a piece of canvas. It's what gives your coat its shape. It's what makes you look more buff than you would without it. Sometimes this canvas is fused to the outer fabric. Sometimes it's stitched. The former may mean a cheap suit and soon blisters as the glue (the less-kind name for fusing) starts to come unglued—something that'll happen in the normal course of wearing and dry cleaning.

How Do I Judge Fabric Quality?

"It's wool." What kind of wool? Your good wool suit comes in several levels of fabric quality, called super 100s, super 120s, super 150s , super 180s. As you might imagine, higher quality means higher price. Its always better to go with Super 120s or higher cause it helps you invest smartly giving you an excellent durability and definitely a great fall! Bespoke tailoring in luxury fabric of Huddersfield and Holland and Sherry is truly an investment and always a pleasure to wear.

"Something to Go with That, Mr?"

When the stylist asks you if you'd like a shirt or tie to go with that suit, what do you say? No, you say yes. Here's the deal: For most men, the casual revolution meant solid shirts. Now that we're dressing up again, those shirts are very pre-bubble burst. Patterns, stripes, checks—they're back. "Patterns are much more neat and refined.  "You have choices." Rule of thumb: Big pattern on shirt, small pattern on tie; small pattern on shirt, big pattern on tie.
If its a plain shirt always go with contrasting colours for a tie - big or small patterns. It definitely adds to your fashion statement!

How Long Should the trousers Be?

What you want is this: trousers that fall gracefully  on top your shoes, covering the first few laces in front and ending just above the soles in back, and never showing your socks, even when you walk. This generally results in what's called a break-the spot where your trousers' front crease wobbles a few inches up the leg. This is good. Particularly narrow trousers need to be a bit shorter, just because they won't fit over the tops of your shoes. They may not break at all. For more traditional business wear, avoid the narrow trousers.

How Often Do I Clean It?

Get a Bible. Put your hand on it. Now solemnly swear: "I will not dry-clean my suit more than a few times, as the industrial-strength chemicals and hydraulic steam presses will otherwise destroy its natural fibers and its delicate construction." Good. Now, buy a suit brush and use it. Spot-clean stains and hang the suit carefully.

Is the Jacket the Right Length?

On the average man, the bottom of the coat lines up with the spot where your fingers fold at your palms when your arms hang at your sides. If the coat falls past that hinge, you definitely should go for Customized Bespoke-tailoring.

Is Fancy Lining Always Better?

No. "Unlined suits are a pleasure from a comfort standpoint, as they offer remarkable cool on the hottest days. Most men think the lining of the suit is a finishing touch that denotes quality. Well, that’s wrong!  In fact, the lack of a lining is a mark of high quality.

See, when you don't wallpaper over the inner work of a suit with lining, the seams can't be sloppy. They need to be taped and pressed and sewn flat. All of that takes skill—and time, which is why, even though it has less fabric, an unlined and half-lined suits can cost more than a lined one.

How many Vents should my blazer have?

Vents are the slit openings that can be on either sides or only at the center back of the jacket. How do you know if, and where, you want them? Vent-less makes for a coat that starts broad at the shoulders and slims down to the hips-a sharp, masculine line. Introducing you to the single vent. It'll make room for your assets, and tailors find it easy to alter; but it's also nothing inspiring.

The double vent looks distinctive and is favored by designers now. It's a hallmark of custom-made suits, so the association automatically dresses you up, and, most important, this cut allows you easy access to your trouser pockets.

How Long are the Sleeves?

Have your sleeves taken up (or let out, as the case may be) If your sleeves creases at the elbow or just above the cuff - its way too big for you! Sleeves should fall straight with no extra fabric, ending at the wrist joint. This will allow you to keep dirt off your cuff if yours sleeves are extra long!

 Plain or Pleated?

Whether or not you like pleats in your pants—really, whatever you like in your pants—is a matter of your own taste, plus the formality of the look you're going for (pleats equal more formal). What's more important: making sure the trousers fit.

With pleated pants, that means the pleats lie flat when you're standing. Puckered pleats indicate that the pants are too tight.

Flat-front trousers, well, they're cut quite a bit differently than they used to be and are far more relaxed because of it. They still have to fit, too, though. Try them on. See that the side pockets don't frog-mouth open. Sit down and look at your lap; also check whether the length is appropriate. Now cross your legs. Comfortable? Good, now you know that Bespoke trousers are always the best choice you can opt for!

Let your style be spoken!
Shivani Patil
Designer/Stylist
108 Bespoke