Usually, picking your fabric for your next Alexander West suit is easy: Grey, Navy, stripes, small checks, or solids. You choose what your business dictates. BUT, when it comes down to picking out the lining fabric,quite a few clients let their true colors (pun intended) shine! We invite you to come see not only our suit fabric selection, but our lining selection as well. You may be surprised to see what you’ll find- a perfectly fitted business suit fully lined with personality!
Truly no ordinary briefcase, Contango Goods’ Axton is crafted in NYC from surprisingly soft oiled leather, English bridle leather handles, cotton flannel lining, and industrial grade rivets and zippers. The full grain leather will develop a patina that can be buffed out with the tips of your fingers. The slim design and superior quality of this innovative take on the classic briefcase far outweighs it’s price: $375. Available in Brown or Black at the Alexander West showroom.
If you are interested in seeing other cool fashion items I suggest you to take a look at Instyle.com and GadgetHit Fashion Gadgets for more fashion-tech things. There are also several fashion blogs to get inspiration from.
Building on last month’s entry for designing your tuxedo, we are going to explore options when designing your formal shirt. A formal shirt should let the tuxedo take center stage. A White shirt is the most traditional option. Opt for a crisp, smooth, densely woven fabric or choose a fabric that has a very subtle pattern or texture that feels more elegant than your business shirts. Subtle shine created by an extraordinary weave or texture on a formal shirt makes the shirt special. Also consider the season and time of day of an event: day events may call for a lighter weight fabric to ease the effects of heat, evening events may call for fabrics with a bit more weight. Below are some fabric options with texture for the shirt or the bib front:
There are two traditional collar styles for your formal shirt, either spread or wing. Both are appropriate to pair with a bow tie, but not with a neck tie! If you opt for the spread collar, note that the spread between the collar points should be narrow enough for the bow tie to sit squarely between the points- if the spread is too wide the wings of the bow tie could get caught under the collar! We strongly suggest french cuffs for a formal shirt, in order for you to show off handsome cuff links. We have several french cuff shapes to consider, but a square edge is the most traditional. There are several options to consider for the front of the shirt: with or without a bib, bib with pleats or pique front, exposed studs or fly front. This choice is very personal, choose which style best reflects your style and personality. All our formal shirts come with removable buttons to accommodate studs (unless you specify otherwise).
If you are a current client, we would use your most recent measurement profile to create your shirt, with new formal style details. Lastly, we ask that you give us 5-7 weeks ahead of your event date so we deliver you a perfect finished shirt in a timely manner.
Because a tuxedo is meant to be formal wear, it should differ greatly in style and detail from your business suit. We have put together some points to consider when designing your tuxedo:
Let’s start with the jacket lapels. Because the notch lapel is closely associated with business suits, we suggest choosing a peak lapel or a shawl collar for your tuxedo. This will automatically distinguish the jacket from regular business attire. We suggest the traditional 1-button single-breasted style. It is customary to exclude pocket flaps at the waist on a tuxedo jacket, leaving the welt detail only, and trimmed in the same silk as the lapel. There will be no vent opening at the back of the jacket for a more polished appearance, but if a vent is necessary a double (side) vent is more appropriate. Buttons on the front of the jacket and at the sleeve are covered in the same silk as the lapels. A chest pocket is customary with a tuxedo jacket.
The major style difference for tuxedo pants is the elegant silk stripe (or “braid”) covering the side seam. This stripe is made from the same silk as the jacket lapel. The waistband only includes side tabs, and not beltloops, so fitting the waistband very closely is important*. The hem of the pants are plain and without cuffs for an elegant finish. The fabric for the pants should match the fabric of the jacket. If you’re considering a white tuxedo jacket for warm weather occasions, we suggest darkest navy blue pants to pair with your jacket.
You have the option of including a vest with your tuxedo design. The purpose of the vest is the same as a cumberbund, to cover the waistband and keep you from exposing a bit of shirt above the waistband.
A tuxedo is both a luxury and a necessity for a gentleman. We will help you get your gentleman on when you come in for a fitting.
*Even though you wont be able to wear a belt, you can always opt for braces/suspenders to wear with your tuxedo.
