A t-shirt is great, but not every man fills one like Marlon Brando or Chris Evans. Jeans are perhaps the most democratic garment in all of menswear, worn by everyone from the 1% to real people, but not every man looks great in them, no matter how expensive they are. But in a well-tailored suit, every man looks his best.
The suit is the great equalizer. It puts men of different backgrounds, careers, financial stati, etc. on equal footing. A man can be built like Daniel Craig or like Paul Giamatti. Put each of them in a t-shirt and jeans, and you have two very different things happening. Put them in a reasonably well-made suit that is carefully tailored to each man’s respective shape, and you have two men who look incredible.
One could make a similar argument about just a jacket. Put the right well-tailored jacket with a good pair of jeans, chinos or trousers, and the look can be transformative, making any wearer regardless of body type look really damn good.
Whether it comes from H&M or Bergdorf Goodman, a well-tailored suit elevates every man to his most dignified form.
Other examples:
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9 Comments
Nothing like a well tailored suit
Good comparison and writing keep it up.
A well-tailored suit makes all the difference. A wonderful insight. Keep up the great work George!
Your point is made. Compelling and succinct. Question, though: how to find a good tailor outside of a big city. I’m in a western Canadian city of 200K and have tried unsuccessfully to find someone who can do more than shorten sleeves and sloppily taper trouser legs. I buy my closest fit off the rack (Suitsupply, J. Crew Ludlow) but can’t make it a “well-tailored” fit. What’s a man to do, George?
You could try online custom. I do Black Lapel. https://goo.gl/C2kS6I
Great article, well-made point. I have no access, in my western Canadian city of 200K people, to a decent tailor. After many attempts I have yet to find someone who can do more than shorten sleeves or badly taper trouser legs. I buy the best off the rack fit I can find, but cannot achieve a “well-tailored suit.”
I do online custom with Black Lapel. https://goo.gl/C2kS6I
Thanks for the quick response. And sorry for posting the same comment twice. If someone as stylish as you is recommending, I can’t ignore Black Lapel. Can they vault hurdles like my extra square shoulders—one of them higher than the other—that give me a roll behind the collar? And whatever it is about my waist/chest/shoulder relationship that almost always results in bowed lapels? Can they get my trouser legs just right, with the same tapered opening as my favourite J. Crew trousers? If so, I’ll order a suit right away. If not, they’re in the same league as the “tailors” in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
I would enlist the assistance of a tailor with your measurements. When the suit arrives, it may not be perfect on the first try, but Black Lapel will work with you to get it right.
Haha—I played with the website and a measuring tape until I listened to your 40th podcast episode. The young man with the stripped-down wardrobe shamed me out of ordering another suit. My wallet and closet thank you, George!