A man does a great disservice to summer when he does not have a proper summer blazer.
Because when business goes casual or weekends call for something more than just tailored shorts and a polo, you don’t want to be reaching for tweed.
Here to ensure you get it right: the suiting dons at Knot Standard, the just-opened house of bespoke now taking appointments in River North.
Knot Standard does custom suits and shirts. Also chinos. And seeing they’re one of the fastest growing private companies in the country, it’s safe to say they’re pretty good at it.
You don’t get that title without top-notch service and high-quality duds.
In other words: they’re a one-stop haberdasher for all things well-tailored and handsome and will get you measured up and into a custom suite that won’t break the bank in a jiff.
Accordingly, we popped in and sat down with Chicago showroom manager Molly Cross, who walked us through the ins-and-outs of nailing the summer blazer. We suggest you visit her and do the same.
Below, three tips in service of spring/summer’s go-to buttoned up look.
Deconstruct the fit.
“When it comes to spring/summer, you want a lightweight, deconstructed blazer. No lining. Soft shoulder. Either half-canvassing or no canvassing (liner). What’s changing between traditional suiting and modern cuts is a shorter jacket length. The slope of the shoulders fall right on the shell of shoulder rather than past them, and the sleeve length is measured to show off a quarter-inch to a half-an-inch of the shirt cuff.
Your traditional business-type jacket will be a notch lapel and two straight pockets. The guy trying to one-up the guy next to him: he’ll maybe get a peak lapel. He might go double-breasted. White buttons or a loud liner. The custom details are endless.”
Keep your color wheel in check.
“Take into account your complexion and your hair color. You’ll never go wrong with navy. But what’s in season right now are earth-toned colors. So greys, creams and evergreen. Khaki and brown are having a moment. Tobacco, tan and milk chocolate are all excellent options, especially in something like a cotton poplin.
Checks, plaids and madras are a huge players in dapper gentleman scene. Checks are all about playing with the proportions of your stature. If you’re a big guy, I’m not going to put you in a busy check jacket that lets you stand out like a sore thumb.”
It’s a matter of weight and fabric.
“Hopsack is huge for summer. It’s very durable and also just drapes really well. And it has a casual feel to it. Looks great with jeans — you can dress it up. In general, you want fabrics like linen, silk and wool blends. Something super breathable but nice and lofty. Linen blends are better than 100% linen only because of the whole wrinkling factor.”
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