The trendlet: Suit lining with graphic prints
Let's face it, a basic man's suit - whether two-button and pin-striped or double-breasted and window pane - doesn't scream, "Fashion!"
Let's face it, a basic man's suit - whether two-button and pin-striped or double-breasted and window pane - doesn't scream, "Fashion!"
Unless you add a twist on the inside.
The trendlet
Order a custom suit with a jacket featuring funky lining and join the legions of well-dressed men stepping out of the blue-silk comfort zone into the daring world of pink paisleys, football polka dots, and dancing martini glasses - with olives, of course.
Where does it come from?
Suit linings first appeared in bespoke suiting during the 1800s in order to create the then-fashionable broad-chested silhouette. Linings also finished seams, helped clothes fit smoothly, and provided an extra layer of warmth. Most were fashioned from silk and polished cotton, and, more often than not, they were the same hue as the suit.
With the 1940s came linings in contrasting colors. Your basic blue suit might have come with a light-gray or even a red lining. But the monotones - save for a pinstripe or chalk stripe - were as wild as it got until around 2012.
That was when two fashion forces converged: well-dressed guys, especially millennials, had a growing interest in tailor-made suiting. And there were technological advancements made in graphic prints.
It wasn't long before linings boasted not just edgy green-and-blue tartan plaids, but skulls and crossbones, racing cars, mugs of beer, and sunsets.
Who is wearing it?
Word on the street is former Gov. Ed Rendell ordered a Henry A. Davidsen suit with a Democratic donkey lining just for the July Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Former Eagles quarterback and ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski, and Rob Keddie, a senior executive at Garces Group, also are fans of the poppy lining. And then there are the bankers and businessmen who revel in unique dandyism.
Would Elizabeth's guy wear it?
Most of the men I've dated are either seriously conservative or too artsy to ever consider wearing a suit. (Talk about extremes.) However, I'd definitely dig a guy with a cool suit lining.
Should you wear it?
Thumbs-up. There is no better way to add a dose of personality to what otherwise might be a plain, pin-striped suit.
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Model: David Maser, attorney with Chimicles & Tikellis, chairman of the Garces Foundation, and owner of several awesomely lined suits. All suit jackets are custom-made courtesy of Henry A. Davidsen, Master Tailors & Image Consultants. Suits range in price from $1,500 to $3,000. Henry A. Davidsen, 1701 Spruce St., Second Floor, 215-310-0219. Instagram and Twitter @henrydavidsen; http://henryadavidsen.com/