https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1821427245627699493
Let’s talk about these two outfits. Which looks better to you? Before going on, try to identify why you like one better than the other.
(People who have read my previous tweets can prob guess my theory)
IMO, the King here looks better in a suit not because of any reasons dealing with class, propriety, or respectability. Rather, it’s because the suit jacket is built from many layers of haircloth, padding, and canvas that allows the wearer to take on a distinctive silhouette.
The term silhouette refers to the shape of the outfit. Remove all the details and just imagine the outfit as a series of shapes. These below outfits have distinctive shapes that are not just the person’s body (see the shape of the King’s jacket and the women’s skirts and pants)
During these Olympic games, the King often arrived at events in a polo shirt and slim chinos. There’s no structure to a polo shirt; it’s just five panels and some seams. Pretty simple garment, so it does little than cover the body. Outfit is fine, but not great.
But in a tailored jacket, you see how the shoulders broaden, the chest is rounded, and the jacket has an X-shaped silhouette. You can’t recreate this even with body building. The other man’s slim fit tailoring robs him of these possibilities.
A suit is not the only way to get a silhouette. Dropped shoulder seams, A-line coats, cropped jackets, rounded bombers, and flared pants are all ways to get shapes in an outfit. All the outfits below are casual, but they’re more interesting than a polo + slim chinos.
You can see how Daniel Day-Lewis creates a silhouette here with just a sweater and shirt. The sweater has dropped shoulder seams and an interesting mock neck collar. The layering creates horizontal lines at the cuff and hem. Better than basic polo + chinos.
At the very least, if you can get away with it, at least put on a jacket. The jacket here adds a bit of visual interest, making the outfit a bit better than the polo + chinos combo shown earlier.
Finally, here is a charming photo of the King of Spain looking like the IT guy at a computer lab who helps you when the printer isn’t working.
