The jacket is pretty good in that there's minimal waist pulling, and the collar hugs his neck even as he moves his arms. The main issue is that the sleeves are too slim, causing them to catch on his arms. Compare this to the second pic, where sleeves drape cleanly.
If I were in charge of his fitting, I would also shorten both the shirt and jacket sleeves so they don't look like they're enveloping his hand. The slimness of his jacket sleeve is also causing the French cuff to push out against the jacket. Not ideal
Compare that to these sleeves, which are
1. Fuller 2. Drape cleaner 3. At the correct length, such that they only show a sliver of shirt cuff and end around the person's wrist bone.
Tailor the shirt first, then adjust the jacket according to the shirt.
The main issue I see with a lot of Elon's tailored outfits is that he likes to wear cowboy boots, which is fine as a concept. But his trousers are often too slim for the boots. This results in the tops (the boot's shaft) pushing out against the trouser legs.
We see this happening here. The tops of the cowboy boots are pushing against the trouser legs, which is then causing the trousers to crumple. This is not very elegant.
Compare the above to Bush's black tie + cowboy boot combination. The fuller trousers drape more cleanly across the tops of the boots. This looks more elegant.
Cowboy boots have a very high vamp (the part of the shoe that covers the top of your foot). In other words, the boots slope up very high. If your trousers are too slim or have not been properly tailored, they will catch and crumple. See the fullness of GWB's trousers here:
If Elon wants to wear slim trousers with boots, he should get side-zips. Cowboy boots need to have wide tops. Otherwise, you would not be able to slip your foot in. However, side zips can be opened and then closed via the zipper, making the shaft slimmer. These are from Tecovas:
In fact, in the 1970s, Frank Sinatra had dozens of side-zips made for him by various bespoke shoemakers based in California and London. He wore these on stage with dinner suits (aka tuxedos) and dark worsted suits while singing. They also had a higher heel.
In this video, you can see a young Bill Bird at Peens, a tree-making operation once owned by John Lobb (the bespoke firm in London, not the ready-made firm in Paris). Bird is failing to be discreet about their famous customer as he shows off Sinatra’s lasts.
However, Elon should wear fuller trousers. Doing so will create a more streamlined silhouette, going from his jacket to his trousers. This will give the impression of a more harmonious whole rather than breaking the top and bottom halves into distinct blocks.
Black tie is fundamentally party clothes, so they can be fun. You can wear tartan velvet dinner jackets with Prince Albert slippers or Belgian loafers if you want. But a governing principle should be elegance. Widening sleeves and pants here will help in this regard.
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Ahead of the NATO summit last month, President Zelenskyy arrived at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch wearing this outfit: a black jacket with matching black pants and a black shirt. Many debated whether this qualifies as a suit, as there's a $50M bet on it at Polymarket.
To understand the suit, we must place it in history.
During the Regency period (early 1800s), British men in high positions wore a long fitted garment known as the frock coat, which had a waist seam and full skirt. These garments were often quite colorful and expressive!
Any time I talk about a wealthy person's outfit, someone in the comments is quick to reply: "They're rich, you think they care?" No one has to care about my opinions or clothes, regardless of net worth.
But let's talk about the connection between wealth and aesthetics 🧵
About a year ago, Tucker Carlson told Chris Cuomo that "postmodern architecture" is intentionally designed to deaden the spirit. The clip was widely circulated online by people such as Benny Johnson, who seemingly agreed.
Postmodern architecture was actually a very brief movement that emerged in the 1960s as a counter-reaction to modernism's austerity and uniformity. Examples of postmodernism include Michael Graves's Portland Building and Guild House. Also Phillip Johnson's PPG Place.
Trump released a $250 fragrance (one for women, one for men).
Sometimes a fragrance can be expensive because it contains certain ingredients or involve artisanal, small-batch production. But with no note breakdown or even a description of the scent, what justifies this price?
I'm reminded of this 2016 blog post by Luca Turin, one of the best writers on fragrances. Even for niche perfumery he warns: "Niche perfumery stands a good chance of disappearing up its own rear end if it merely becomes yet another golden opportunity to rip off the customer."
If you're into fragrances, as I am, I encourage you to not support celebrity bullshit like this. Go to real perfumers. Some of my favorites include:
— AbdesSalaam Attar: He's a self-taught Sicilian Sufi perfumer who only uses natural ingredients. Many of his perfumes feel like you're walking through a Middle Eastern bazaar or spice market. Milano Caffe, Cuoio dei Dolci, and Tabac are worth a sniff. He can also do bespoke perfumes using your favorite notes.
— DS & Durga: David Moltz describes himself as doing "scent travel." He has an uncanny ability to transport you to far off places. I like Cowboy Grass, Debaser, Amber Kiso, and Burning Barbershop. If you can get a sample of his Pale Grey Mountain, Small Black Lake Sample (made part of his Hylands collection), it's really good with tailored tweeds.
— Anything by Jean Claude Ellena: One of the most famous perfumers in the world. His scents have been likened to watercolor paintings and chamber music because they're light, airy, and have a transparent quality. This makes them particularly good for spring/ summer. Check his scents from Hermes, such as Terre d'Hermes and Un Jardin sur le Nil, which are easy to find on discount. L'Eau d'Hiver for Frederic Malle is also great, but a bit more expensive.
— Tauer Perfumes: Andy Tauer is a chemist and self-taught perfumer who specializes in dry, spicy, woody scents. L'Air du Desert Marocain makes you feel like you're in the middle of the desert at night. Lonestar Memories is like being next to a crackling campfire while picking up on the scent of tobacco and leather. IMO, a must try if you're exploring niche perfumery.
Always try to get samples before buying a bottle. Check shops such as Luckyscent, Surrender to Chance, and The Perfumed Court. Also pick up a copy of Perfumes by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez.
People think I'm biased against Jeff Bezos, but here's F. Caraceni Sartoria, widely considered one of the best bespoke tailoring houses in the world, commenting on Bezos's wedding suit.
"The most terrible, frightening, horrible tuxedo ever seen in my life. I'm really suffering"
Nothing to do with politics, only quality tailoring. F. Caraceni made suits for Silvio Berlusconi, who was hardly beloved by progressives. Many people don't know much about tailoring, which is fine, but this doesn't mean that rich or expensive = good.
Caraceni's work:
Here is a dinner suit F. Caraceni made for Yves Saint Laurent.
Let me make the case for why the NHL should abolish its dress code, which currently requires players to wear a suit and tie while heading to and from games. 🧵
The arguments I've seen for the dress code fall into one of two categories: players look better in a coat-and-tie (some use descriptions such as "classy"). Others say that requiring players to dress in this way shows respect for the game. I will address each argument in turn.
It's true that tailoring once played a larger role in sports. Basketball coaches, for instance, used to wear tailored jackets pretty regularly, even at games. Some even looked quite good in these outfits.