Casual chic: The inspiration of vintage leisure and sportswear
The origins of the ‘casual chic’ look we’ve discussed in recent months - which I see as a route forward for relaxed yet smart menswear - can perhaps be seen in the leisure and sportswear of the 1930s.
That era saw the growth of leisure pursuits, and the clothes they necessitated. Sports shirts were added to dress shirts, sports shoes to dress shoes. And yet, the elegant, considered look of formal clothing was largely retained. It was casual chic.
Utility became more important, particularly in the US, which always saw itself as a more practical society. And at the same time mass manufacture made the resulting clothes more available.
The most obvious change was the introduction of knitted, collared shirts - what we would call polo shirts today. But they had little in common with most modern polos. They were fully fashioned, with stand collars, fitted like a shirt, and worn tucked in.
Basically they were an alternative to a dress shirt - not a T-shirt - for more active pursuits, and so made and styled in the same way.
Trousers still looked like trousers. They were made in the same fashion, just perhaps a little fuller legged or in more robust materials.
But we notice the trousers more in these old images, because the lack of jacket and waistcoat brings them to the forefront.
There were soft jackets worn over the top - unstructured, natural-shouldered - but also shirt-jackets, and knitwear intended as outerwear.
Over the years the genteel sports that became popular in that era - tennis, golf, skiing - slowly moved from jackets and ties, to knits and shirts, to polos and shorts. But there’s always a point where the clothes were practical - no longer approximate to a suit - yet elegant.
During the next couple of decades, this look drifted down into simple, off-duty clothing.
One of my favourite images of this is the one above, of French actor Jean Gabin and friends in 1945. It almost looks like it’s staged to show a range of leisure-wear options.
There’s a knitted polo (bottom right), a variation with no placket (centre right), a sports shirt with jacket (back) and to cap it all, Gabin himself in roll neck and button-through shirt-jacket. All with tailored trousers.
Designer Scott Simpson alerted me to this image, and we chatted about it for this piece. “I love how relaxed and comfortable everyone looks, and yet still how considered,” says Scott.
“Gabin is clearly the best dresser though. Look at the elegance of that little jacket with the reverse-pleat pockets, and the full-cut pleated trousers.”
I’ve talked in the past many times about how the principles of tailoring we discuss can be applied to casual clothing, but it’s particularly evident in these old shots.
The higher rise of the trousers lengthens the legs; the tucked-in polo emphasises the waist; the polo collar frames the face. It all becomes more important, rather than less, without a jacket.
That doesn’t mean everyone should wear trousers on their natural waist, or tuck in their polo shirt. I don’t do the former, and rarely the latter.
It just illustrates the power of line, and proportion.
It might encourage you to consider a slightly higher rise, for example, or wear a more tailored trouser with otherwise casual clothing. Perhaps seek out a polo that’s cut a little shorter, even if you wear it tucked out. Shoes can be refined too, even if they’re trainers.
Two examples of how I wear this are below, from recent articles - the first from this one on Baudoin & Lange Ginkgos, the second from this on summer dressing.
“I think the most important things for people to think about are lines and texture,” says Scott. “There are sometimes fun things going on in these photos - patterns, probably colour we can’t see - but it’s all controlled by the cut and the feel of the clothes.”
I tend to wear this look in simple, refined colours - smarter, basically, and more akin to the palette of formal tailoring.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can still have colour and personality - just keep your eye on the cut and the quality.
Scott’s own clothing obviously has some good examples. I wouldn’t wear most of his strongly patterned shirts and knits, but I’d love simpler versions, in those styles.
The polo shirts Drake’s was selling last year - knitted, fitted, stand collar - were another good example, and not too dissimilar to the old advertisement below. Bryceland’s ‘sportswear’ is similar too, and like Scott directly inspired by vintage pieces.
Plus many of the brands mentioned in the original ‘casual chic’ article - Adret, Connolly, Rubato etc.
Of course, the old illustrations from Esquire or Apparel Arts are useful here too. I particularly like the two below, both proposing the knitted jacket as an elegant alternative to tailoring for sportswear.
There are a lot of different designs and colours in there, but they all have a similar idea of cut and proportion. Some jackets are a little longer, some shorter; some a little bigger in the chest, some neater; but they clearly hold similar ideals of male proportion.
