I just returned from this year’s Fashion and Trade Shows in NYC.

Over the next few blogs, I will be reporting on some of the more exciting trends/findings of this year’s visit.

This year’s show was fantastic!  Held in a different section of the Javits, MRKET was hip, comfortable, and manageable.

One clear signal at all the major tailored clothing vendors’ booths was that sport coats are definitely back!  Guys are wearing sport coats with ties for a strong business casual look, and without ties for a more relaxed business casual look.  Of even more interest, younger guys (and older guys with younger attitudes) are wearing sport coats with jeans or very cool casual trousers for non-business occasions.   A thorough review of a few of the more popular bars and restaurants confirmed this assessment!

Click Here for My Portfolio of Sport Coat Ideas

From a design perspective, sport coats are trimmer.  For my seasoned customers, I am not recommending much difference in the fit of their garments.  I find that most guys who have worn suits/sport coats for  20+ years, just don’t want to get used to the tightness of today’s looks in many instances.  A reduction of 1/4″ from the shoulder down through the garment would probably be all I’d suggest for most of my customers.  For younger guys, however, a much tighter garment might be expected!

The length of one’s sport coat is much shorter also…as seen on the runways!  Now, my sport coat’s length is typically 31.5″.  I can go with 30.5″ but if I go shorter, I feel like Little Abner!  Most designers would recommend that a guy my height (6′) should wear a sport coat that is a mere 29″ in length!

The shoulders should have a slight cap…or a little more definition than the natural or soft shoulder of the past few years.  Shoulder padding is still soft or minimal.

Venting will continue to lean towards side vents…but a more European look would be a 3/4 length center vent (7″ in length).  This is a personal preference…I prefer the shorter center vent.

Trousers are flat front, trim, and shorter!  The traditional break in one’s trouser is a thing of the past…whether wearing a suit or going casual!  GQ’s January cover man, Bradley Cooper shows how casual is done and GQ’s “11 trends We’re Keeping for 2014” re-enforces the notion that shorter pants for suits are for the foreseeable future.

Well…that’s it on sport coats.  Check with your custom tailor to see what new fabrics are available and how you can adapt today’s runway looks into something you will feel comfortable wearing that will make you look like you stepped off the runway!

Regards,

Vinnie Rua- Founder, Christopher’s Custom