The nature of how the suit is defined is by the cut.
The cut is the physical nature of the suit, jacket, trouser… in fact anything that is made to a specification including hats and shoes.
The cut of a suit is not simply whether something is single-breasted or double-breasted, or even formal or informal, it comes down to the base level of inspiration for the construction of the garment.
In that, for tailoring, we have three distinct cuts: American, English, and Italian (sometimes referred to as Continental).
I know what you are about to ask: What about the French and the Germans? The answer is, yes, there is a slight difference in the style in which the suits are worn that can identify a piece as French (usually Parisienne) or German, in terms of their overall construction, the cut of these suits is English in nature. Many of the iconic French and German Tailors all studied under the careful eye of a Savile Row specialist.
What is it that makes these three cuts so different? I’m glad you asked.
I know what you are about to ask: What about the French and the Germans? The answer is, yes, there is a slight difference in the style in which the suits are worn that can identify a piece as French (usually Parisienne) or German, in terms of their overall construction, the cut of these suits is English in nature. Many of the iconic French and German Tailors all studied under the careful eye of a Savile Row specialist.
What is it that makes these three cuts so different? I’m glad you asked.
American Suits
Starting with the modern upstart, the American cut is immediately identified as a loose fitted garment. The jacket is constructed slightly larger on the shoulders, this constructed shoulder gives off a broader look, quite often not what we call a roped shoulder – a piece of material creating that defined ridge along the seam of the shoulder.
This allows the wearer to be seen as ‘the bigger man’ and with the longer length of the jacket (longer than the fork of the trouser), it gives the wearer a mighty fine silhouette. In most cases the jacket has a single vent, which doesn’t seem like much, but the hands can be placed in the trouser pockets without much disruption to the look of the jacket.
The trousers of the American cut suit end with a full-break, this leaves the trousers with a look of excessive material pooling around the shoes. The trouser waist is designed with a belt in mind, and that lends to the way they fit on the body, again providing a look of excess material. All of this means the longer jacket and trouser fit with the American philosophy of “I must hide my bottom, and I can’t show my socks.”
Well fitted, the American cut suit can look good and with the right finishing touches can hit that Gordon Gecko style of business wealth and power. The cut is designed to help the wearer be seen with broader shoulders and appearance of extra height.
The rest of the world has another name for this cut, “The sack suit”.
Italian Suits
Placing all Italian cut suits into one bundle may seem harsh, for the Italians love their North-South separations, but the finest tailors of Italy are found in the city of Naples. The Neapolitan style of tailoring is the definitive cut for an Italian style (sorry Milan), and the cut breathes much life into the look. Almost no construction on the shoulders, the jacket sits on the body like a piece of cloth carefully draped over the body. The jackets are often half-lined (meaning just a little lining across the shoulders and the back for ‘easy on, easy off’). The construction for the shoulders is sewn underneath as opposed to over the top, this is called ‘spalla comicia’. Running one’s hand from the collar (or top of the shoulder), down the sleeves, it looks and feels like a waterfall of cloth. The length of the jacket is a little past the trouser waist and has no vent. The jacket will fit slightly closer to the body, leaving just enough space in the shoulder to comfortably light a cigarette or drink an espresso.
The trouser waist of the Italian cut is close to the body, fitted for no belt, the length finishes at the ankles, creating the look of no break for the material at the shoe – socks are always optional. The Italian cut is defined by a slim silhouette and providing every opportunity to show off your sense of ‘sprezzatura’ (self-designed sense of style).
British Cut
Unlike the other cuts, the English cut is defined by a set of rules and conventions as laid down from the tailors of Savile Row from the late 1700s to today. The jacket is designed to present an even and balanced look, the shoulders are padded and the sleeves are constructed with a slight ridge, this roped shoulder line allowing the viewer to see the natural lines of the body. The length of the jacket ends within the bottom the trouser pocket seam. The English cut has a double vent, for those times when one must ride a horse. The jacket of the English cut has two distinct accents, as the military traditions are where the suit begins, there are two branches of the military that have directed the style. Cavalry and Navy (to all those in the airforce, unfortunately you weren’t there during the 1790s to influence the styling). Beneath the closure (where the jacket buttons up), this area is called ‘the quarters’. A ‘closed quartered’ jacket has the jacket naturally closing, an ‘open quartered’ jacket separates. In the first instance, this is a naval style, the second being the cavalry style (not to be confused with a riding jacket which has its own specifications).
There is an old English tailoring phrase “trousers are worn form the shoulders”, the trousers are intentionally higher waisted and the original intent of bracers being used to provide a consistent flat front of the trouser and clean lines. The balance and equilibrium being of most importance, all of this allows the trousers to be worn with comfort and regardless of the girth, a good fit. The trouser length is a quarter-break, where the hem of the trouser is resting slightly on the top of the shoes. One can walk the streets of the city confidently knowing the bottom of your trousers aren’t going to be fouled up.
Wait a minute, I hear you cry, What about the Australian style?
Dearest reader, that is an excellent question and with the blend of distinct styles, Australia has started to accent its own particular cut. On that we shall break it down further in another post.
As we say, “Know the rules, so we can break them.”
Here we have three distinct cuts as defined from over 200 years of tailoring and while the fabrics and techniques have changed, at the core of it all is the requirement to build an individual style. If we can help someone find their style and cut, then we have succeeded in our task.