The only problem with these old illustrations is that they can seem a little antiquated, or extreme. The editorial pieces in particular - showing off the latest fashions from the Riviera, perhaps - have a habit of including silk scarves, matching outfits or fishnet tops.
Obviously these are intended to catch the eye, and perhaps propose more than one thins at once. And I think it’s for this reason that I often find old photographs more inspiring.
“I spend so many hours going down rabbit holes of old photography,” says Scott. “There’s such a high proportion of really elegant looking people, but going about their everyday business.”
This refined leisurewear that Scott and I love faded away from the 1960s onwards. The seeds had been sown by the returning GIs after WW2, and the increasing popularity of T-shirts, leather and denim.
But even in 1966, Slim Aarons photography shows its influence, with actors and designers holidaying in shirts, knits and tailored trousers.
I particularly the image below, taken in Acapulco, featuring Douglas Fairbanks Junior, Oscar de la Renta and Emilio Pucci. There’s a lot of colour and variation going on, but still - polos, neat shorts, long-sleeved knits. Certainly no vests, T-shirts or logos.
I feel quite strongly that guys today could get a lot out of these principles of dressing.
It’s as simple as having some trousers made for you, in a flattering cut, and then finding a well-made polo shirt and blouson to wear over the top.
Finish it off with some canvas tennis shoes in the summer, suede boots in the winter, and you’re suddenly leagues ahead of everyone else without going near a suit or tie.
I’m sure it’s an area I’ll mine more over the coming year. But do let me know if you have any particular views on this approach, or specific aspects you’d like me to go into.
I do like disappearing down a good rabbit hole.
Related posts in this area are:
- Casual chic: The art of looking smart without a suit
- Five paradigms of casual clothing: Which do you wear?
- Summer smart/casual: Three looks, three levels of formality
- Espadrilles: Style, occasion and brands
Many thanks to Scott for his help, inspiration and images. The Scott Fraser Collection is here.
Everyone allways goes on about how high waisted trousers lengthens the legs… However no one mentions, the reason why most guys nowadays resist it is they shorten the torso and makes your chest look smaller. And that does not look good on many body types without a jacket on…
Do you think so Martin’s? I actually find it’s flattering on the chest as well, because it makes it look broader as the height reduces. But perhaps less so on shorter guys
Maybe it’s because most ready to wear trousers are either super high waisted or quite low waisted. And I’m talking about ready to wear mostly.
Now if you’re built like… well, you, they might look very nice. In fact most super high waisted trousers are modelled for very skinny guys.
However… Just as an example, let’s take 2 guys, both 180cm long. And exactly the same model of trousers. One wears let’s say size 34, one of them size 38… which one do you think will look more appropriate? My guess is the guy that’s wearing size 34.
In my case just as an example, I’ve settled on yeossal size 39 trousers with I’m guessing size 34-35 rise height.. And that’s the beauty of made to measure!
Yes good point, there’s not much in between. And the higher waist is more noticeable on larger guys.
Although I find a standard low waist is also more unflattering, so it’s a question of what suits the particular body best, rather than comparing different bodies
My apologies! No offence was intended! It was the best way I could think of to illustrate why a lot of people are put off by high rise trousers!
None taken at all Martins, I hope I didn’t give that impression. You made a good point, I was simply adding a view to it. Thanks
What’s not to like from silk scarves eh?
You mean what’s not to like about them? Assuming that’s not a joke, the fact that they can do easily look dated, or like costume. They don’t have to of course, but when those old images suggest an ascot in the shirt as a casual alternative, it rather shows they’re from a different age.
I actually prefer the squarer proportion of higher waisted trousers, since it makes my torso appear larger. I’m fairly slim though, so that is something that can work for slimmer people but not otherwise.
It is the same reason why I want, but don’t, to tuck in t-shirts and polos: I always feel like a long sausage with most brands
There is a subtle art in half tucking, aiming for looking like it was tucked in but now half untucked. Try just tucking in one side at the front, particularly a T-shirt. Less good with a polo, being a tiny bit smarter
I find it’s more about balance rather than just, y’know, girth. I’m 5’10 (178cm) and wear a 38” waist, and my transition to a higher waist (spurred on at least partly by this very site a couple of years ago) has been a revelation. I look taller, slimmer and a damn sight better dressed with my pants buttoned closer to my navel than I ever did with them worn at the hips, and I believe the reason is that I have short legs and a relatively long torso.
