Suit yourself

From the office to the weekend, there has been a big reset in menswear – and relaxed tailoring is the new comfort dressing.

Now that life has kickstarted again, bringing with it a dizzying return to fashion weeks, red carpets and major events, the fashion predictions made during Covid are being put to the test.

For years, many wondered if sweatpants would in fact become forever, or whether, as some more optimistic pundits suggested, we’d be so desperate to dress up that a post-lockdown blowout of maximalism and material self-expression would take hold.

In the case of menswear, neither prediction came entirely true on its own.

Brad Pitt.

Instead, it appears we’ve taken cues from both, emerging into a new era of dressing that takes its relaxed disposition from the level of comfort we became familiar with in isolation, while pulling its fabrics, cuts and quirks from the realm of occasion wear.

The look isn’t just an arbitrary mishmash of streetwear and suiting, though. If anything, it’s more of an energy. It’s Brad Pitt in a black bow tie, aviators and Adidas Campus sneakers on the red carpet at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.

It is acknowledging the rules, breaking them, and doing a really convincing job of pulling it off.

“There’s been a big reset in menswear,” says veteran editor and stylist Grant Pearce.

“After Covid, men in particular have embraced the need to update their wardrobes and look for a different approach to everyday dressing.”

Workplace dress codes are becoming less formal.

According to Pearce, rather than buying two sets of clothes – one for the office, one for the weekend – men are looking for pieces that are suitable for both work and casual occasions, as workplace dress codes are becoming less formal.

“Designers have turned their attention to a relaxed style with a focus on tailoring,” he says. “Deconstructed jackets, track-style trousers with elasticated waistbands and an oversized silhouette – there’s high demand for these styles as guys are searching for this more relaxed look.”

Pearce points to recent runway shows in Milan, Paris, New York and London, where shows that favoured relaxed tailoring eclipsed the streetwear-heavy collections that defined men’s Fashion Month before the pandemic.

One luxury brand that has wholly embodied this full-circle return to tailoring is Boss.

Following two seasons of digital-first fashion activations – including a star-studded presentation in collaboration with American sportswear brand Russell Athletic – in September, Boss returned to the runway in Milan with a collection that brought legacy codes into the present day.

Jordan Barrett for Boss.

Australian supermodel Jordan Barrett walked in the Boss autumn/winter 2022 runway show wearing a single-breasted suit, long, swishy overcoat and bare chest.

It was one look in a collection of many that signified tailoring certainly isn’t dead. Brands like Dior Men, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana also dipped into the suiting canon this year, yet none of them delivered a conventional take.

Of course, this begs the question: is this tailoring redux simply a reaction to years of comfort dressing? Or will this new look endure?

Belance Taylors.

Creative director of Sydney’s Belance Tailors Oscar Leal believes it will endure, but not at the cost of comfort.

“This season we have seen clients gravitate towards a more relaxed silhouette. They will often request wider leg trousers and a more tailored fit through their jackets,” observes Leal. “Fashion trends are pushing for a more comfortable approach to fit and we believe Covid has had a lot to do with that.”

Leal launched Belance in 2019; he makes a lot of suits for weddings and events, but increasingly, he’s catering to customers who simply want everyday clothes that fit well and last.

He says that since the pandemic, he’s noticed men are “dressing less for their workplace and more for themselves”.

“They are realising that the suit doesn’t need to be a work uniform. Instead they can have fun with it and enjoy it. Clients are more open to lighter colours and fabrics with texture.

“Our no-lapel suit styles are a favourite and they pair perfectly with our minimalistic shirting range.”

Belance Taylors.

Next week, the 2022 GQ Men of the Year Awards in association with Boss will make a triumphant return to Sydney after a three-year hiatus, to recognise and celebrate extraordinary people who have achieved success, shifted the idea of masculinity forwards and who continually raise the bar in their chosen field.

In recent years, the awards ceremony has been attended by the who’s who of culture and entertainment – Euphoria actress Zendaya, iconic Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann and Elvis actor Austin Butler attended the 2019 edition.

And 2022’s guest list is just as exciting.

“When it comes to event dressing today, stars like Timothée Chalamet and Oscar Isaac have broken the mould of how men can dress, and this is having a big effect on the younger generation,” notes Pearce, who will be styling guests for the event.

Champion Aussie boxer Harry Garside is an emerging style icon who’s empowering young people to dress the way they want – whether that be wearing a skirt or a simple pair of jeans.

A finalist for Sportsman of the Year, Garside will be in attendance at the GQ Men of the Year awards in association with Boss on Wednesday November 23 at Crown Sydney.

The dress code? Black tie. But we all know that won’t just mean a black tuxedo.

GQ Men of the Year awards in association with Boss.

To vote for the GQ Sportsman of the Year visit gq.com.au/moty

Originally published as Suit yourself