“What kind of suit a man needs depends on who they are, what they do and what their life looks like,” says Oliver. He recommends that you not consciously try to look younger. “It is the fit that matters,” he says, “which is why custom suiting looks so much better. We all have different bodies, and off-the-rack just does not fit everyone.”
We talk a bit about Joe Biden, who at 81 cuts a fine figure. A recent New York Times story analyzed the U.S. president’s style – the White House won’t reveal the suiting label he wears or its provenance – concluding that he walks a fine line between dandy and approachable. “Biden looks good, the silhouette and cut of his suits are appropriate,” says Oliver. “He looks current. But then again, he’s still quite slim, and the details are tailored to a very exact length of sleeve, of jacket. The shoulders are softly sloped. It’s youthful, but subtly so.” The shoulders of Biden’s jackets, said the Times’ fashion writer Guy Trebay, are carefully orchestrated to look substantial and yet still soft, an approach somewhere between a more structured English cut and the more laidback Italian shoulder style. The colour is a very carefully chosen blue: the Pantone shade is called Patriot, and it is a brighter, richer blue than a navy, adding a sprightly pop. Bolder colour is always better for skin that gets sallow with age.
Men of all ages will cite their suiting icons as men from the golden age of Hollywood, says Oliver. “Cary Grant is a big inspiration,” he says, or Gregory Peck or Rock Hudson. “Also, any of the Bonds. Men love how they wore a suit.” Classic cuts – such as an elongated silhouette (not too narrow and not too wide), with trousers breaking at the vamp of the shoe and jackets covering the rear end, not to mention the suits being single-breasted, with lapels neither too thin nor too thick – have timeless appeal, says Oliver. “People don’t want trendy,” he observes, citing men wearing trousers cut above their ankles and jackets cropped at their hips, the fashion from about 10 years ago. “Just, no thank you,” says Oliver.
Perfectly tailored suits speak of power. For an international politician with flair, look to Nicolas Sarkozy, 69, the former French president who still wears his statesman’s uniform of slim black Prada suits, bespoke white shirts from Hilditch & Key, along with finely woven grenadine silk navy and black ties. Business leaders with notable suit style include Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, who favours classic navy bespoke suits. Dimon was selected as the best-dressed CEO in a recent poll. Other finance chiefs won top spots, with fifth place going to tech titan Elon Musk, known for his minimalist grey suit style (he often eschews a tie, but his white shirts are notably crisp). Oliver’s own picks include JFK and the late Fiat founder Gianni Agnelli.
Timeless is one thing, but there are always a few current twists to the tradecraft. A bespoke suit is an investment, so Oliver recommends guys do their research before setting out to shop. A good source he says is The Rake, a tailoring magazine, or Permanent Style, a blog that covers the bespoke tailors of the world.
Jacket and trouser length are very important, says Oliver. “Too short is comical.” The most important thing: “Tailoring is all about balance. As you age, your shoulders stoop slightly forward. You are less square, not standing quite as straight,” he says. “A good tailor will address that. It is important that the back of the jacket hits at the same place as the front of the jacket, from a side profile; both sides should be even to the floor.” Thus, the back panel has to be a bit longer, to accommodate any grandfatherly stoop.
Further, nothing will date your appearance more than sleeve cuffs that hit too far down on the hand. They should break at the wrist, says Oliver. But if you are leaning slightly forward, due to the change in posture as you age, a tailor needs to raise the cuff. “You can do that by shortening the hem, “but that can mean making functional cuffs no longer functional,” he says, because of the buttons. “The best way to adjust sleeve length is by shortening the sleeve at the shoulder, which is possible in a bespoke suit, because you leave in allowances.”
Bespoke is the highest level of suiting, as it is individualized: If cared for properly (don’t dry-clean too often, hang suit immediately after taking it off), such a suit should last at least 10 years, says Oliver. His semi-bespoke suits (with some machine work and a base pattern that is “heavily” customized) run $1,800 to $2,100; full bespoke suiting with a pattern made from scratch, full canvas (i.e., linings are not fused), and complete hand-finishing starts at $3,000. Fabrics – always natural wools, wool-silks or linens – are imported from Europe.
Custom shirting makes a man’s style stand out, according to Oliver. “We all put on weight differently,” he says. You don’t want your shirt to pull. Choosing to have it made means you can work with your tailor to get the best shape possible. Collar choice is key. “Taller, thinner guys can get away with an English spread collar [where the points of the collar spread out versus down],” says Oliver. But if you have a shorter or thicker neck, you don’t want to have a collar that is too widespread. “Go instead for a classic point collar,” he advises. Men tend to lose muscle volume in the chest and shoulders as they age, and gain weight at the waist. “A custom shirt will take that into account, and create a smooth line.”
Take an honest look at your whole body in the mirror. “Men rarely do this,” says Oliver. It’s important. “Your tailor can work with you to make you look your best, they can teach you about dressing, but you have to start with a clear sense of what needs to be balanced out.”
Tailoring, like life, is all about balance.
Always asking questions,
—Leanne Delap