A higher waistline lengthens my legs, frames my waist around its slimmest point and generally flatters my less than ideal proportions, though someone of the exact same height and with the exact same waist may not get the same benefit if they have longer legs and a shorter torso. As with most things, your mileage may vary 🙂
Hi Simon. Amazing picture of Jean Gabin, one of the finest dresser ever. Behind him is Marcel Carné, director of Les enfants du Paradis, and next to him is Jacques Prévert, poet and screenwriter of this very movie. Don’t know who the other gentleman is, though. They all look great with indeed the gold medal going to J. Gabin.
The other gentleman looks a bit like Georges Brassens. I might be wrong though.
The other one is Alexandre Trauner (bottom right), one of the greatest creators of film sets ever. The picture was taken at La Colombe d’Or, in Saint-Paul de Vence in 1945. Gabin had just returned from the war where he gallantly fought with the free french troops.
Gabin returning from the war, that might explain why he sports a cap, a jacket and a turtleneck while others just wear a polo. He might have been experiencing cold and discomfort not long before this picture was taken. I find that elegance requires being properly dressed for the current wheather, and I was somehow surprised that a gentleman like Gabin was not.
Simon
I love the idea and lots of Scott Fraser… I guess for someone like me they are just a tiny bit too out there… Any idea of people making something with a similar style / aesthetic but maybe a tiny tiny bit toned down?
Adret is a little more subtle. But also, you can do MTO through Scott and have more subtle combinations, eg in the polos
If we move a bit farther afield from the UK and Europe, we can find other forms of casual wear that are very popular in certain parts of the world. The Cuban/Latin American Guayabera shirt is one example. It is a shirt made of thin, almost voile-like material, often with what Americans call a camp collar. It comes in models with both short and long sleeves. It also has decorative patterns on the front panels. It is always worn outside the trousers, never tucked in.
A second example is a shirt popular in Southeast Asia, especially in Colonial Malaya (where I grew up) and the Philippines. It used to be called the Manila shirt and it resembles the guayabera, but without the decorative patterns. Again, with a camp collar and short sleeves, and made of light cotton. This shirt too is worn outside, never tucked in.
There’s also a whole range of informal shirt styles in India, with or without collars, and often very long (like the Kurta) perhaps too numerous to list. In many of these places, what necessitates these styles is not leisure or sport, but heat! They are more comfortable than classic dress shirts in hot, humid climates. And in a curious reversal, some of them have achieved formality, so that a guayabera can be worn on semi-formal occasions, especially when it would be too hot for a jacket and tie.
Nice point. There’s a whole other world of coverage there, and those styles can go from very casual – square, bright, loose – to smarter like the guayabera where the fit might be a little.closer, and there are the decorative details. I got a white one last Summer and it was lovely in that fashion
Details on the guayabera? I have not seen the style in London before.
It was briefly stocked by Anderson & Sheppard, they bought in some lovely ones from a maker in Miami. I’ll do something on it when the weather warms up…
Amazing – looking forward to that! I am from Puerto Rico and grew up wearing linen guayaberas sewn at home. The rare times I have seen them since they are sadly slightly garish cotton-poly mixes.
Oh dear. And thanks, I’ll be interested to know what you think of it.
One aspect I find interesting is how much it feels more like an overshirt to someone from the UK – so it’s a little odd wearing nothing underneath. But I have seen men wearing them with a vest under, and that works well for me. You don’t see it in the neckline of the shirt, just the outline of it underneath
I do think we have neglected the tailored trousers and we concentrate on tops. I love the soft look.
More on the structure of trousers and how they can define shape would be appreciated ,Simon
Will do Peter
This reminds of the time I was in Switzerland and saw someone skiing while wearing a dress shirt with cufflinks, an ascot on the neck and wearing quilted vest on top.
It was a look, that’s for sure.
That sounds a little too far! There’s definitely a balance in between to strike there, as.many of.the guys pictured are doing
That particular outfit indeed sounds like a costume, but in general I find skiing (on a sunny day, and not competitively done) is the sport that most allows to wear regular casual-elegant clothes, at least for the upper half of the body. I regularly wear an oxford shirt and a 2ply cashmere sweater underneath the skiing jacket (a technical longsleeve as bottom layer is recommended though). Feels great and looks much better when having drinks at a ski hut.
