On a hot summer day or any night, nothing is quite so cool and elegant in masculine fashion as men’s silk suits. This ancient fabric is still the height of glamour for men and women alike.
The Comfort of Men’s Silk Suits
Silk is something of a miracle fabric. When it is pure and organic, its soft fibers breathe and adapt to the climate so naturally that it both keeps you cool in summer and, conversely, warm in winter. Silks can also come in a variety of weights, so that wealthy men in centuries past wore heavy, often embroidered, silks in cool weather and lighter weight, but still elaborate, silks in warmer weather.
Wool and Silk
As men’s fashions gradually grew more conservative and plain, the fabric content shifted more towards wool, which is also a wonderful fabric that can be cool in summer and warm in winter, depending upon the weight. However, wool does not have the soft elegance and flattering hang of silk. What many suit makers have known since the 1920s is that if you blend good wool and silk, you will have a nearly perfect suit, especially for summer. The expense of silk has always meant that only the very wealthy could afford a pure silk suit, but a good blend gives everyone comfort and style.
Custom Made Silk Suits
Traditionally, men’s silk suits, like nearly all clothing for the wealthy, were custom made. In the case of silk, which can be slippery and difficult to work with, only the best tailors were capable of – and trusted – to do a decent job. When it comes to the very finest silk, such as dupioni, an Italian silk, men know that they must pay a small fortune to end up with a suit that will last forever and look exquisite its whole life.
Where to Find Them
The Internet means you no longer have to travel all the way to Italy to have a decent silk suit made for you. Obviously, it’s preferable to go to a tailor in person, because there is really no other way you can be sure of getting a perfect fit and drape, plus a professional can advise you further as to wear and care. However, there are Web sites from which to arrange custom orders.
You can try Baron Boutique, which is based in Asia and features the very popular silk blazer, fully lined and fully breathable. It comes in black, white, hot pink or silver. They also have a silk and wool blend suit with a three-quarter length jacket, single-breasted and flat-front trousers. Colors are taupe, black, charcoal, blue, gray and light gray. A more traditional business suit in lightweight wool and silk blend features a double-breasted jacket and cuffed, double-pleated trousers. You can also get a raw silk blazer in a range of bright colors or a brocade silk blazer if you want something with more texture.
Silk Suits from Italy
For those who have seen and admired actor Marcello Mastroianni in the classic film La Dolce Vita, one of the most distinctive aspects of his look were his smart silk suits. It is no surprise that Italian silk suits and the tailors who made them vaulted to the top of the men’s fashion world after World War II. Italian silk suits are still considered some of the best in the world and worth their high prices. Find them in all the high-end shops.
While a pure silk suit is hard to find as a ready-to-ear item, you can get a good blend that is a bit easier to care for. You should still get some assistance with fitting and arrange for necessary alterations. When making an investment like this, you want to be sure it’s perfect in every way.
