What is Classic Menswear? The Classic Menswear Fashions

The Classic Menswear Fashions

Although Teeanime sartorial lovers strive for style that lasts decades rather than seasons, I believe it is necessary to acknowledge the styles we still follow.

While we may not wear band T-shirts or wear ‘ugly’ trainers, we are heavily influenced by our peers and those we see around us.

Take the lapel

Most people who are interested in tailoring today will choose a lapel that is wider than what you see on a high-street suit. It could be 9cm or 8cm, but it will be wider for sure.

They say it makes them look better. I say the same thing to myself. But of course, a wider lapel isn’t better or more flattering in and of itself.

Lapels that are too small are silly, but so are ones that are too big.

Balance is the only thing that always looks good and is stylish. You can’t go too far in either direction.

The same thing goes for the height of a lapel

A few years ago, collars were getting smaller and lapels seemed to be flying off the backs of shoulders.

The most modern suits seem to have dropped their lapels, and the gorge is now somewhere in the middle of the chest.

This has a vintage feel to it, which might make the chest look bigger.

But at its core, it’s just a trend, and we should see it for what it is.

The other obvious fashion is the width of trousers

Tight pants that cling to your legs rarely look good, but you can also go too far with wide pants. Styles seem to be getting wider and taller these days.

What other kinds of clothing styles are there?

Big waistbands, long waistbands, and, more recently, gurkha-style waistbands stand out the most. Deep turn-ups or cuffs and three-roll-two jackets may not be as clear.

There are also trends in shoes (double monks seem to have had their day), shirt collars (longer and pointier), and, of course, clothes (such as navy seersucker or tobacco linen).

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with any of these

As I stated in 2008, I believe you should be conscious of your fashion cycle and enjoy it.

However, I would emphasize the importance of moderation.

Savile Row tailors used to say that they followed suit trends slowly. When five-inch lapels were popular in the 1970s, theirs were 3 34. When it was two inches in the nineties, theirs was three and a half.

This is an excellent rule to follow, in my opinion, and we shouldn’t pretend that we aren’t following our own, low-level trends.

The majority of my non-English jackets are produced in the three-roll-two pattern. I also like 5cm turn-ups and patch pockets. But I avoid gorge lines that are too high and double breasteds that are overdone.

Don’t pretend you’re not influenced by fashion. Just be aware of it and enjoy it sparingly.

It is possible to break down these fashions into groups based on how long they last.

Similar to wavelength-grouped colors.

Long-wave, generation-spanning menswear trend had lounge suit replace frock coat and now dinner jacket.

There are decade-long trends in lapel widths, trouser widths, and collar shapes (most of those mentioned above).

Fashions might endure 2-3 years. This includes clothing trends like tie bars and trouser pleats.

In 2015, US Esquire used Google data to gauge the popularity of menswear like pocket squares (below). Fedoras went down as tie bars rose.

Bottom Line

We’re not mainstream, thus that article is about mainstream trends.

As the internet makes trends more global, it also allows subcultures like classic menswear to continue outside the mainstream, as global websites and forums bring together a few hundred like-minded folks.

So perhaps we are setting Classic Menswear Fashions now.