In the modern day, sportswear fit of clothing seemed to be the safe and familiar choice for men. Due to its comfortable nature and its allowance for movement. All of that is quickly changing back to the traditional garment which are tailored suits.
Sportswear has taken over the world with its comfortability, allowing for people to be lazy within their clothing. This also has allowed our clothing to look more casual than formal. Comfortability strongly led to laziness that attributes for us to be “too lazy” to look after ourselves.
On the other hand, tailored garments such as suits, makes the body adjust to the garment and not the body to the garment. Especially suits where they shape the body and most affect the posture of the wearer.
The suit can be an indicator of how men construct their own sense of what it meant to be a man. The craft of a suit worn by men can be seen as a symbol of authority or importance.
The most traceable inception of the modern day three piece suit can be seen on 1666 by Samuel Pepys. Who was an English Diarist as well as the member of Parliament. He indicated in his diaries that the wearer of three piece suit was an image of thrifty and grounded aristocracy. In other words, an acceptable portrayal of masculinity in power.
In the early Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 Menswear, an observation was made that men are wearing tighter and much more fitted garments. Most of these garments are suits. It seems as there’s a trend for fitted suits that has the obligation of being a fit man for it. There seems to be a common theme of more tailored suit that seems to be more fitted to the model on the runway. Tailored suits are made to order in ateliers with its special characteristic of being made just for you. Tailored pieces are typically made for your exact body shape so they are unique one-off pieces.
The suit was not only presented in a traditional manner, but in addition they were oversized, extra pockets on the jacket, high waisted trousers (highlighting the waist), or even be cropped so you’ll be seeing the stomach.
What does the suit represent today?
Now the suit can be worn by any gender. It is seen both on women and men with a very playful manner. Although at times it’s still seen as a reference to masculinity. The suit has become a unisex garment which are seen worn casually for everyday or can be seen worn formally for special events. Nevertheless a suit has that hint of symbolism of someone trying to be taken more seriously. Suits still serve a function as a workwear, especially the work where the appearance matters.
Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 Menswear had a sense of a reminder to men of the formality within a tailored suit. There is a seen difference of how your body moves in sportswear and in a tailored suits, even how your posture looks, and how you as an individual feel between those two.
Photo Credits: Vogue Runway
Kiko Kostadinov, Dries Van Noten, Sacai, Rick Owens, Wales Bonner, Botter, Loewe, Walter Van Beirendonck