That sounds lovely. There is something in the fact that a lot of these vintage pursuits were more genteel, and made less sporty clothes easier to wear. Whether it was cricket, golf or very casual games of tennis.
There’s definitely a balance to be had between fluorescent nylon everything and something a bit more subdued. Personally I have a few merino wool cycling jerseys (usually worn with a base layer) – they’re reasonably warm, close-fitting, stretchy, have pockets on the back, they can be worn for a number of sports (cycling, hiking, cross country skiing, etc.) and they are definitely better looking than most sportswear.
Yup, completely agree. The new generation of high-tech merino garments have massively improved the looks of sportswear. Speaking of which, I am regularly annoying Simon in these comments about what to wear for “real” sports. I usually fall back to Nike and Lacoste for tennis and gym, and Schöffel and Kjus for Skiing, but maybe there are better options (I dont like Iffley Road, to get that one out of the way…). Maybe at some point you find the time to write a piece about this.
Yes, I haven’t done something on that for a while. I still think there is a gap in the market, for something that isn’t Gym Shark or Castore, neither really quality-drive, but not Nike either
Yes, its surprising given that you would assume the market is saturated. Style-wise I have found something I like …if I were a woman: Tory Sport, the sports line from Tory Burch, does a good job.
I’d like to find non branded sportswear! Say the innovation of Adidas but without walking round as an unpaid advertising hoarding when I’m doing my sport.
Yes, that is a pain. It’s one reason Iffley Road, for example, has very subtle, tone-on-tone branding. But more places should do that
That’s not a rare look in switzerland. On the slopes of St. Moritz I have seen men wearing suit and tie under their Bogner ski suit.
Wonderful post, Simon. I do love the longer spearpoint collars on those polos.
Speaking of casual style have you tried Luca Faloni’s cotton chinos?I’m tempted but the cut looks a little too slim for me and I usually like a slim trousers.
I have but they’re not for me either – too slim and too low in the rise. More a standard-style Italian chino
I went for their linen drawstring trouser. Slightly regret it for those two reasons. Simon – any suggestions for casual rtw summer / spring trousers?
I find all my tailored linen & cotton trousers can never get the “softness” I am looking for and always look 10% smarter than I want them to…
It’s probably because you’re used to ones that are garment washed, like most modern chinos are. I don’t really wear that style though these days, so not sure I can help. I’ve heard good things about the Anglo-Italian cottons though? Most linen will always be that smart
More of these dreamlike images would not have been a crime, Simon. 🙂
Any recommendations on where to get nice drapey (but not super wide-leg) linen trousers, similar to yours from this post (https://www.permanentstyle.com/2018/06/indigo-navy-and-natural-a-summer-combination.html) but without getting up to Ambrosi price levels? Mostly thinking MTM or cheaper bespoke (maybe Whitcomb & Shaftesbury but I’m not sure it’s really their style?) but I suppose if there are good options RTW, then accepting the need for some alterations, they could work too.
Whitcomb will certainly do them, then MTM from the usual suspects too (Anglo, Drakes, A&S etc). I’m sure the likes of Berg & Berg, Cavour and others will have some RTW that can be altered too, come the warmer months
True but Cavour is quite slim
Try Natalino for trousers . High wasted, pleated, lovely drape and great quality for the reasonably low price.
Personally I’d reccomend Scott Fraser Collection, I have four pairs of the classic wide leg trousers and I love them.
One of my favourite photos in the casual chic genre is a rare self portrait of Slim Aarons himself, in front of the Acropolis in 1955. I initially saw it on the Instagram, but I can’t remember where (it may have been Rubato or Adret), and I’m always struck by the simple timelessness of his outfit. You could have worn that at any age in any era in the 65 years since and still looked good. I found a link below although it wasn’t where I originally saw it.
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/slim-aarons-self-portrait-with-acropolis
I’d also add Casatlantic to the list of recent brands doing this type of look well!
Thanks H, yes I almost added that image at the top of this post, it fitted very well with the other two reclining ones. It just felt a tiny bit more modern and standard, but still very nice.
Surely it’s no coincidence that butt cleavage started its lamentable contribution to the “couldn’t care less” dress aesthetic as low-rise trousers became popular.
Clearing the landscape of such displays is reason enough to see a move back to higher-waisted trousers.
