I Hate His Vest.....(I say green-eyed with envy)
Vest are the one item that I (and most men) simply cannot buy at retail.
They are always too long on me and cannot (or rarely) be shortened the same way a carefully chosen sportcoat can be shortened an inch.
If you really look at most guys that are wearing a vest often the vest is just too long and bunches up or too short and looks like a flac-jacket.
My first truly bespoke suit I buy will be a vested suit. More than just looking so elegant it makes the whole shirt-meets-pant area look much smoother than without the vest. Like I mentioned in a recent post, this is why I like to wear a cardigan or double-zip sweater under a jacket.
Also I bet if you lined up 5 guys of different sizes and put them all in a CORRECTLY-fitted vest and pants they would all look 5 to 10 pounds thinner.
I think men think of a vest like a modern corset but if they calculated how much more beer they could drink and then just pull in the gut with a vest...well, maybe Corona needs to look into a product extension.
Anyway, Carlo again looks superb and endlessly elegant.
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post a commentScott, I agree with you completely. I think the 3-piece suit (with vest) is very much underrated. Men of ALL ages and sizes look better in this kind of suit. It looks professional, yet is elegant enough to allow for some creative interpretation (i.e. playing around with color). The gentleman in the picture would finish his look with a chained pocket watch.
-Stefania
oh how I long for the days when all men aspired to dress like Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart....so dashing and butterfly-inducing
you're so right!
I had the luck to find one, fitting perfectly and costing unbelievable 2,50 euro...
one of the best founds ever!
i'm still so happy!
A vest is always the piece of clothing that I'll get done made for me. I love it when I can chose the buttons and the fabric too, since it makes it so much more personal.
Wonderful photo, Scott! This gentleman has IT. Just amazing. He is the closest thing I have to an 'idol' on The Sartorialist blog. If you happened to devote an entire week (or month) to photos of this gentleman, I would be happy.
Look that those lapels, the stitching! Beautiful. Note the cuffs, black tie (knit tie?), and pocket square too. Very correct without seeming to try very hard. I like the sunglasses too. Are those Persols? Well done.
The vest or waistcoat will soon be a lost art. Savile Row tailors hired someone only to do them and they're not many left. You better hurry if you wanna vest. One tip. Buy a vest off the rack that fits you length wise but is too tight. Take it to a tailor. Try Bhambi in NY. He'll put a new back on the vest giving you the room but keeping the length. But it'll cost you about $160.
I'm just going to let it out...SWOON
This man defines perfectly fitted and cut suit.
I really like this look, even though it's 180 degrees away from what I wear in my day to day life. The cut of the suit - slim, modern (look at the cut of his pants leg - perfect!), somehow all hangs together perfectly with the "vintage" detal of the suit vest.
When I dress up - this is how I want to look.
Fantastic.
I thought I was the only one that had an issue with sports coats being slightly too long for my body. You mentioned having it shortened an inch. How is that done? Any recommendations in NYC? Love the site!
May I request what the appropriate length is?
perfect. he looks perfect. i wonder where he got this suit and what the fabric is?
is this in NYC? he looks milanese.
For Anon 11:10 am
Since the length is a visual thing i would print this picture and tell me tailor I want my vest to hit me in the same general area as where Carlos's vest hits him.
I think the two important spots for fit are the "tips" on the front bottom of the vest and where the vest hits your waist/hips
To shorten a sportcoat or suit jacket is a pretty easy fix. And on us short guys who are between a 42 Reg and a 42 Short it helps a lot. An inch can make a big difference to the eye while the shorter jacket gives length to the legs. It's fairly cheap as well. Try Mr. Peppino across from Bloomingdales.
Love this post and the bit about the beer belly!
I love the colors in his suit. He looks like he belongs in a movie with those shades. Dapper is right.
It's obvious this suit was tailored to 'Mr's' perfection and it was worth every penny!
Oops,sorry. I thought he was Russia´s president Putin. Wouldn´t look bad on him!
I love vests, still have three tailored for my granddad that fit me perfectly and keep wearing for various occasions (but not in a suit). On the corset-like issue, I disagree...vest are not girdles for excess fat around the waist. On the contrary, they look so wrong when worn by men with bulging bellies or excessive love handles.
Can I just say that I have fallen in love with your blog! True fashion is not what you see on the runways, but on the streets. It is a reflection of how people interpret what they see on magazines and runways. My ultimate dream is to be featured in your blog one day. Who knows? :)Did you know that before I went on a tour of Italy I had to check your blog to see what the people were wearing in Milan just so that I would have an idea if I will blend in or look like a rag there? Haha.
Lolll, now that you say i actually see what u mean... Fits to a T!
That is a beautiful vest, I love his dashing old fashioned suit with his modern glasses. Since you mentioned sewing recently, I'd like to point out that vests are relatively easy to make. You could try to find a pattern that works for you and make a perfect fitting one for yourself.
