The New Age of Tailoring

Nicolas DeStevens
Feb 11, 2020
3 min read

Streetwear is at a weird stage right now. Some people say it's dying, some people say it’s just an outdated term. Regardless of what you think, the idea of “streetwear” is rapidly changing. Designers are straying from hoodies and sneakers and turning again to tailoring and suiting.

Clothes are becoming less slouchy and grungy and more tailored and fitted to your body. By fitted to your body, I do not necessarily mean tighter, what I mean is clothes that fit YOU and fit you well, instead of just an oversized tee.

To give you an idea of what I am actually talking about, let's talk pants. Jeans, although always in style, have become less popular in today’s fashion world as more options become available for men. Pants come in so many new styles, fabrics, colors, shapes, and sizes these days – so why limit yourself to a pair of jeans all of the time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pair of well-fitting jeans, but there are just so many other options that will look great. It is a great idea to go out and find a nice pair of trousers to add to your rotation. If you find a sick pair you love, but they do not quite fit right, go to a tailor and get them fitting perfectly! Going to a tailor to get alterations really does not cost that much money and once they are fitted perfectly for you, you will look amazing.

Now that I’ve talked about pants for a while, we might as well talk tops. Adding some blazers to your rotation is a great way to elevate your style and have you feeling like a hundred bucks. Wearing a suit that truly fits you is one of the best feelings in the world, so why not add some more suits to your style?

I totally understand that suits can be super fucking boring sometimes and they can be real bland BUT that just means you can get super creative with how you wear them. Try wearing a cool tee (preferable graphic tee) instead of a button down to add a youthful spin to the suit. When wearing a graphic tee with a suit, I find it best to wear a pair of Chucks but it is totally up to you.

If you love the suits that you already own and they already fit great, a cool way to switch it up is by separating the suit. Try wearing the suit pants with a more casual jacket instead of the matching blazer. I love to wear my suit pants with a denim shirt and some casual loafers.

Another way to add some tailoring to your wardrobe without being stuffy is by copping some vintage blazers. Vintage is of course huge right now so you should be able to find some sick blazers fairly easy. And again, definitely take them to a tailor so they fit you perfectly.

As men’s fashion changes, it is important to stay true to yourself and your style and not just hop onto whatever trend you see on Instagram. That being said, you can for sure dress trendy while still feeling like yourself. Add some staple pieces that you own to some more on trend pieces to get the best of both worlds.

So I know y’all might be upset because you want to keep wearing your Palm Angels hoodies and shit and be all cozy, but c’mon, you can do better. Obviously being cozy is cool and all, but wearing tailored clothes that fit just right is such a great feeling so at the end of the day, it is up to you.

P.S. if you still wear motodenim, you are doing something wrong.

Here are some of my favorite tailoring looks from the recent season. All photos from Vogue Runway.