Comfort is Fundamental for Fashion Right Now,
So Where Does that Leave Suiting?
Rich Fresh has Some Ideas
The Suit has existed as we know it for approximately 150 years. In that time, the defining details – trousers matching a jacket with a lapel, 3 pockets and buttoned cuffs – have remained intact. However, many secondary details have changed as fabrics and fashions have evolved.
As menswear went through a back-to-the-fundamentals phase a decade ago, suiting took its most prominent role since the 1960s. Men started wearing suits because they looked good, not because they felt obligated to. Silhouettes were slim, tailoring was king, and fabrics were classic. The whole movement leaned on a vibe that was so timeless it will always work.
Then, as fashion is wont to do, extreme divergents began to attack the status quo. Designers and stylists introduced baggy silhouettes, minimalist features, and monotone color palettes into suiting. Things began to get messy as we careened back towards the early 90s. Then the pandemic changed everything.
COVID fundamentally reset how we think about fashion, not least of all suiting. As we take two steps forward then one step back out of quarantine life, suiting’s place in fashion remains undetermined. There is a strong skew towards comfortable fits and fabrics juxtaposed against an intense desire to look stylish and put-together as we reclaim our social lives. Then, there is the stripped down dress code of WFH culture.
Logically there is no need for suiting in any of it but the suit is an old habit we will never kick. It may never go away but it is going to look different. Perhaps the best example of where suiting may be headed in coming years can found in the work of designer Richfresh. He creates tracksuits using bespoke tailoring methods and design elements. His signature trousers are a hybrid between athletic wear and high end tailoring uniquely fit for the Twenties.
Richfresh started his garment career as a cleaner and tailor in Memphis. With help from his brother, he hustled his way through tumultuous events to build his brand from concierge tailoring into bespoke suiting for a clientele list littered with celebrities and influencers. In the process he workshopped an athleisure and formalwear combination that looks refined while maximizing comfort. Fundamentally, that’s what we’re all looking for in fashion these days.
The golden rule of suiting has always been the better the fit, the better the look. If you can’t afford bespoke, which most of us cannot, then a good tailor is crucial. Despite how successful the athleisure movement has been, most garments are either too loose or too tight because performance and comfort have always defined fit. The best fit for the gym or lounging at home is not the best fit for social attire. Richfresh saw this fundamental flaw and fixed it with century old tailoring techniques.
Suiting has gone down this road before in the 1970s but Richfresh has kept things much closer to the Savile Row than the disco. On a foundational level, his suits are cut from patterns that are indistinguishable from traditional suting. The difference comes in the high end athletic fabric that he uses and the infinite color palette he draws from. Most of his works are on the flashier side and his signature detail is two parallel lines cutting across the jacket at an angle with matching vertical lines down the side of the trousers. However, every color scheme is unique to the client and they can go as loud or as subtle as desired.
As things stand now, Richfresh suits aren’t for everyone. Even those who can afford the $3,000 pricepoint, will be hard pressed to get a fitting if they’re not famous. He has dabbled in RTW but those offerings are few and far between. The good news is that it shouldn’t be long until other brands copy the bespoke tracksuit idea and scale it to an affordable level. There will always be a demand and place for traditional suiting but fashion is evolving faster now than it has in decades and suiting will have to keep up. Richfresh is innovating an alternative that will probably become a fundamental part of the suiting landscape in the coming decade.