Great post Simon, thanks,
A subject I’ve been considering a lot over the past year or so. When I had my first pair of trousers made last year (charcoal cav twill) (and to be honest, I can’t think of more comfortable trousers to wear, and that includes jeans or chinos) I began to ask ‘How can I wear these in a relaxed fashion day to day without looking silly?) In step articles such as this, as well as inspiration from the likes of The Anthology and a number of well dressed gents on Instagram I follow, such as Willy Wang. Something as simple as the anthology’s knitted t-shirt enables someone to tie things together well and even bring something more military inspired into the mix such as a jungle/safari jacket in a refined fit. Great point about summer/winter footwear as well.
One last point and you alluded to it a number of times in this post. The closer to the natural waist line things sit, in my opinion at least, the more natural and attractive things look. I’m now convinced this is why leather jackets for example look better when designers pay particular attention to this detail, as well as trousers (of any sort) being more attractive the closer they sit to the waist. Maybe has as much to do with athletic proportions as anything else.
My best,
Ck
This article and the fact that it is no longer below freezing in London has me planning spring summer shopping ha
I agree with Simon’s helpful observation that that smartness can be had from a pair of well-cut trousers and a well-cut polo – I suppose it’s stating the obvious but if an item of clothing looks good, I think 75% of that is just because it fits properly. As for tucking in a polo (or not), for me tucked in is a bit more formal and not tucked in a bit more informal. So, with trousers I prefer to wear tucked in but with shorts, I don’t because I feel that doing so creates a mixture of formality and informality that somehow never really works.
Simon, I really enjoyed reading this – probably because I agree with your sentiments here ! I like the idea of men dressing like adults rather than trying to cling on to the idea of some lost youth through clothing. The guys here all look so comfortable and effortless in their style.
Although it does make me chuckle seeing the fellow in the Slim Aarons photo helping himself to salad with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. It’s not just the clothes that have changed!
Best wishes N
With you Ian. Tucked out is less formal.
I think Rota might also be a good source of well-made casual chic trousers. What do you think, Simon? They are easier to get than some of the British brands over here in the US.
Yes, they’re a good make, and indeed make for many others
I have quite a few pictures of family and friend gatherings from my grandparents in the 50s, 60s and even 70s (my brother thankfully scanned all the pictures my parents had) and many look similar to the ones here. They were casual affairs, not formal occasions. As a child I remember my grandfather wearing overshirts so frequently that I associated the garment with him (referred to as as shacket), little did I know how common it once was and indeed how popular it would become.
Regarding coverage of “casual chic”, I’d certainly would like to see more. I love classic tailoring: jackets, suits and ties. However, dress is contextual and wearing a suit and tie when everybody is wearing T-shirt’s is not elegant, looks odd and can feel uncomfortable. Yet the wish to be stylish in these casual times and to dress up for the occasion remains. These sort of articles are very helpful Simon, particularly given that smart casual can be tricky to get right.
Lovely to hear that Noel, and it would be great to see a selection of those images some time.
Often we think that celebrities dressed better, just because those are the images we see. But actually it’s often just because those are the images that have been preserved publicly.
Great article as always, thank you. I think it’s quite interesting that most of these pictures seem to have been taken in warmer climates. Would be interesting to read your thoughts on a similar aesthetic in colder climates. Also, more input on vintage sportswear and today’s equivalents would be much appreciated!
Good point, I didn’t think about that. I guess we tend to use images from warmer countries, because those in colder times look less unusual – coats and perhaps knitwear vary less obviously from what we wear today?
My first reaction to your assertion that the US saw itself as the more practical society is such self-understanding would require contradiction i. e. comparison and
maybe in addition reflection. How many Americans would be able tovcompare – and I guess you must mean comparison with England or with immigrants to America who may have worn clothes from their countries of origin?
As ever Peter, I’m not quite sure what you’re saying, but it is an interesting point it’s worth digging into more at some point. Certainly at a broad level, it’s not hard to see evidence that America as a whole in the past century has eulogised the practical and the everyday – the west, jeans, the ordinary Joe – more than European cultures
What are your thoughts on terry summer shirts? Are they meant to be worn out besides by the pool/beach? Isn’t it extremely “hot” to essentially drape yourself in a towel?
They’re really meant to be just for the pool or beach, yes. I like the style, but there are few places they wouldn’t look odd in the UK in particular.
