2010 suits trends
Men’s suits, a trend? Admittedly they’ve never really been out of style, but there have been times where they haven’t been cool. But as young gents take to the streets wearing the suit stylings of their grandfathers, including everything from three piece suits to bow ties, it’s time to brush up on the styles and cuts of suits that are in for Fall 2010. Click to read more on men’s suits for 2010.
While suiting and formal-wear trends for men aren’t seasonal (unless, of course, you’re talking about the weight of the cloth) and play out over several years, 2010 and 2011 continue the change in men’s suiting that rose to the fore in recent years. For the foreseeable future the trend in men’s suiting revolves around the classics, but more specifically modern takes on the classics. A good suit for this decade will take the best elements from the peak eras of men’s suiting (think the formality of the Victorian era, the savoir faire of the 1930s and the skinny detailing of the 1960s) and apply them to a modern silhouette.
So what elements should you look for?
The Cut of the Suit
In men’s suiting there’s a move away from the ‘skinny boy’ suit, but that’s not to say slim is out altogether nor that a boxy cut has replaced it. Instead, think of a cut that takes would appeal to a military officer, one that accents a sense of the masculine through three key silhouette elements:
- broad shoulders
- a slim waist
- slim trousers
As for the individual cuts?
Double Breasted Suits and Sportscoats
Double breasted Tom Ford suits from Tom Ford Spring / Summer 2010 collection
If there’s one cut that I’m glad I’ve been able to return to my wardrobe for this decade it’s the modern, double-breasted suit. Those of you old enough to remember the last time the double breasted suit or sports coat was in (the 1980s through to the mid 1990s) may remember the boxy cut it inevitably came with. Fear not, that cut is gone (and if you’re still sitting on double breasted suiting from that era, take it off to the tailors to refresh its life). In its place is a cut that pairs broad shouldered with a slim waist, a cut that defies what double breasted suits were originally designed to do: hide a plump figure. Instead their now designed to accent and to heighten the perfect masculine shape: the V-shaped, well worked body.
One additional styling tip: when selecting a double-breasted suit look for the “Kent” cut. Named after a style popularised by the The Prince George, Duke of Kent, it’s a cut of double breasted suits where a longer lapel line extends into the waist. That is to say: the part of the double breasted suit that sits on the front buttons on the waist line (as picture on the Duke of Windsor, right). This small detail will convey height and, if cut correctly, a slimmer waist. You’ll find the Kent suit cut amongst a number of collections, including D&G Fall 2010 (pictured below).
Double breasted Kent cut D&G suits D&G men’s Autumn (Fall) / Winter 2010 / 2011
Neo-Double Breasted Suit
Neo double breasted suit from Marc Jacobs men’s Autumn (Fall) / Winter 2010 / 2011
Let’s face it: the waistcoat has long been a dead item for most men, but thanks to a resurgence in its popularity in men’s street wear the suits’ waistcoat is back with vengeance. Well, not quite vengeance but it’s back, it’s subtle and it’s classic. And that means that in 2009 we’ll witness the return of the three-piece suit, and I couldn’t be more happy. That’s because the three-piece suit has been one of the most under-utilised parts of a man’s wardrobe over the last forty years.
The three-piece in 2009 is all about cohesion; forget the mismatching style prevalent in the early parts of the 20th Century and in the 1980s. The return of the three-piece means that the waistcoat has to be conservative and, thus, in the same fabric as the suit’s other two pieces. If you do want to venture outside the realm of three matching pieces, stick to a similar colour palette and avoid any pattern except for stripes; you may want to pair a pinstripe black suit with a pinstripe charcoal waistcoat.
On selecting the perfect three-piece suit I’d recommend looking for a waistcoat whose V shape breaks somewhere between the sternum and the base of the rib cage. I’ve seen three pieces from the likes of Giorgio Armani which don’t sport the V shape and finish just under the collar, these are going to be a lot harder to wear and ignore the conservative subtlety this revival depends upon. Moreover, such a large waistcoat won’t convey a slim waist as effectively as one with a deeper neck.
Jude Law
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