Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2020-08-31)

THEVIEWFROMENGLAND

Dressingupforfun

EvenbeforeCovid-19,tailorsonSavileRow
wereseeinga migrationawayfromthesuit
infavorofothertypesofattire.“Thetrend
hasbeentowardseparatesandclothing
thatcanbewornindifferentwaysfor
differentoccasions,”saysAndaRowland,
vicechairmanofAnderson& Sheppard,
whichwasfoundedin1906.“Thetendency
nowis todressdownforbusinessbutmore
formallyoutofwork—inthecustomer’s
leisureandsocialtime.Thisis obviously
goodnewsforbespoketailoring,asweoffer
a widechoiceofclothandstyledetails.”
HillatDrake’sechoesthisidea.“Most
menthesedaysdidn’thavetowearsuits
evenwhenofficeswereopen,”hesays.
“Ourstylestrikesthatbalancebetween
casualandformal,soit canbeworn
almostanywhere,evenif you’reworking
from home.”
But the British three-piece isn’t going
the way of the typewriter anytime soon.
“The well-tailored Savile Row suit will
become more of a status symbol now that
it’s decreasing as an office staple,” says
Martin Nicholls, managing director of Norton
& Sons Ltd. “For establishment boardroom
battles, it will still be de rigueur as a
minimum entry requirement.”

THEVIEWFROMITALY

Personalexpressionrules

MicheleAmRusso,chiefexecutiveofficer

ofwomenswear-focusedBombaSrlin

Rome,sayscustomersduringlockdown

haveorderedsomeoftheusualpieces—

trenchcoats,classiccapri-stylepants,and

thecompany’sbelovedCNdress—aswell

aschiffondressesandsilk-tullelingerie.He

notesthatconnectingwithclientsvirtually

hasgonebetterthanexpected.“We’vebeen

moreavailablethaneveroveremail,phone,

andInstagram,”hesays.“Wesendfabric

samplesviapost[sotheycan]feelthefibers

andseethecolors.Thisisn’tanalternative

tomeetingandworkingintheatelier,but

withincertainlimitsit’sundeniablya wayof

creatingbeautifulpieces.”

GerardoCavaliere,creativedirector

ofSartoriaGiuliva,alsoinRome,sayshis

space,withmasksandgloves,is “more

similar to an operating room than an atelier.”

But those who gravitate to his clothes

have postponed their appointments, not

canceled them. “Generally my clients wear

suits even if they are not in their office,” he

says. (Yes, Italians and tailoring obsessives

wear trousers and a sport coat in their daily

life.) “Luckily, there are people that, like me,

think the suit is not just a formal uniform to

wear for work.”

THEVIEWFROMNEWYORK

Thesymbolofpower

“Duringlockdownwe’vewrittensome

ofthelargestorderswe’veevertaken,”

saysMartorano,whorunsa bespoke

shoponWest57thStreet.“Someclients

haveorderedasmanyasa dozensuitsin

oneshot.”ThemajorityareC-suite-level

executives.“Nomatterwheretheyareor

whatthecircumstancemaybe—Zoomcall

orwhatever—theywanttobeappropriately

dressedforthesimplereasonthatthey’rein

charge,”hesays.“I’vebeenasked,especially

byhigh-profileindividuals,howtheycan

projectindividualityandgravitasandnot

appearfoppish.Manyofthemenandwomen

wedressarepeopleinthepubliceye,making

it imperativethat,duringthesedifficulttimes,

theydon’tlooktheleastbitfrivolous.”

Downtown,Mueseris knownfor

unstructuredclothing—amorelightweight,

breathable, and slimmer design. His best

clients appreciate luxurious fabrics they can’t

get anywhere else. “Clients have been leaning

into softer and easier clothes as opposed to

more formal business suits,” he says. “We’ve

been making a lot of unlined, deconstructed

sport jackets from cottons and jerseys and

more luxury cloth like cashmere—things

people can comfortably wear while working

from home and still feel put-together.”

65

FALL STYLE Bloomberg Pursuits August 31, 2020

down,”Martoranosays.He’sevenhiredtwotailorswho’d
lostpositionselsewhere.
Inmanywayswewereina goldenageoftailoringinNew
YorkbeforeCovid-19,whichmakesthisconundrumallthe
morefrustratingforeveryoneinvolved.It hadneverbeen
easiertogeta bespoketwo-piece:Manhattanhasmany
expertsuitmakers,andtheleadinghousesonSavileRow
andinItalywouldsetuptrunkshowsheretwicea year,elim-
inatingtheneedtohopa planefora newpurchase.Other
NewYorkretailerssuchastheArmourywouldhostlesswell-
knownmasterswhootherwisehadneverbeenabletovisit.
Lately, tailoringhasn’talwaysmeanta suit, either.
Customershavebeencommissioningclothingontheirown
terms,accordingtoMichaelHill,creativedirectorofBritish
menswearbrandDrake’s.Most“arelookingforsomething
thattheyreallywanttowear,”hesays.“It’sa farmorejoyous
thing, rather than a corporate uniform.”

The result is something handmade but not dressy.

“Customers are ordering fewer classic white and blue

shirts,”especiallyduringthepandemic,saysVarvaraJain,

whoownstheAmsterdam-basedshirtbrand100Hands

withherhusband,Akshat.Themostpopular,shesays,“are

denims, indigos, and jerseys.” Mueser has seen an increase

in orders for boldly patterned sport coats and colorful trou-

sers in cotton twills and linen. “These are more playful, less

conservative designs,” he says.

Even James Bond, once a symbol of Savile Row tailor-

ing, is embracing unstructured suits and softer materials.

IntheforthcomingfilmNoTimetoDie, hewearsa casual

pinwalecorduroysuitbydesignerMassimoAlbaofMilan.

“Asignificant portion of professionals now feel the need to

represent themselves in a freer, more informal manner,”

Alba says. “But the suit will remain one of the most iconic

codes for elegance.” <BW>