It is a fashion classic that has evolved in dimensions, fabrics, tones …
The man had to wear a waistcoat and trousers gathered at the knee, cover his head with a wig, wrap his neck with his corresponding scarf and protect himself from the cold with the mandatory cloak. This dress code was instituted by King Charles II of England in the seventeenth century as a compendium of the customs that prevailed at the court of Versailles. Although it seems strange, this canon is the remote antecedent of the male costume that would crystallize two centuries later and still survives.
The City of London made it popular and spread throughout the world. But that very practical standard continues to evolve. Gonzalo López Larrainzar and Bere Casillas, two masters of Spanish tailoring, reveal their latest transformations, in line with issues such as climate change or a certain naturalness in forms.
The combination of jacket and pants is no stranger to fashion. Although classic fabrics, fil-a-fil, pinstripe or bird’s eye continue to predominate, the consistency has varied. “Before they were thicker,” explains López Larrainzar, the latest exponent of a family saga that, among others, counts King Felipe VI as a client. “Perhaps due to the use of heating or climate change, there are no longer winter and summer clothes, but the mid-season suits are used all year round.”
The color monopoly is also in question. The dominant colors are blues, charcoal gray and beige, now being contrasted with the use of other ranges in linings, for example, or vests. But the biggest alteration comes from the use of T-shirts or T-shirts instead of the traditional shirt. “That is the influence of ‘Corruption in Miami’ and the truth is that I think it can only look good in Miami,” he confesses. Another thing is a blazer with a nice polo shirt.
Footwear must also be consistent with the suit. “There is no room for loafers,” he warns and opts for lace-up shoes, buckles or tassels. “Sometimes we forget that the choice of accessory elements is very important.”
Without handkerchiefs
However, some are in sharp decline. “I have not seen handkerchiefs for a long time, and that has to do with the gradual disappearance of the tie,” he alleges. Yes, the star complement goes backwards. “I have very important buyers who come without them, I also use it less and, practically, young people have stopped using it.”
The universe of tailoring has found a contemporary diffuser in Granada’s Bere Casillas. Through YouTube, he spreads his concept ‘elegance 2.0’, an approach to men’s fashion for all audiences. The video in which he explains how to tie the Windsor tie in less than a minute has already garnered 2.6 million views, for example. The ‘celebrities’ wear their tailored jackets and pants. “The process, structure and use have changed dramatically.”
The ‘slim fit’ is imposed. “The garments are tighter, even in the most classic cuts, the blazers have lost one to three centimeters and the length of the trousers has been reduced so that they only rub against the shoe.”
And the climate crisis, what effect has it had? The influence, in this field, has resulted in a predilection for natural and thin fibers, to which lycra is added to gain elasticity.
The tailoring boom was interrupted by the pandemic and, currently, we are in a situation in which it has lost prominence, according to this professional. “The ‘business casual’, the combination of jacket and chinos in the business world is generalized”.
Rustic fabrics
The tartan wins whole in this aesthetic change, as well as the jacket with large squares with a pocket pocket or plain ones with a patch pocket. The distinction can be earned with the use of lapels in the vests, recommended especially for ceremonies and not so much for everyday life. “In this section, I lean towards rustic fabrics, with a certain roughness,” he points out.
The tailor shop, in his opinion, enjoys good prospects in the medium term. “The circumstances in which we live force the disappearance of so pernicious ‘fast fashion’, and to bet on products of a higher price, but also of higher quality and durability,” he argues. In addition, these garments can accommodate the transformation of taste. “They can adapt to changes in trends and, if you tend towards a greater volume, they would adapt easily because they have an extra fabric, which industrial clothing lacks.”
Diamond dust to add a touch of the whole
The Laureus Sports Awards are a good occasion to discover the most bizarre trends in men’s fashion. “But in the street there are no radical changes if you are not a footballer or have bizarre tastes,” warns the Madrid tailor Gonzalo López Larrainzar. Who has a fantasy sample in which you can find suits sprinkled with diamond dust or made with 18 karat gold wire, although they are exceptions. In any case, he has taken on strange projects. “On one occasion, I prepared an outfit to attend a party with the flag of the European Union stamped on it.” Weddings are, he says, another great time to see “terrifying combinations.” And now shoes without socks are a trend in bridal events. “You can do it if you go ‘casual’, but in a ceremony of this type it does not seem correct to me, nor on a professional level,” argues Bere Casillas.
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