Tailored clothing vendors at MAGIC are hoping to jump-start suit sales by swapping basics for detail-rich sport coats and patterned suits with a distinctly old-school feel.
“This is about newness and innovation at a price,” said Larry Drew, vice president of sales for the Trybus Group, which will be showing its Cesarani and Steve Harvey lines at the show.
The Texas-based resource will highlight jackets with lots of talking points: leather under collars, hybrid sport coats with zip-out bibs, fauxs-uede buttonholes. “If you don’t make it visually stimulating, it won’t sell,” Drew said, adding that vested suit separates and double-breasted models will lead the silhouettes in his suit presentation.
The other major current in tailored clothing are modern twists of traditional haberdashery classics such as tweed, flannel, Prince of Wales, subtle plaids and fancies cut in slimmer silhouettes for a younger guy who is discovering dressing up.
“Everybody has their black suit by now. People want something new,” said Ed Gurdak, executive vice president of Marcraft Apparel, which is showing the trend in both its Tommy Bahama and Jones New York licenses. “Everything nostalgic is strong again. It’s a look that appears modern, but is not a loud fashion statement. It’s accessible.”