Category Archives: Fashion

Friday Style Debate: Is the tuck already dead?

Time to Debate!

Friday Style Debate: Is the tuck already dead?

I was struck earlier today as I passed two separate guys downtown who were both rocking the pants tucked into the boots look – I say “struck” because to my eye the look has all but disappeared this winter. Last year the look was everywhere – both on the runway, with celebrities (think Kanye West) as well as with the average fellow on the street. Not the case this year – to the point that its demise is as quick as we’ve seen a trend go in awhile. Perhaps if we could all pull the look off as well as the chap on the left it would’ve stuck around.

As such I ask the question – is the tuck already dead? And if so is it being replaced by the cleaner look of slim pants being rolled to expose a more sleek style boot? Let the debate begin…

What is Wednesday #18.

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What is Wedsnesday.

This weekly Wednesday post is aimed at answering some of the more basic and critical aspects of tailoring and the terminology we use to describe them. It stems from realizing that I’m constantly throwing out different terms with my clients and quite often they’re unsure as to what I exactly mean. The goal of this section then is to alleviate this terminology gap and provide you with some know-how to talk tailoring with a little more ease.

What is…the right amount of shirt cuff to show?

At a minimum you need to show a quarter inch – no questions asked. If you want to play down the middle then a half inch is the way to go; for those wanting to push the boundary slightly you can show three quarters to a full inch – beyond that lies the danger of being a bit peacock’ish which I don’t recommend.

Why is it so important to show cuff in the first place? It’s all about proportion and balance. By having the shirt cuff visible at the wrist it softens the overall look and ties in with what is happening in the neck area. Failing to do so means there is too much suit cloth which begins to overpower the overall look.

These two fellows are about as perfect as it gets – half inch on the left and a full inch on the right. Both of these images give you a real sense of the balancing effect the pop of shirt color has at the wrist.

As always please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or comments. Better yet book a free appointment and we can banter in person and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

Take care – Michael

info@martinfishertailors.com

This season give the gift of perfect fit.

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We tailor custom clothes – suits, jackets, pants, shirts and overcoats.

The focus: educating, creating and laying the foundation for a locally designed and individually tailored wardrobe.

At your office, your home or at the studio in Strathcona – whatever is more convenient.

We look forward to hearing from you.

What is Wednesday #17.

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What is Wednesday.

What is…meant by having kissing buttons?

When we say the buttons are “kissing” it simply means they are touching each other. This can occur in two ways; in the top image below you see the overlapping technique. This creates different angles to which the buttons lie which to some is visually more interesting. The second option can be seen in the bottom image; in this case the buttons don’t overlap but instead they are simply abutting one another.

This weeks discussion is of course a natural follow up to the relevance of the surgeon’s cuff that was discussed. In terms of a tie in; both of these methods are possible options when using a surgeon’s cuff or when choosing a cuff that has decorative buttonholes that actually don’t function. And lastly why would you choose one option over the other? No reason other than aesthetics – one will simply look better to your eye and that is the one you should go with.

Take care – Michael

info@martinfishertailors.com

Paris Field Notes – 5 Sartorial Thoughts.

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I’ve recently returned from Paris and the latest experience simply solidified my vote for the title of best dressed city in the world. There is really nothing quite like sitting on a terrasse with a cafe au lait or a glass of wine and witnessing the near constant flow of well dressed people meander by as they conduct their daily activities. It doesn’t matter if it’s 9 am on a Sunday as people wander to the market or it’s 9 pm on Friday night as people are relaxing with dinner – style simply plays a day-to-day role in people’s lives in a way we’re not used to. With that in mind here are my sartorial thoughts on the Paris fashion scene.

PS – that cheese plate above only cost 15 Euro’s…it’s about $50 worth of cheese in the store let alone at a bistro! Anyways – back to the field notes…

Paris Field Notes – 5 Sartorial Thoughts.

