When Mr. Porter approached us to develop a range of soft, unstructured suiting for the modern wedding, the first thing that came to mind was versatility. Yes, the suits had to be smart enough to hold their own at weddings and dressy summer events, but they also had to be versatile enough so that they could be styled in different, more casual ways because a suit that sits in your wardrobe all year to only come out a handful of times is not worth its weight in cloth!
It was important that the suits could look formal as easily as they could look casual, and achieving that dichotomy is largely down to the choice of fabric and the construction of the suit jacket. On the latter, we favoured a wholly unstructured style with a soft roll to the shoulders to give the jacket an easy natural drape. On the former, we decided to use a variety of linen and organic cotton cloths because they are lightweight, breathable, and have their own unique textural details and quirks. Linen is a stunning summer fabric, precisely because it has that slubby finish to the cloth which gives it a subtle tactile quality.
So if you have a wedding to attend this summer, or a dressed-up event where you want to impress, but also want tailoring that you can wear casually day to day, either as a suit or part of your rotation of separates, then this collection is made for you. Here are three ways we suggest styling the capsule this summer.
The modern smart look
Fairway Jacket |
Drawstring Trousers |
Clerkenwell Tab |
Shirt and tie. Remember those? Yes, a lot of weddings will require a shirt and tie but suffice to say you don't have to get trussed up in a fully canvassed business suit to look the part. The joy of the Mr. Porter range is that the unstructured silhouette instantly takes the edge of the shirt-and-tie formality. There are also a few tricks to ensure you don't come across too stiff and polished, such as opting for a linen shirt with a soft roll to the collar; wearing a knitted silk tie for a touch of texture; opting for a pastel or patterned shirt rather than the traditional white style; and going with a pair of suede loafers rather than Oxfords.
The strategically relaxed look
Fairway Jacket |
Fishtail Trousers |
Grandad Shirt Abbott White |
The next step down from the shirt and tie, only this look ditches the neck furniture and swaps out the formal shirt collar for a more casual style. The secret is all in the fabric and the collar. Steer clear of business-shirt cotton and traditional spread collars and opt for a softer brushed cotton, linen, or something with a bit of texture to it. It you're going for a standard fold-down collar then avoid anything too pointy. Shorter collar styles such as our Brook shirt, New York Special and Clerkenwell Tab are just the ticket, but don't forget about the humble grandad collar. Essentially a collarless shirt, the grandad creates a really clean neckline akin to a t-shirt, bringing the formality down a notch and making the suit appear that extra bit relaxed. As far as footwear goes, the loafer is king here, with suede being the prefered material
The confidently casual look
Fairway Jacket Wigmore |
Fishtail Trousers Wigmore |
Riviera Short Sleeve |
This is where your polo shirts, camp collar shirts, and general short-sleeve goodness comes into play. Typically, all of the aforementioned shirt styles are often made with textural cloths which are less formal than your standard cotton number and work really well as a contrast to a linen suit jacket. The Cuban or camp collar short-sleeve shirt is a great addition to the suit, letting you flex with geometric and floral patterns. We've also produced a number of casual shirts in seersucker fabric, which adds that inimitable dimpled finish.
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