And yes, they are quite hot, but you can wear them open if you get warm, and any sweat is nicely soaked up too.
Hi Simon,
Great article and nice pictures. I intend to have trousers made for me and was wondering about your opinion regarding high waisted pleated denim trousers. Is it a little bit too much or too dandy?
Thank you.
I think too dandy, yes. I’ve actually had two pairs in the past, but they never really work. They don’t look like jeans, and they look like an odd material for tailored trousers too. Particularly high waisted with pleats.
Hello Simon, what do you think of Drake’s new silk knitted polos? https://www.drakes.com/usa/navy-knitted-silk-long-sleeve-polo-shirt
I haven’t tried them I’m afraid, so can’t comment
Understood, thanks. But what do you think of the concept of a 100% silk polo? Have you had/would you get one?
I’d be a little unsure and would want to see the fabric in person. Silk can be very fine and shiny, or it can be quite matte, thick and crunchy. The latter could be nice – a dry feel to it, while being only slightly unusual.
Simon, this is Michael from Connecticut…one of your best and most thoughtful posts yet. We should all congratulate you on how you keep the “flame” going during these difficult times….Best to you and much success.
Thank you Michael, that’s great to hear. Do spread the word too – always appreciated
This kind of content is so useful. Much as I love my suits, ties and separate jackets, I get very little use out of them since my office dropped its dress code. I certainly don’t use them enough to justify a bespoke commission (maybe a tweed jacket, but I digress). Posts like this that remind us how to be casual, but well dressed reflect what our lives are becoming. Of course the posts on classic menswear are great, but equally the casual boosts like this are well received.
Nice to hear, cheers Nick. Do let me know if you ever feel there are specific gaps in our coverage there
Simon
Would love to have a piece on what I would call “polish and artifice”
It is hard, I think, to do casual wear v elegantly without looking too polished (what a less international Englishman might call “Euro”) BUT at the same time carrying yourself without pretension / artifice.
I know you have written about “sprezz” countless times but I always think menswear commentators get in a bit of a tiff about this and overthink it. Just like (no offence intended) your comment over how to tuck in a t-shirt in the right places seems like just overthinking it.
I think this overthinking tends to be seen by others. Maybe not by others in the menswear world (who all tend to overthink) but certainly by “laypeople” who probably don’t have refined taste in clothing but who can (to paraphrase NNT) “smell bullshit a mile away”
Thanks, interesting. So looking good in casual wear, without being over the top or obviously affected?
Exacteroo
Hola Simon soy admirador de ese estilo de vestimenta, que se la ve relajada y muy comoda, actualmente uso shirts negra o azul con un pantalon formal gris, blanco o crema con mocasines negros o alpargatas naturales, tengo 70 años o sea ese estilo es muy cercano a mis gustos, me encanta que publiques estos articulos, buena vida Simon y gracias
Thank you Ruben. I don’t speak Spanish, but Google Translate seems to have provided something fairly accurate – and that sounds like a lovely combination.
For others: “currently I wear black or blue shirts with grey, white or cream formal trousers with black moccasins or natural espadrilles, I am 70 years old, that is, that style is very close to my tastes”
The discussion of the high vs low waist in men’s pants is a sophisticated one and appreciated. The near-universal ‘mainstream’ shift from high to low that took place c. 1960, and lamentably yet lingers today, can probably be credited to the popularization of ‘jeans’ where the low waist is the rule. A fallout effect of the tyranny of the low waist is the near impossibility of finding off-the-shelf sweaters, sweatshirts and vests sufficiently ‘short’ not to extend ‘clownishly’ far beyond the natural waist, necessitating the ‘fix’ of folding the hem inward to strike the right proportion. Along these lines, take a look at Jean Gabin in the photo provided. He sports a wonderful ‘knowing’ fix in allowing the lowest few buttons of his overshirt / jacket to remain ‘open’— a strategy not uncommon in the proper wearing of a formal vest. This allows the eye to extend upward to, in effect, the natural waist. This renders the proportion ‘whole’ and balanced, avoiding the ‘clown smock’.
While on the subject of M.Gabin we should note the fabulous ‘drape’ of the cloth in both trousers and jacket, as well as the inspired ‘relocation’ down of the two jacket pockets. This is quite visually provocative and downright Michaelangelesque ‘Mannered’, like two windows improbably but beautifully placed on a building façade!