1. So Many Looks.

By far this was the most refreshing aspect of Paris as there didn’t seem to be one dominant look or set of trends ruling the landscape. Furthermore there didn’t seem to be a generation that had the lead in terms of being the most fashionable either as everyone seems to bring a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ to the table – be it the elderly, middle aged, twenty-somethings or even kids…heck especially the kids. This is a big contrast to the Vancouver scene; as a relative fashion outsider I think we very much get pulled into the trend game which leads to a very narrow range of looks on hand at any given time. The result is level of sameness that is frankly boring and is perhaps part of the reason why we don’t seem to care in the same way. Just a theory on the state of malaise that afflicts the Vancouver scene; it can’t only be due to the rain as Paris seems to get its fair share as well.

2. They own the High-Low.

I’ve spoken about the high-low many times; for those of you who the term is new it is essentially when you pair elements of casual wear with more formal pieces. The most common way of doing so is via sneakers – and man do the Parisians love their sneakers. It makes total sense though as it’s such a walking city. The average Parisian either walks or does a combination of taking the metro and then walking. Either way you spend a lot of time on your feet and the result is sneakers are favored over more formal footwear in terms of the street scene. This blend of formal and casual is then extended into every realm – the cafe, the restaurant, the gallery, the classroom – and as such the visual interest in how people mix and match is greatly increased.

3. The lighter scarf.

This was a massive breakthrough for me as up until this trip I was only focused on thicker scarves. This made sense when I lived in Toronto and it was minus 25 outside. It doesn’t however in the more mild climate of Vancouver and it is for that reason that I never brought my scarf out last year. Enter the lighter scarf – cut a little longer and wider it allows you to wrap it in many different ways. It’s thin enough to double or triple wrap when you need warmth; or you loosely tie it in a visually interesting way when it is slightly milder. The result is a way more versatile scarf that can be used in a range of conditions. As for the Parisians; everyone is wearing them. Plain, textured, colorful, patterned – everything is fair game.

As a side note – Vancouver unquestionably struggles with options for men’s scarves. I’m in the process of trying to fix that problem so if you’re interested do stay tuned in.

4. Overcoats are everywhere.

This was my topic in the latest Friday Style Debate but it needs repeating. Not only are they everywhere in Paris but they are everywhere with reason. That reason being they are incredibly versatile; no coat I know is as successfully worn in as many scenario’s as the overcoat – from being paired with formal clothing to dressed casual to fully casual to being even blended with sportswear. The more casual the usage it simply becomes like the sneaker in the high-low; only instead of reducing the formality of the outfit it is increasing it in exactly the same way. In this way it becomes the opposite and the look is known as the low-high.

5. They think about it a little more.

We hear this about Europeans in general but the Parisians really do take it up a notch. The act of dressing seems to play a role in the average person’s life in a way that it simply does not in North America. The key here is that it has nothing to do with being fancy or on trend – what I’m talking about is an innate style. It’s in the way they wear a suit all the way down to how they dress to go play footy in the park with mates; at every level there is a touch more care and thoughtfulness regardless of how they feel about fashion. The end result being your average Parisian Joe looks as good as our most fashionable and stylish.

Why this is the case I have no idea but it’s a very interesting question to ponder. How is it that people who are obviously not “fashion” people end up having a look of their own – achieving that critical ‘je ne sais quoi’ we always talk about? Is it somehow related to buying quality or quantity – a potential positive spin-off of living in smaller physical spaces on average? Perhaps it’s because they live outside in the public sphere in a way we do not (another spin-off of smaller living spaces); the result being everyday you’re forced to walk by people-watchers on the terrasse and everyday life suddenly turns into a quasi fashion show regardless of whether you’re picking your kid up from school or grabbing some groceries? All kidding aside somehow the average person seems to look very well put together- impressive indeed and why the allure of Paris will never go away for many of us.

As always please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments – especially you social geographers out there who might be able to give us some answers! Better yet book a free appointment and we can banter in person and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

Take care – Michael

info@martinfishertailors.com

Friday Style Debate: Is this the most versatile of coats?

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Time to Debate!

Friday Style Debate: Is this the most versatile of coats?

