The Joy of A Y’s Suit

If there’s one thing Yohji Yamamoto has taught me, is that the rules for suiting which #classicmenswear are such sticklers for are all arbitrary. In accordance to the Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy, achieving the right ‘feeling’, even if imperfect, is more important than adhering to strict formulas. After all, the idea of a classic suit is a fallacy because what is deemed classy is a moving target, and one can easily date a suit according to lapel shape, shoulder width or length of jackets, etc.

I love tailored clothing, and I too am aware of some rules for suiting. One of the things I tend to keep in mind is that the sleeve length of the shirt is supposed to be half an inch longer than that of the jacket, that’s if the latter isn’t made extra long à la Ann Demeulemeester. Everything else is mostly ignored as long as I get the proportions right. I suppose it is part of the privilege of being a woman, in that we are given free reign to subvert menswear. The shoulders could be oversized, or the trousers could be high waisted and baggy. Hell I’ve even done a boot tuck, which I’m rather ashamed of now that I’ve looked at the photos because it ruins the smooth line of the trousers. Oh well, I’ll live and learn. Overall I’m very happy with this Y’s suit, even if it comes with a jacket whose length is rather tricky to work with, which was part of the reason why I chose to buy it in the first place as I wanted to experiment with proportions. The lightweight wool fabric is perfect for the tropical climate, and the cut of the trousers gives me plenty of room to play around with. This is also the reason why I barely wear skinny jeans. There’s so much more room for my legs to breathe in I don’t know why people put up with the stuffy, clingy drainpipes that suffocate the legs, especially in the way they often choke the crotch area. Fans of skinny jeans, I urge you to give loose trousers a try. They make a world of difference in terms of comfort and you may never look back since.