Q. I never button my suit jackets or blazers. It shows off my shirt and tie and also allows me to buy slimmer fitting jackets. I’m between 5 feet 9 and 5 feet 10 and I’m thinking of buying jackets in size 40 short just to get that look, but I’m on the fence about it. Is there ever a time to buy something “short” even if your height is “regular”?
A. Normally, a man of your height would indeed wear a size “regular” suit. What you are considering buying is not your actual size, but you are not the only one to take this route. Many youthful, stylish dressers agree with your preference. Such a purchase could be fine if the style works for you, and if you recognize that yours will not be the most professional look nor one guaranteed to still work in three or four more years. Obviously, you must be an in-shape guy who likes the new, forward look of a trimmer and shorter silhouette.
The style of dressing you are emulating was first introduced by the fashion-forward designer Thom Browne. His signature look is known for its short, close fit and almost shrunken slimness, including trousers with exposed ankles! Everything about it is narrower than what the majority of men wear, both the old standard boxy “Brooks Brothers cut” and the newer, trimmer classic cuts.
While most men do not wear Tom Browne’s extreme narrow cut, in truth, almost all of the men’s clothing industry has been slightly - if not strongly - influenced in recent years by his singular design. He has been credited with “giving the staid suit industry a much-needed injection of cool.” Even such Establishment men’s clothing manufacturers and venerable stores as Hickey Freeman, Paul Stuart, and, yes, Brooks Brothers are now cutting their suits and sport jackets a bit shorter and somewhat slimmer with narrower lapels, less full trousers, and higher armholes. Apparently, the cut you favor goes one step further, a bit closer to the actual Thom Browne style. But this look is not for everyone.
When it comes to dressing, men tend to come in two very different categories: Those who enjoy being noticed for their up-to-the-minute fashionable style/attire, and those whose traditional, preppy background makes them shrink from ever wearing anything that might call attention to them. These two types of men not only have different goals, but shop in different stores and departments to assure this distinction. They may have very different backgrounds and, therefore, probably had quite different influences.
When I act as a personal shopper, the first point I establish in my mind is in which of these two categories the man belongs. I would not dream of taking the second type into a trendy, fashion-forward store that is appropriate for the first. Nor would I try to turn a hip dresser into a traditional dresser or, what he may think of as worse, his father. The important point is that a man must feel confident in his choices, be true to himself, and stay within his own comfort zone.
One man I know (a buyer/ merchandiser for an upscale men’s clothing shop) has taken to doing just what you are considering: Although he measures a 42 regular, he buys a 42 short. He likes his jackets a little short and snug with a higher armhole - basically, an edgier look. This effect can be accomplished either as you and he suggest, by buying a “short” rather than a “regular” in a traditional store, or by selecting a designer’s line that is actually aimed at the edgier, more modern dresser,such as Armani or Zegna. Because forward designers cut their clothes more to your liking, you would not need to make adjustments by buying an off-size.
Even so, if you go into such well-known stores as Paul Stuart, Bloomingdale’s, or Ralph Lauren, you need to know which specific line of their clothes to ask for. The typical customer does not realize there may be more than one type of cut under one company’s overall umbrella name. Here is where you need a knowledgeable salesman. For example, at Paul Stuart, most of their clothes are classic cuts, but they have a separate line that is trimmer and more fashion-forward, called Phineas Cole. Ralph Lauren has three suit lines: Polo Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Black Label, and Purple Label. Each is different in styling and price (Purple Label is the most fashion forward and the most expensive). Warning note: Stores that stock a clothing company’s name may not carry every one of that company’s different lines. This can make shopping complicated.
Even more important note: While the current trend is toward a shorter, closer-fitting silhouette, it is essential to keep in mind that this is indeed the current “trend.” In menswear, you must be cautious about investing too heavily in anything that might be considered “trendy.” Since classic dressing is always safe,you need not hesitate to buy the best you can afford. But since, by definition, trendy dressing is fleeting, it may be passe in a few years. So, if your clothing budget is limited, tread cautiously.
Send men’s fashion queries to lois.fenton@prodigy.net.
High Profile, Pages 45 on 12/22/2013