Another blue three-piece suit. Different material: a modern lightweight solid navy blue fabric. Different build: slender. Different accessories: more classic. And a different location: close to the red light district in Copenhagen.

Moreover, a different tailor: Florentine tailor Francesco Guida.

Photos: The Journal of Style

The most traditional lounge suit is a SB three-piece suit. Charles II started it all on 7th of October 1666.

“The King hath yesterday in Council declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes, which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift, and will do good,” as Samuel Pepys wrote in his famous diary on the 8th of October 1666.

The sober clothing had, of course, been seen before. Many renaissance men loved black dress. But Charles II’s subdued clothing parted in coat/jacket, waistcoat and breeches (later trousers) was arguably a significant new style and a precursor to the Victorian three-piece suit, which spread in late 19th Century.

After 1 WW the three-piece suit began turning into a two-piece suit. Knit slip-overs and DB jackets made the waistcoat superfluous. Lack of fabrics around WW II and the rise of central heating were other events that made life difficult for the waistcoat.

The waistcoat didn’t disappear completely. It is still with us, especially among men, who order suits from the tailor, and you could clarify: Men, who order suits from an English tailor. Low and medium rise Italian trousers are not a good match for a waistcoat, since you will need a long inelegant waistcoat to cover your lower stomach.

That being said, most Italian tailors can make a three-piece suit with a well-fitting waistcoat and medium-high rise trousers. You just have to specify your requests a couple of times.

My suit above comes from an Italian tailor. It is made up from vintage cloth. The silk crêpe handkerchief and the unlined wool tie come from Grunwald as well.

Photo: The Journal of Style