The Suit as Self-Expression
No longer a symbol of uniformity – as dress codes change, the suit takes on thrilling new forms.
When a suit was still de rigueur office wear for men, it was a uniform like any other. Buses, trams, and train cars filled each morning with droves of commuting office workers dressed almost identically – a simple two-piece suit, probably navy but charcoal at a push, with a white shirt, dark tie, and black oxford shoes. A bowler hat, depending on the period, and a raincoat depending on the weather.
It's undoubtedly an elegant look, but not one that leaves a lot of room for individuality, which of course was precisely the point. It was a time and an environment in which fitting in was a virtue. Thankfully, those attitudes have faded away while the suit itself very much remains. But that does beg the question: shorn of its original purpose, what is the suit today?
The first thing to say is, a well-cut suit is just as flattering and graceful as it’s always been, the item’s essential elements left more or less intact since those days of bank managers who resembled nothing more than Mr Benn. But without the strictures that determined the suit’s rather sombre appearance, it has been free to become a symbol of that which it originally opposed: self-expression.
The idea of a suit which is traditional in concept but unconventional in execution was one of Paul’s early innovations. When the brand was in its infancy, he was challenging the established tenets of tailoring while acknowledging the importance of proper craftsmanship. Colour and pattern crept in where they had previously been absent, defining his central philosophy of ‘classic with a twist.’ And today this idea stays with us. We’re pleased to offer, alongside more classic fare, suits which exist to stand out and command attention.
They do this through the use of bold colour and distinctive pattern. A wool fresco, which you’d typically see in light grey or mid-blue, appears this season in both bright red and powder pink. Each colour is available as a three-piece suit, walking that line between traditional and altogether different. We also offer a suit in an orange melange wool, its unique visual appeal a combination of hue and texture. Foremost amongst this season’s statement suits, however, is our ‘Morning Light’ three-piece. Inspired by a photograph Paul found of a figure stood by a window, bands of light cascading through the Venetian blinds, the Morning Light motif is printed onto a wool three-piece, which gives the suit a dramatic, geometric effect. It’s not your grandpa’s pin-striped flannel, but there is some shared DNA, and it’s this convergence of old and new that we try to bring into all of our designs.
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Published: 02.24
Words: Nathan Sharp