Style meets comfort in athleisure wear
Athleisure wear has quickly become a staple of street fashion throughout the 2000s. Leggings made a comeback in the early 2000s as a women’s fashion basic. Yoga pants and their wearers stepped out of yoga studios and into day-today life. Jogger-style pants have dominated both fashion and fitness for the past few seasons. Designers have taken note and athleisure has morphed from stylish sweats into more sophisticated cuts.
Dirk Bikkembergs, a Belgian designer, revolutionized professional wear when he made a fully structured suit out of jersey fabric – the same fabric used to make hoodies and sweats. Bikkembergs’ line is available at Ultimo Euromoda and owner Barry Flynn is ready to help guys suit up. Flynn says after Bikkembergs’ jersey suit debuted other designers follow suit (no pun intended). “It was a game changer for a lot of men.”
Flynn has helped not only style men, but change their minds. He says many men wear clothes that are a size or two too big because it’s more comfortable; however, jersey suiting “is a way for men to wear something slimmer than they’d usually consider and still have the comfort level they’d get from wearing something much looser.”
The proper fit in suiting is paramount and Ultimo Euromoda currently has three styles of suits constructed of jersey so men can choose the right size without sacrificing comfort. By August, Ultimo Euromoda will have seven or eight different jersey styles for the fall season, including suiting from Dutch designer, Kollekt, and German designer, Digel.
Flynn is excited about the succession of changes he has seen in this emergent type of suiting construction and the rapid progression in design. He says that early samples of jersey trousers didn’t look properly tailored, but fashion houses have now perfected the design and no one but the wearer knows they are made of jersey.
The lining of the suit jackets has also come a long way; he says designers “are starting to make the adjustments with the proper interiors.” While many designers elect to line their suit jackets with daring colours and patterns, Digel has thoughtfully lined their jersey suit jackets with an athletic mesh, similar to the type of fabric basketball shorts are made from, to allow for optimal stretch and breathability.
While the jersey suits provide the utmost in comfort, no detail has been forgotten or sacrificed. From piping to elbow patches and branded buttons, each piece is impeccably styled. Canadian designer, Vincent D’Amérique, is a new line exclusive to Ultimo Euromoda for Saskatchewan. The jackets Flynn has in store are created to make fashion easy and affordable. Details like the colourful lining in the outer breast jacket pocket that the wearer can pull up and out of the pocket to form a faux pocket square create an effortless accessory. If you’re looking to step out for the night, Vincent D’Amérique also makes a hybrid tuxedo jacket in jersey that Flynn says “is the kind of suit James Bond would wear.”
But if your lifestyle is more cubicle than Connery, a jersey suit will provide ultimate comfort during the day and won’t crease, so you still look polished to go out for drinks or a date straight from work.
But jersey styles aren’t just for men; designers haven’t forgotten that ladies value comfort just as much as the gentlemen. Jersey has become a favourite fabric choice in women’s collections with jersey blazers, skirts and denim. Ultimo Euromoda has jersey selections for women as well.
Any piece of clothing constructed out of jersey fabric is a great choice for travel. “It looks great when you get off the plane,” says Flynn. Plus, it won’t wrinkle in your suitcase. What’s even more impressive is that some of the suiting pieces in jersey available at Ultimo Euromoda are machine washable.
Whether you’re looking for a suit for work or a special occasion, suiting created out of jersey is a practical and sartorial solution. Visit Ultimo Euromoda at 204 Third Avenue South for your perfect fit.