My grandfather never wore anything but a 3-piece suit, every day, whether he was going to work, church, or nowhere at all. I still associate it with a sort of bygone age of men's dressing that was so elegant and dignified.
I could not agree more! Funnily enough, my husband said the same thing recently after having put on a waistcoat and jacket. Apparently it literally makes you stand up straight and have a better posture.
I think the big thing with getting the waistcoat right is having it fairly low cut, just peeking out from underneath a jacket when it's buttoned up. Any lower (where you can't see it), or higher (where it almost reaches the shirt collar) and the effect isn't the same.
More on the gentleman in question - he has a great sense of style (and penchant for 3-piece suits!) and wears his suits with real ease. For may people suit is not a relaxed outfit, yet he looks very elegant AND relaxed at the same time. This is something that Italian and some English men do very well, being almost 'natural' suit wearing nations.
love this man! what a man :)
I for one, LOVE beer! I'm a skinny guy, how do I look less-skinny, through clothing, not working out, or food, which I eat a lot of?
I find vests to be too conservative and dated with in a tree-piece suit. However, a vest without the matching pants or jacket looks fresh and updated.
So I respectfully disagree with you on the vest.
Some men would rather choose something else, you are totally right!Vests are not for every man!
"True fashion is not what you see on the runways, but on the streets. It is a reflection of how people interpret what they see on magazines and runways."
I disagree.
"True fashion" is a big word, something akin to "True art" for me. I think that yes, there is an art to dressing for the everyday. But what happens on the runway is something not shackled by wallet or practicality and where ideas can be explored with more rigor.
And I guess we could have a very long discussion on the fundamental principles of art and its function, but I do think it's safe to say that "True fashion is not what you see on the runways" is a bit of a stretch.
I'm with you Scott. I recently found a 3-piece OTR at SYMS. I wear a 46S (this was a 46R) so a vest is a rare find. The vest was just the right length, but was so tight I couldn't breathe.
Even at the ridiculously low SYMS price I had to pass it up. Can the vest be let out? Seems like not.
-rdhd
killer shades, so retro, so modern
you know P. Diddy pulls off the vest look so well! His style is always a perfect mix of street urban elegance.
Yeah, vests are it! Not only as part three of a three-piece suit, but on their own, with a jacket or with pants and a shirt.
An unexplored dress item for most men, more's the pity. They can work as a tie does, as personal accent. And they offer even more materials--including suede--to choose from.
Love the photo! But man your post made me laugh. I think you are right! Guys forget how a beautiful vest can made them look like Humphrey Bogart...even if they have the biggest beer gut around. : )
Every word in this entry is true.
"Also I bet if you lined up 5 guys of different sizes and put them all in a CORRECTLY-fitted vest and pants they would all look 5 to 10 pounds thinner."
I have said this very same thing so many times myself! I have had many discussions about the advantages of wearing a nicely fitted vest or waistcoat, and how much better men would look if they incorporated them into their outfits more often.
At first glance I thought it was the actor Stanley Tucci. But this guy looks better.
the suit is nice....
just needs a good press....
terrible wrinkles on the pants bottom.....
to asian models blog: the reason you may dislike the 3 piece is because it represents an old fashion suit which is true to a certain extent do not forget that the man in the picture is well over 50....
you need to have a look at a very sharp modern italian 3 piece in a different shade of color (a navy blue is nice on a middle aged conservative gentleman but try it in light gray with some stripes...)
Mostly the three piece suits are worn by conservative not very fashionable businessmen, so the three piece has a bit of a bad reputation. I must say that this man wears the vest very nicely - should I consider to buy one myself? Mmm, don't know yet.
Baz
To Anon @ 7:20,
Conservative business people wear docker khakis and golf shirts with Cole Haan Kiltie loafers. A three piece, even in NYC, is rarely seen.
Best suit/vet/tie/shirt I have ever seen.
Great look, except...
hate the cut of his collar. more spread would really help pull this look together, especially with the cut of the lappels and the girth of his tie knot. that said, the man has the attitude ingrained in his stance to pull of damn near anything. well played.
A perfect profile. Tapering from the shoulders to the waist, and then straight down.What's the material used in that suit? looks like linen, even possibly cotton, hence the wrinkles.
I just love the way the whole emphasis is on his chest. He's a rather slightly-built man, but the high cut of the jacket really conveys power and authority. Plus he knows how to stand well!
Kevin nailed it on the collar. Well noticed.
Having said that, I'll add that I have never learned to like three-button suit coats, or sport coats. This man is an eloquent response to three button suit coats everywhere. Two-buttons create line; three-buttons create uptightness.
Carlo is the editor-in-chief of TWO of the most important Italian life style magazines...He is absolutely PERFECT every day, from the morning to the evening. Nobody can imagine that many of his suits belonged to his father!