MAN FRIDAY BACK-TO-WORK SUITING
September calls for smart suiting; try some alternative labels for a modern touch, says Stephen Doig
The dying embers of summer are upon us and the soft-fit attire of your Mediterranean sojourns segues into something more structured as we head back to work. Which is no bad thing; a great suit should change your stance and make you feel ready to face the day. But after a fortnight off, if you’re viewing your two-piece with a critical eye, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade.
The traditional tailoring stalwarts of Savile Row, Jermyn Street and beyond will always be the quality choice, and even the high street is beginning to offer some serious tailoring and made-to-measure services.
But venturing into lesser-known territory can also pay dividends – a whole host of under-theradar labels are making smart, considered and innovative clothes.
English Cut on London’s Chiltern Street is a fairly recent addition. Tailor Tom Mahon is an industry stalwart, having begun his career at Savile Row’s most revered institutions. He started out not as a store but as a blog. His light, contemporary retail space is a world away from the wood panelled and velvet curtains of Mayfair, although its tailors are trained to the nth degree and the wealth of pieces available is broad.
Despite being steeped in tradition and skill, the cut is modern, with narrow waists, shorter jackets, rounded shoulders and narrow trousers. If you’re a fellow who has spent his working life in boxy jackets and peaked shoulders, a fresher silhouette could serve you well.
Befitting of a tailoring house that began life in Sydney, P Johnson offers suiting that is sharptairlored, but lightweight and cut with a certain fluidity and ease, their belief being that “you should be able to wear a suit in the same way you wear pyjamas”.
Happily the label, which uses cloths from Tuscany, now has a UK home in London’s Rathbone Place, as well as an online presence on mrporter.com. Also launching soon on that site is Salle Privée, a menswear outfit from the former creative director of Scotch and Soda.
Alongside more casual pieces it offers exceptionally tailored jackets and trousers. The garments are made in Veneto and Tuscany and cut in a contemporary style. It almost makes the return to work something to feel good about.
‘Under-theradar labels are making innovative clothes’