Suit version: the difference between British style, Italian style and American style
A good suit will generally claim to belong to one of two traditional fits: Italian (also known as Continental) or English. How to distinguish an Italian suit from an English suit? What are the characteristics of our most common American suits? Let us discuss the suit version today.
British, Italian and American suits have their own advantages and disadvantages, especially Italian suits have unique regional differences. Now more brands of suits will contain a mix of elements of a variety of tailoring styles. In this article we'll explore what makes these styles unique.
British suit：
The suit as we know it today originated in England, and more specifically, in London in the 19th century. The British suit has also become the most traditional and representative suit style. In the early 19th century, the father of modern suits, George Brummell (Beau Brummell), simplified the men's clothing at that time, using dark blue coats and white shirts to form the basis of modern suits. In the middle of the 19th century, this evening dress gradually evolved, getting rid of the long tail and becoming more loose, thus forming the business formal wear we are familiar with today.
The British suit is very characteristic: Brummell's original design was based on the uniforms he wore during his military career, thus emphasizing physique and authority in the design. In terms of design, the emphasis on the body is shown in the strong structure, soft shoulder pads, thick linen lining, tight waist, and full body fit. British suits are very suitable for tall men and can highlight the advantages of their figure. At the same time, British-style suits are both conservative and low-key, without being too ostentatious. Note, however, that not all English suits look exactly alike, on the one hand because each store has its own style, on the other hand, the English suit is also influenced by the Italian suit, showing some mixed characteristic.
Many features of the British suit are also related to equestrianism, because in the past many gentlemen traveled on horseback, and Mr. Brummel was also from the cavalry regiment. Therefore, the British suit is designed with double slits at the hem (the clothes will not deform when riding a horse), and flap pockets (to prevent mud from entering the pockets). Later, for the convenience of commuting, a ticket pocket was designed above the main side pocket, which is convenient for storing train tickets. The British suit also has a lower collar (the place where the collar and lapel meet), really open cuff buttons (also known as surgeon's buttons, which are designed to make it easier for surgeons to roll up the cuffs during operations). These designs are no longer unique today, and have appeared on other types of suits with the wave of globalization.
Italian suit：
The Italian suit, also known as the "European suit", is a very general term - as Italian suits vary greatly from place to place. Naples tailoring will deliberately emphasize the naturalness of the shoulders (rather than thick shoulder pads like an English suit), while Milanese tailoring will not be so concerned. Generally speaking, compared with the British suit, the Italian suit puts more emphasis on comfort, leisure, and individuality. The design is more slim, and the pockets will use more casual patch pockets (rather than flap pockets). Structurally, due to the difference in climate, Italian-style suits will pay attention to heat dissipation, unlike British-style suits that pay more attention to warmth. People who wear Italian suits will put more emphasis on "this is my style". Although in menswear the Italian suit is almost synonymous with the Neapolitan suit, it took the Roman label Brioni in the 1950s to make it into the global scene. Brioni's suits have the slim cuts common in Italian style, but are more conservative than Neapolitan.
American suit：
The first major change to the British suit occurred in the United States. At that time, Brooks Brothers (Brooks Brothers) promoted the "sack suit (sack suit)" in the United States. Simply put, this suit jacket is a straight leg from top to bottom, and the trouser legs are also loose and fat, and the overall cut is very loose. That way, everyone can wear the same suit. Another advantage of the sack suit is that the production cost is very low - not only because of the tailoring, they also omitted other unnecessary details - the slit was changed to a single slit, and the cuffs were also made of fake cuffs that are only decorative . Consumers pay a lot for this, because they only need to spend very little money to buy a suit that can be worn out. The suit became the fashion for the Ivy League students, because in addition to being less restrictive, it also reflected their different style from their parents. This "sack-style" design of American suits has also deeply influenced the style of Japanese suits, forming Japanese suits that are more suitable for Asian body types.
The American suit is the kind of suit farthest from fashion, and its design is not from a fashion point of view. When it comes to American suits, people think of disheveled politicians and salesmen. Because Americans generally have a relatively large body shape, everyone also thinks that American-style suits are more suitable for Americans. However, with the popularity of Italian suits, the current design of American suits also takes into account the factors of self-cultivation, and also uses elements such as double slits and shoulder pads. American-style suits are not suitable for thin people, because the fat cut will make people look extra bloated.
Although it has various shortcomings, due to its low cost and stronger "universal applicability", American suits still occupy the windows of major shopping malls, and American suits can be seen all over the world.