Features
The American Suit
By James F. Brown
Jul 13, 2008 - 6:25:12 PM

LOOKING GOOD FOR LOTS LESS
— Dress Like A Fortune 500 CEO On A Mailroom Budget!  

            There are three basic suit styles: American, British, and Italian. They differ from each other in how they fit the body and other stylistic variations. In earlier years, these three styles were very distinct from each other, but more recently these distinctions have blurred somewhat as designers have taken elements from one suit style and merged them into their own interpretations of the other two suit styles. However, these three styles still provide excellent guidelines for choosing suits. In this column I’ll talk about the American suit. British and Italian suits will be discussed in upcoming columns.

            The American suit is the most conservative style. It began as the Brooks Brothers “sack suit” of the 1950’s. The sack suit’s silhouette was full and fit loosely. The coat was cut straight without being taken in at the waist. Suit shoulders were sloped and very lightly padded (if at all). Arm holes were low. A single vent (a vertical slit to facilitate movement) was centered at the back of the suit. Pants were also large, with a generous derriere and wide diameter legs.

The overall effect was a business-appropriate male muu-muu. This '50s American suit hid the body and was severely stodgy, even dowdy. It worked well for men with large waists and a portly body. But it wasn’t very flattering to more slender men, and skinny guys looked absolutely lost in it. That was the style in North America then, and few acceptable options were available.

Things began to change in 1960 with the election of John F. Kennedy. It was a generational transformation from the Eisenhower years. JFK popularized the two-button suit, which is more slimming than a three-button suit. He wore fitted suits and American men followed his example. (JFK also disliked wearing hats, and that signaled the death knell for men wearing fedoras.) As the '60s progressed, suit lapels and ties became narrower. The American suit’s fit also became more body conforming. The old Fifties sack suit was history.

The trend to a tighter fit continued in the '70s. Even though lapels and ties grew very wide, the waist continued to be taken in. An exaggerated hourglass shape was the result, and was even further accentuated by the era’s bell bottom pants.

As the '70s faded, so did its extreme style. Moderation in lapels, ties, and fit returned. Men’s business attire has remained basically unchanged for the past 30 years. Now, all sport and suit coats are taken in at the waist to some degree. The American suit is still the boxiest of the three suit styles and the most conservative, but it’s a far cry from the original Fifties sack suit. And it’s still the best choice for larger men.

James F. Brown is a business consultant, writer, and expert on professional attire. Copyright 2008 James F. Brown, all rights reserved.