Written by Manish Puri.
Although it’s late in the season, that hasn’t stopped me from wearing my new Luca Museo Donegal Tweed suit every chance I get. It has quickly established itself as a favorite and attracts compliments wherever it goes – just a few weeks back an attractive woman rolled down her car window and shouted “nice suit” at me. (For context, he was just screwing me over, so he may have been paying dearly for almost killing me.)
The fullness of the arm, the drape at the chest and the wide pants all work in concert to make this an incredibly comfortable suit. But more than that, I just find it a very beautiful, almost voluptuous, thing to watch.
The extended shoulder emphasizes the curve from the sleehead through the waist, which is also emphasized by the roll of the lapel (based on a multi-layered and darted fabric) in the rounded corners; the latter, even fresh out of the delivery box, is like a sailor who has gone ashore – proud and powerful – and, if anything, could use some ironing.outsideits! You know, just to cool you down a bit.
But I’m not here to review the suit – if anyone wants a breakdown of Museo’s house style,Simon’s titlehe worships completely. What interests you is why, in my humble opinion, I think this cut works better for me than it did for Simon.
Why did I insist on a second summer commission when Simon hesitated (“I’m not sure the cut of the jackets is something I’ll want to pursue going forward”)? Why do I think Simon’s suit is great but mine is great?
I hope that an examination of those questions will give readers general clues about the fabric, style and clothing of their bodies.
I think the first point to be made is ethereal, but important nonetheless: how much the eye (yours and those around you) is used to seeing a particular silhouette, color or pattern. Often, the complaint of rejection is less about the thing itself and more about our doubts when faced with something we don’t know.
This time, long-time readers and I are familiar with seeing me in baggy, high-waisted pants and roomy jackets – just like my goodies.cream linen suit from Tailor. While Simon is the latter and tends to wear things a little more intimately. (As always with bespoke, the difference we’re talking about here is measured in centimeters, even millimeters.)
On a recent shopping trip together it was great to get Simon’s input when I was caught between RTW sizes. She usually likes medium on me for a cleaner background and more shape, while I tend to go fuller to give more comfort.
Obviously, you’re on the money, but I’m the one who has to stay in my clothes, and I know from experience that I’m a tough night or a fried breakfast without taking out any outfit that feels remotely restricted even in the cold outer parts of my closet.
So my Luca Museo suit (whether you think it suits me or not) is probably immediately recognized and accepted within the confines of my normal style. Although Simon’s commission immediately strikes you as unique, it thus demands further examination.
Of course, beyond purely subjective and subjective factors such as comfort, there are other specific reasons why Simon depends on his style and why I do mine: chief among them is body composition.
Even though we both have the same chest measurement (40″), Simon’s shoulders are longer and more sloping than mine. To accommodate this, his Luca Museo shoulder seam measures a full 7″ and an extra half inch at the sleeve head (making it one of the widest jackets he has), while mine is 6.5″ and 6.5″.
In my opinion the extra height accentuates and possibly increases the slope of Simon’s shoulders.
Now I should add, lest anyone accuse me of body-shaming poor Simon, that one of the attractive features of the extended shoulder is that it gives a wider base from which to draw the waist – and this is an area where Simon needs a lot less help than I do.
I’m straight for the trunk – measure my circumference anywhere on the torso and you’ll probably get the same number – but Simon doesn’t have that problem; you are a real drop-six and I want to lose six kilos.
And so I find the extended Luca Museo better suited to my actual shoulders, and the requirement of my tailoring to create the illusion of a waistline.
My last observation was inspired by reader Ale’s astute comment in Simon’s first review: Can this suit stand out in a more casual fabric than a bad formal navy?
I think there is wisdom in this, and much of it is based on associations. The usual adjectives attached to the ‘navy worsted suit’ are clean, sharp, sleek, compact – words I can’t say about the cut of Luca Museo’s house, which (with its wide shoulder and low gorge) partly evokes Armani’s tailoring of the late 80s.
That historical inspiration is probably the last reason why I think this suit works so well. The fabric, a vintage Donegal Tweed sourced by Luca Museo, with its cool colors and dotted marly texture, feels like something that could have appeared on an Armani runway. (Holland & Sherry 8821402 is the same)
So, with indifference on my part, the commission feels more cohesive – the visual language and values of the cut suit that of the fabric.
Of course, all of these considerations and measurements are based on the assumption that the Luca Museo suit works better for me than it does for Simon.
But you may reject this assertion. You may prefer Simon’s appearance. You may not wish too much either.
And that’s good, because, in the end, forming your own opinion and understanding what feels true to you is how one develops one’s personal style, and how one learns to identify the fine lines between a good suit and a good one.
Manish i@the_daily_mirroron Instagram
Luca Museocurrently holding graduate shows in New York
Other wearables:
- MTO Bryceland OCBD without Oxford cloth or button down (poplin following the same block and collar shape)
- Drake’s black knit tie (one of many things I own)
- Red Rabbit Lil’ Thunderbird pin and ring
- London Sock Co Socks in Highland Heather
- Alden loafers in black calfskin