The Modern Suit During The Edwardian Era

931 Words4 Pages
“A good suit has that solidity and importance about it that equals its craftsmanship.” – Paul Smith. Un-ashamedly masculine and impeccably stylish, the modern suit is a must have in every man’s closet. It defines one’s personality and tells who you really are. Evolved through the years and available in different styles, they say a ‘perfect suit’ is hard to find. But if you do so, it’s like that you have reached the vantage point in fashion. For a generation, the suit has become an unappealing prospect, a dull and daily uniform or a stuffy historical costume only for a formal occasion. But little doe one know the history and methodology involved in creating, what we calla ‘modern suit’. There are various nuts and bolts to a traditional suit.…show more content…
So the pre-dominant style during this period was a tightly fitting, dark tailcoat with non-matching trousers, waistcoat and a white shirt. Towards the Victorian period, the frock coat could be seen being worn by all the gentlemen. In the 19th century, a morning coat became more acceptable. Towards the end of the 19th century, the Modern Lounge Suit was born. It was a very informal garment meant to be worn for beaches and sports. Then came the dinner jacket, also known as a tuxedo that people generally wore on formal occasions. During the Edwardian era, the lounge suit slowly started getting accepted by people all around. After the end of World War I, men adopted short lounge coated suits as long coats quickly went out of fashion. In 1920’s, men started wearing straight legged and wide trousers with their suits. Young men wore wider legged trousers also known as ‘Oxford Bags’. Single-breasted suits were preferred that double-breasted ones. In 1935, loose-fitted coats were introduced, trousers began to be tapered from the bottom and coats began to have tapered arms. By 1940’s, the waistcoat was loosened to make it more comfortable to wear. During 1940’s and 1950’s, suits became simplified and modernized. Suit coats were also cut as straight as possible without any indication of the waistline. In the early 1970’s, the Nehru Jacket came into the picture. Also, known as the Mandarin Suit, with was simpler style with no necktie. In the mid 70’s, suits became…show more content…
So the concept of Made-to-Measure/Bespoke came into the limelight. Saville Row, a street in Mayfair, London is known for its bespoke tailoring even today. A bespoke suit, today starts from £1500 and go up to as much as £5000. Each suit is made to the customer’s fit, requirement and satisfaction. Some of the famous British designers are Gieves and Hawkes, Thomas Pink, Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith and Burberry. The American giants, Brooks Brothers have pioneered in men’s suits and have dressed all the US presidents. With more know-how and an increase in fashion, Italian giants like Giorgio Armani, Canali and Ermenegildo Zegna came into the picture. Armani revolutionized the world of men’s fashion and made his suits available to all the economic classes of the society. He is one of the leading designers and the backbone of the so-called ‘Suit’ industry. His made-to-measure suits can go up to a staggering

    More about The Modern Suit During The Edwardian Era

      Open Document