Style Leader Pick of the Week

 A lot of customers are asking for sport coats that will be appropriate for their “dressier business casual” meetings…but be adaptable for an edgy weekend casual look.  The next few weeks, I’ll take my favorite sport coats and do just that!

This sport coat outfit was designed for one of my NCAA Coaches who asked for a sport coat that he could wear for recruiting purposes.  Something that was dressy…but not overpowering.  I gave the garment a little extra character by choosing a brighter, Bemberg fabric lining.  The 5-fold, hand-made paisley tie works great with the mini-check pattern of the jacket.  A “non-solid/solid”, micro-check shirt was used as the backdrop.  For a pant, I chose the always appropriate black all-season gabardines…the pant everyone needs!

k This customer also wanted his sport coat to be able to double as one of his “go-to” outfits for weekend casual dinners with his wife.  I took the same sport coat and paired it with a very cool navy dotted stripe shirt, toned down the buttons and buttonholes of the shirt to create a monochromatic shirt look, and finished the look off with a super-comfortable Barberis stretch cotton fabric pant in a medium blue.  The pant was styled in a 5-pocket jean style.

Ask your custom clothier to help you build the perfect Spring/Summer sport coat looks!

Regards,

Vinnie Rua- Founder, Christopher’s Custom

The New “Essential Suit”

Years ago, the “essentil suit” was a solid navy. That changed to solid black during most of the 2000-2010 decade.

This year, we are happy to report that the “Essential Suit” is not a solid black or navy…but a sharkskin suit in your choice if colors.

A navy sharkskin will be the most readily accepted staple for most businessmen followed by a charcoal sharkskin.

There are, however, several great alternatives such as a light gray sharkskin solid or a gray-blue glen plaid sharkskin.  The above Design Portfolio features a navy sharkskin glen plaid…subtle…but still worthy of anchoring any professional’s spring wardrobe!

Another great alternative is a lighter gray sharkskin.

The above lighter gray sharkskin features Dormeuil’s new “Tecnik” fabric.  Tecnik by Dormeuil™ instinctively regulates the interior temperature of clothing according to the external temperature, offering an incomparable feeling of comfort and well-being, in all weather conditions.  Heat wave, cold snap – your comfort is assured: the higher the temperature the more the fabric cools, and the fabric warms as the temperature cools.  Summer and winter, Tecnik by Dormeuil™ is the ideal solution for the active man looking for style and comfort.  Tecnik by Dormeuil™ is a fabric that adapts to ambient temperature!

Perfect for those air-conditioned offices where the ambient temperature is set at 70 degrees and the heat outside is pushing 95!

Ask your cutsom clothier about Dormeuil’s newest hi-tech fabric in some super looks for this spring!

Regards,

Vinnie Rua- Founder, Christopher’s Custom

Trends in Menswear- The 2014 Fashion Shows

Overall, there was excitement this winter at our trade shows in NYC. In a separate series of blogs, I am featuring the fashion trends that stood out for me.

Today, it is my intention to highlight a few of the empirical trends that men’s wear has shown over the past year. As I travel around the country to my custom appointments and meet business professionals from all walks of life, it is interesting to hear what other business leaders think is the status of men’s clothing. Many believe sales numbers are declining with casual clothing dominating sales numbers.

The following gleaned from GQ, MR Magazine, and discussions with some of the country’s leading men’s clothing manufacturers might surprise a few!

• Men’s Tailored Clothing Sales for the 12 months ended Sept. 2013- $8.6 Billion!
• Change over 2012?   9.3% INCREASE!
• Suits as % of total:  $3.2 billion 2013 vs. $3.093 billion 2012.   5.2% Increase
• Sport coats/blazers as % total:  $2 billion 2013 vs. $1.7 billion 2012.  18.5% Increase!

In a previous post, I mentioned that sports coats were definitely back…a glance at the above increase shows just how much!

Made-to-measure and custom (M2M) continues to surge ahead as the new better men’s clothing distribution channel!  Hart Shaffner Marx, the iconic suit manufacturer known for it’s ready-wear lines including Hickey Freemen, reported that M2M is now approaching 15% of their annual sales.

Neckwear, primarily ties, was up 5% in for most better retailers.  Knit ties in silk and wool combined with elegant silk wovens lead the way.  Pocket squares also have contributed to “neckwear” sales.  Many retailers reported sales of “squares” up while ties were flat to down.  I have seen an increased interest in pocket squares.  A colorful square does as much to brighten up an outfit and express one’s personal style as a well-chosen tie!

RECAP:

 So…Men’s Tailored Clothing sales were up.  Suit and sport coats sales were up.  Custom clothing is making up a larger portion of many manufacturers’ and retailers’ clothing sales.

These statistics mirror my personal experience.  I definitely notice a return to elegance in my customer’s offices.  Many prefer to wear open-collars with suits, and many prefer sport coats to suits…but there is a noticeable movement back to elegance.  Younger customers have a renewed interest in fashion…and are pretty specific about their fashion ideas.  Certainly the fit is critical to younger customers and those with youthful attitudes…trimmer is in for sure.  Creativity in casual shirt detailing is also a refreshing change…from button colors, to thread color, to inside collar/cuff/yoke trim…it’s all about the details!

Be sure to seek out your custom clothier this spring to see what new and exciting ideas you can design into your wardrobe!

Regards,

Vinnie Rua- Founder, Christopher’s Custom