The Return of Tailoring

A Visit to Liverano in Florence

The “suit is dead” is a recurring theme with any publication that covers menswear. Interestingly, there also happens to be more than a fair share of stories about a return to more formal dressing. Each of these perspectives on the future of dressing are amusing to me because it doesn’t seem like anyone really knows what they are talking about. It feels safe to assume that suits are mostly being worn now by people who want to wear them — there are exceptions of course. After spending last week in Florence, I came to appreciate again just how nice it is to wear real clothing again.

I have to admit that it is still inspiring to be at Pitti and see so many people represent their personal style through tailored clothing. The feeling of a collective understanding and appreciation of these things was significant — especially in a world where athleisure is the baseline. Of course there’s a time and a place for everything, but I think we have generally overlooked how great a suit or a sportcoat can be.

Putting on a suit for the first time in a while was a powerful reminder of how great one can look in classic menswear. Even for me this is true. It is easy to moved by the power of good tailoring, by the traditions of these types of garments and artisans like those at Liverano & Liverano. As someone who doesn’t often find the opportunity to get dressed, I left Florence with a strong desire to have new suits made.