For those paying attention we missed two debates while I was away in Paris splitting time on holiday as well as conducting some business. What quickly became very apparent on the streets of Paris was the prevalence of the top coat on both men and women. Unstructured, structured, fitted, over-sized, in lighter shades or dark – all of the above were on display.

On the men’s side what was most noticeable was the varied way they were worn; from the traditional manner over a suit, to a dressed down aesthetic with casual clothing and sneakers all the way to pairing them with ‘athleisure’ gear like jogger pants and trainers. At every level the influence on the over-all look was the same – it added an extra hint of flair that further elevated the guys look. Which brought me to the conclusion that by far the top coat is the most versatile coat there is. What other coat can be as comfortable in such a wide variety of styles?

So – what do you think? Is it the most versatile coat out there or have I overlooked another option? Let the debate begin…

What is Wednesday #15.

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What is Wednesday.

What is…the reason for having high armholes?

The issue of high armholes is perhaps one of the more miss-understood elements of jackets; let it be said once and for all that higher is simply better. The reasons are the following; it allows you to have a far greater ease of movement, it’s more comfortable and it looks way better as it allows for a trimmer fit in the chest. The example below shows this quite beautifully:

Ease Of Movement.

Notice how the fellow in the image above has his arm extended to shoulder level. As you can see there is essentially no lifting, twisting or movement at all in the jacket as a result of this movement. This is because the sleeve is able to act independently from the body of the jacket due to the higher cut armhole. Eventually the jacket will start to rise but only as the arm gets above the shoulder level; in the event the armhole was cut lower then the body would be pulled upwards as the arm hits the chest level.

Comfort.

This is primarily due to the fact that the jacket isn’t moving around with each arm or body movement. This point shouldn’t be underestimated – constant movement of the jacket means constant fidgeting to get things back in place which never looks or feels good.

Cleaner Appearance.

The higher armhole enables the chest to be kept trimmer and cut closer to the body; this takes away a lot of the puddling that we often see right below the armhole which adds unnecessary visual bulk. Another factor is a longer silhouette from the bottom of the armhole to the bottom of the jacket; this elongates the body and is a big aspect of making a body look longer and leaner which is fairly often a goal of most clients.

Take care – Michael

info@martinfishertailors.com

Friday Style Debate: how do you scarf?

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Time to Debate!

Friday Style Debate: how do you scarf?

With the cold rudely arriving this week it’s definitely time to be breaking out the scarf collection. As I did exactly that it got me thinking as to how others approach what in my view is the ultimate winter accessory.

In my case it goes without saying that I’m a fan of the more muted and subtle approach; I tend to focus more on the richness and depth of muted colors and their texture as opposed to pure boldness. That said I do marvel every time I visit London in the winter and witness the incredible barrage of color that the English favor in their scarves. Nothing screams a Mayfair businessman quite like a muted navy suit paired with a dose of color from their socks at the bottom and a scarf from the top!

So – how do you scarf? Do you lean towards the muted and subtle or do you get pulled to the boldness of color? Or perhaps you’re someone who likes to dabble on both sides of the sartorial spectrum and keep the rest of us guessing? Let the debate – or poll in this case – begin…

What is Wednesday #14.

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What is Wednesday – sleeve pitch.

What is…sleeve pitch?

The sleeve pitch refers to the angle that the sleeve is attached at the armhole; the chosen position and angle being based on the wearer’s natural arm position. In the image below we can see the results of perfect sleeve pitch; notice there is absolutely no pulling or twisting in the sleeve as it is smoothly follows the natural arm position of the wearer.

The good news is that in general the majority of people hold their arms at relatively the same angle as we see above; the shoulders are neutral with the hands resting at ease just behind the hips. That said there are different postures that influence where the arms are naturally held and thus the angle with which we need to set the sleeve itself. In the case of an erect posture the shoulders are held back; the result is the arms hang at an angle that finishes closer to the seat. Conversely those who work at computers all day tend to have a forward posture with shoulders rolled the front; the result being the arms are held at an angle that finishes closer to the front of the body.

