Men's Suits

Wearing a suit, no matter how infrequently your life may require it, always seems to beg the question: Who could be responsible for creating something so torturous? The combination of a trouser, jacket, possibly a vest, and traditionally a suffocating necktie is enough to make you feel like you’re being carted off to an asylum in a straitjacket. Indeed, there are days when it does feel just plain crazy to be forced to wear such an irritating invention. Ironically, men’s suits were created for comfort. They represent a 17th century departure from the elaborate, jewel-adorned formal wear that men traditionally wore during the Victorian Era. In the subsequent Regency Period of the early 1800s, British sartorial sovereign extraordinaire Beau Brummell is credited with establishing a men’s suit with a necktie as the standard for smart dressing.

Since then, the suit has followed a variety of evolutionary paths with many (thankfully) ending in at least near-extinction. The nudie suit, an embroidered, rhinestone-covered creation a la Elvis Presley in his latter Vegas years, is a good example of just how bad a suit can get. While trends change over time, all suits should be considered in terms of the cut, button closure, lapels, and venting of the jacket.