Rebirth of the Suit

I have been thinking about the role of suits in the workplace world recently. While I am a big fan of the suit, it occurred to me that although a return to formality is now a general trend in many workplaces, the implied requirement of a suit is no longer the rule.

Suits are a vital part of any man’s wardrobe, more so in this capitol city where the grey sack suit is as ubiquitous as a policy position. Nonetheless, the need for an actual suit to achieve the relative standard of “professional dress” is far less prominent than in the past. When did this happen?

Remember the heady dress down days of 1999? The Internet bubble was fast expanding and with came the Californication of workplace clothing. Jeans and khakis replaced suits and ties, and frankly this purging was desperately needed.

Prior to the corporate casual movement, the state of men’s business clothing was rather sad. It may be hard to remember now, but most off the rack suits were boxy, ill fitted, boring, and of poor quality. The suit itself had lost any real sense of occasion and been relegated to the role of anonymous uniform. Starved for sartorial freedom, the working world embraced corporate casual to varying degrees.

After a while it dawned on many of us that, when you got down to brass tacks, the “movement” was really just a gambit that allowed college whiz kids to avoid doing the laundry now that they had jobs. By the time the internet revolution came crashing down in the latter half of 2001, the emerging need to appear professional and trustworthy helped claw back some workplace decorum.

So, here we are today in what can be described as a legitimate menswear renaissance. Guys of all ages are now interested in dressing well and expressing their personas through clothing. Not since the golden age of menswear of the 1930s has there been so much opportunity when it comes to what men can wear on a given day.

In the world today, the role of the suit is very secure. Where once there were one or two chain stores at which to suit up, men now have numerous options from which to choose. Bespoke tailoring has enjoyed a sartorial resurgence and the whole idea of classic clothing is front and center.

This time however, suits are not alone. Separates like sports jackets and blazers paired with flannels and dress trousers have enjoyed renewed popularity as well. But the suit is still king, and for the first time in a long time pretty much every style is a go. From two to three buttons, single breasted to double, suits are back in the office and strolling the street.