In essence there are three positions – standard, forward and back. What occurs is the sleeve is rotated either forwards or backwards to change the angle. Below is a fantastic animated diagram from Style Forum’s Tailorgod that shows exactly what happens as this rotation occurs.

In this diagram X refers to the standard neutral position. Notice the arrow pointing down at the top of the sleeve when it is in the neutral position; this is the base point for the rotation. In X2 that point is rotated slightly forward; the result being the pitch of the sleeve shifts to an angle that falls back towards the wearer’s seat. Conversely in X3 the top is rotated slightly to the back; the result is of course the opposite as the sleeve falls on a forward pitch that ends closer to the front hips. Keep in mind these changes are to mimic the wearer’s arm angle and thus achieve a clean line in the sleeve void of any pulling or twisting.

Makes sense? Again this is a slightly technical post but one that is critical to having a beautifully set sleeve which is one of the key hallmarks to a jacket. As always please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. Better yet book a free appointment and we can banter in person and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

Take care – Michael

info@martinfishertailors.com

Is This The Ultimate Shirt?

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Is this the ultimate shirt?

In my opinion yes it is; and I say that as someone who is yet to even have one in their closet. I came to this realization last week after going through the design and fitting process with a brand new client. His request for me was simple; he wanted a clean, minimal design that could be as equally elevated to formal use as it could be reduced to a more casual one.

In the end it worked out eerily similar to this guys shirt – timely isn’t it.

Here is how we got there:

Without question the starting point is a crisp white cotton poplin cloth; white obviously being the only color option with the versatility to be both formal and casual. In our case we chose a strong and lustrous plain weave version from the Tessitura Monti mill of Italy.

From there the discussion moved to the front of the shirt. Quite often clients like to begin with the collar; in this case though the starting point was down the front. We did this because “clean and minimal” was the stated DNA of the shirt. As such we chose to pare down the front as much as possible by covering the buttons with a fly front and electing to forgo the beast pocket.

6 Inch Spread Collar with Covered Buttons Fly Front

The simplicity of the covered buttons provide unquestionable elegance for formal moments; equally it provide a level of visual interest for casual use as a fly front is relatively uncommon. In the end it’s a perfect example of less is more.

Next up was the collar. The traditional wing tip collar was obviously too formal and my client rightly viewed the pointed style collar as lacking of character when worn tie-less. In the end we chose a healthy 6 inch spread with a 3 inch tip length – essentially what you see in the image above. For me this is the perfect middle ground; it works equally well for a bow or long tie, it sits high, open and with tips covered when worn with a sports jacket or sweater and looks clean and contemporary when left on its own.

Next up was the cuffs. Right away the traditional double french cuff was off the table as it cannot be used casually. In the same vein the standard barrel cuff was out as it lacked the formality needed for certain situations. The solution – the rarely used single french cuff. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this style it is a single layer cuff that can be closed formally via cuff links (as Robert Kennedy is showing us below) or casually like a barrel cuff with a button.

The trick is that there are buttonholes on both sides of the cuff as well as button sewn to the end of the buttonhole on the inside side. This allows the shirt to be worn to black tie events, in standard business situations as well as casually with sleeves rolled.

There you have it – a walk through of the design details behind what I now view as the ultimate shirt. A shirt that is equally comfortable at a black tie event as it is paired with dark denim and a blazer for a casual evening out. In terms of fit; we decided to cut the armholes high to enable the arms to move freely and independent of the body of the shirt. This is crucial is it also removes the unnecessary excess cloth that bunches in the armhole area when worn with a trim jacket or a sweater. We also took the decision to reduce the back panel by 3 inches from the mid back down to the bottom. This was done so we could avoid putting darts in at the back to create the desired shape. We took this decision because when using white cloth the darts can often be quite visible; something we wanted to avoid so as to not detract from the overall clean and minimal aesthetic.

When the shirt arrives I’ll be sure to post some images to show you the final product. Hopefully this was an interesting insight into the design process for some of you who have yet to go through it. As always please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions and/or thoughts. Better yet book a free appointment and we can banter in person and see if we might be a good fit to work together.

Take care – Michael

info@martinfishertailors.com