Flexibility & Fluidity
While the movement aims to play around with the rules of formal wear, there is definitely a signature “fit” when it comes to soft tailoring. Clothes are tight and cut well enough to allow your shape to be visible, but loose enough to drape and flow slightly. Appropriately, fabrics tend to follow the same pattern, with fewer stiff, rough textures or highly structured pieces. It’s an urbane look and one that unavoidably prizes delicacy over musculature.
Gentleness
When we say “gentle”, we don’t really mean “feminine”, however we are referring to the notable lack of binary certainty in the designs, and the refusal to be drawn into shapes that are typically masculine. Soft tailoring likes to play in the edges of men’s style, rather than its chest-puffing centre, pushing the boundaries of colour and shape into what might be considered loosely feminine realms. For example, pastel colours are very much in, as much as sharp silhouettes are out. The style seems to call into question what the definition of “men’s fashion” should be.
Nonchalance
We tie this to the very Italian style philosophy of sprezzatura, which can be thought of as a sort of “devil-may-care”. While this manner of dressing is traditionally seen as a hot-blooded approach, it is matched by a very cool, detached sensibility and an ease of wear. Accordingly, soft-tailoring styles are easy to live with and accommodate your body in very comfortable ways, allowing air to flow and look elegant without being stuffy. They also very much do have an attitude, demanding attention through elegance rather than vulgar posturing; soft tailoring isn’t unmasculine, it just refuses to play the game.
Elegance
While these styles might be easy to wear, they are NOT casual, and retain an extremely structured European look that has simply been relaxed around the edges. It’s a catwalk style that lends itself extremely well to dense city streets and the built environment - think striding down the riviera, or a Vespa ride across cobbles, for a quick shorthand. The number one priority with this style is looking good, with the wearer’s comfort incidental and only owing to the fabrics and cuts preferred.
The Three Waves of Soft Tailoring
While its origins are somewhat disputed, we think of soft tailoring coming in three waves in the modern era, all of which have been influential and are still very much alive.
The USA
The modern idea of the style probably originated with the North American “preppy” look, as typified by Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. Originally “preppy” as in “prep school”, it’s a deliberately upper-crust, Ivy League style that nevertheless struck a chord with a wider audience. Think chinos with sportswear, a play between structured and casual and a general air of youth and success. This look has, needless to say, been hugely influential and continues to define a section of the market today.
These styles must have been a breath of fresh air in the 1980s, coming out of the decorative excesses of the 70s and the boardroom formality of yuppie offices. In many ways it’s a very American take on European ideas, incorporating college athletic wear and country club styles in innovative ways. It’s a case of how different influences can arrive at the same point, and it’s interesting to us that a style so intrinsically European should have one foot in North America.
Japan
Influenced by American preppy styles, along with urbane fashions from Europe, it is arguably the Japanese market that defined the style. Japanese innovations saw an introduction of flowing fabrics and a very modernistic approach, with a focus on quality materials and almost androgynous cuts. Their philosophical approach has much more in common with Europe than North America, where such experimentation simply wouldn’t fly in men’s fashion. Having said that, there is so much that is different and distinct about the Japanese approach that we can really consider it an entirely native style. In fact it is possibly Japan’s extremely formal and hierarchical work culture that provided the necessary contrast for these styles to work, along with an oppressively humid climate that makes them perfectly logical.
Much of what we think of as “Japanese style”, which is much copied and reinterpreted elsewhere, is in the vein of soft tailoring, with experimental takes on classics that very much fit the modern city context. The country remains the place where some of the boldest leaps are taken in modern fashion, as new approaches to tradition seem to come part and parcel with an interest in style.
France & Italy
The style’s recent prominence has been something of a third wave, with an influence from Japan alongside a very European sensibility. This has been rooted in the big European fashion houses, who have developed their lines seemingly as a direct reaction to the “machismo” of corporate tailoring coming in across the Atlantic. The “alpha male” signifiers of wide shoulders, strong lines and minimal detailing might be very much in the public eye, but these have become anathema to the world of European high fashion, setting itself in firm opposition. We see this as sort of a reassertion of the values of the labels themselves, as well as the abiding style ideas of these countries; the virtues of French insouciance and sharp Italian cuts are very evident in modern editorials.
While we could probably make a case for tracing the sensibility back to the Renaissance courts, it’s also something that’s thoroughly modern and instantly recognisable as “European”. There is certainly a continental tradition of fine tailoring and structured fashion, but here it takes a gentler and more elegant approach, perhaps reflecting a new confidence in the region’s fashions.
Why We Love It So Much
Soft tailoring is music to our ears at Cravat Club, as we have long championed soft tailoring as the perfect way for a man to express himself through fashion. Our silk accessories go hand-in-hand with a style theory that majors in colour, imagination and playfulness, and somewhat flies in the face of more “serious” styles.
Don’t get us wrong; a cravat, tie or pocket square can be formal, smart, serious and even regal, they just don’t need to be. In fact they might even be the perfect finishing touch to help you really nail the soft-tailored look from day to day. Softer styles are hugely versatile and relatively accessible, as impeccably fitted garments are totally unnecessary here. They also repeat themselves across high street lines as well as across the most exclusive fashions, reflecting both their popularity and their wide-ranging influence.
Utilising our Designs
A cravat is a natural partner for a soft-tailored look, giving a delicate finish that can nevertheless emphasise the masculinity of the wearer. Some of our bolder prints are perfect to help you achieve the look, incorporating Japanese motifs, florals and paisleys in ways that are endlessly useful.
A silk evening scarf can almost achieve the look all on its own, playing in the hinterland between decoration and machismo effortlessly.
For a simpler finishing touch to an already-stunning outfit, a simple pocket square, loosely folded, can work wonders.
Finally, for a versatile and luxurious accompaniment that is entirely in keeping, a multiway printed pocket square may just be perfect.
As a versatile and flexible style, soft tailoring is more of an approach and a philosophy than a strictly adhered-to prescription. The best way to attain it might differ depending on your preferences, but we think that having this approach in your arsenal can help make you a snappier and more natural dresser. It will likely be easier on your wallet than tailored suits and starched shirts too! We highly recommend that you explore what a softly-tailored approach can do for you and your personal style outlook; it’s so thoroughly dominant for a reason.
Leave a comment