How would you advise grad students to dress up? Since wearing quality clothes already sets you apart (from students and even the profs) should you stay away from sports jackets, which would make you better dressed than profs? Style and discussion of fashion is already taboo in academia!
I’ve never been a grad student, and what’s appropriate will vary a lot between places and countries, so it’s hard to give that much advice.
But there are always ways to dress better without standing out. Even if it’s just a shirt that’s made for you so it fits better. Or shoes that are better quality and looked after well.
Some thoughts as a current grad student: Unless I am presenting a paper or attending a larger conference, I find a sports jacket a bit much. But a nice jumper or cardigan (or overshirt or shirt-jacket in the summer), a tailored trouser, and a well-fitting shirt paired with a suede derby, for instance, don’t look out of place where I work. Anglo-Italian and Drake’s are great for this look, though the latter is sometimes a bit colourful for me.
(Most days, I am somewhere between #2-#4 on the PS “Which office are you?” sliding scale: https://www.permanentstyle.com/2016/02/which-office-are-you-or-a-sliding-scale-of-formality.html)
I would disagree that fashion is taboo. I know a fair few people who care about fashion and style. I think it’s just a matter of “finding your people”, as so much in academia is.
ZY, i’m glad that you’ve met those people interested in style. I only know one or two who dress admirably but never discuss clothes. I think staff may be more open to talking about fashion, but faculty seem more unconcerned, perhaps to the point of being guarded.
Valerie Steele’s ‘The F-Word’ and the Chronicle article ‘What We Wear In the Underfunded University’ are interesting articles that explore this topic. It’d be fun to hear your thoughts
Simon!
Do you think an untucked shirt made in casual materials like linen or chambray is good alternative to polo t shirt?
Personally, I don’t like that look, no. I think it usually looks sloppy
Do you advice going for a tucked in look for cotton polos as well from companies like Gap or Zara which are not actually knitted sweaters?
Do they also look sloppy untucked?
No, cotton pique polos are better, and fine tucked or untucked. It’s not something I’ve styled much on the website, however, so I don’t have any specific examples to show you I’m afraid.
Just one last question regarding this topic, I assure you.
Why do polo t shirts not look sloppy but casual shirts which has the the right length to be worn untucked would look sloppy?
Well, casual shirts often aren’t the right length, they’re too long. And when they are the right length, they’re not usually straight at the bottom, they are curved.
Finally, just by association a polo shirt looks appropriate tucked out, because we see it so much, I think.
Would you ever consider a PS casual shirt to address this, Simon? Slightly shorter than the existing short sleeve but in a wider colour range. I really enjoy wearing mine, but would also use a version to untuck.
Probably not Peter, just because there are some of that kind of thing on the market I think, but it’s good to have the suggestion, thank you
Still struggling to find good sports wear. Maybe you could do one on that?
Can I ask specifically what you mean by sportswear, Robert? Not how it’s used in this article, for example, but for actually doing sport – running, playing tennis etc?
Thank you. Exactly, running, playing tennis, rowing, swimming.
OK, gotcha
60s Knitwear Polos…I can recommend Scott Frazier from UK and especially Connecion Knitwear from Italy
I have been skeptical that a knitted t shirt worn with tailored linen trousers and leather loafers looks rehearsed or maybe from a fashion look book of 1960’s and therefore try to change one thing alternating between either jeans instead of trousers or keeping the trousers but wearing canvas sneakers instead of loafers while wearing a knitted t shirt because I have been afraid it an be a touch unusual. Do you think I can wear both tailored trousers and loafers with knitted t shirt and not appear old mannish?
It depends hugely on your place and lifestyle, Joshua. If you try it and find it looks like that to you, then do tweak it as you’ve done
True.
Also what do you describe as a sport shirt?
Broadly, anything with a collar and long sleeved, but in some way less formal than a smart shirt – usually a knitted material, or a soft open collar etc
The most obvious change was the introduction of knitted, collared shirts – what we would call polo shirts today. But they had little in common with most modern polos. They were fully fashioned, with stand collars, fitted like a shirt, and worn tucked in.
With reference to this point of yours would you say a button down long sleeve cotton pique polo was also a part of this same introduction. Would you call this piece timeless?
It wasn’t part of the same thing no, it came later.
Nothing is timeless Joshua, I wouldn’t suggest that’s a good way to think about it!