Given that revision inevitably brings with it article after
article of heavily discursive pieces of Middle English scholarship, I can't
quite bring myself to produce an equally discursive, abstract discussion of
what the sartorial concept of 'flair' constitutes. We'll have to save that for
another time. I would like however, to briefly discuss the photograph beneath
that I found the other day. Keen followers of the Student Tailor's Facebook Page may have noticed this photograph was posted a few days ago, but since I
first found it, Its lodged itself into the sartorially obsessed part of my
consciousness, so I think it warrants further discussion.
The gentlemen in question is quite obviously His Royal
Highness The Duke of Windsor, looking as elegant as ever, dressed in a rather
interesting tailored ensemble. His Royal Highness was (and in tailoring circles
still is) one of the great fashion icons of his day; renowned for his love of
bold, heavily milled cloths and tweeds, elegant yet unusual cuts of jacket and
trouser and beautifully finished tailored ensembles.
This particular outfit is a fine example of just why the
Duke was so famous. The silhouette of the jacket is sartorial, yet striking,
with unusually angular slim notched lapels and the angles in the notches of
each lapel draw attention to the strong line of the jacket's shoulder. The
sleeves are attractively slim in cut (something only ever achievable in bespoke
tailoring - because slim sleeves are not practical on mass-produced jackets
which must fit every shape) and likewise so is the jacket running through the
waist. The line down each side seam is lovely and clean and the chest has
clearly been built up using lots of structure in typical English fashion. Even
so, it is cut close to body, and doesn't have more fullness in it than it
needs. The angle of the breast stand pocket opening runs parallel to the
downward slant on the left hand side lapel and the tall, close collar lends the
jacket a further distinguished air.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this jacket is the
button stance. The two coat buttons sit above and below the waist, rather than
having the top button on the waist, and the lapels have evidently been designed
to be worn rolled to the lower button. The lovely long roll of the lapel is a
further indication of the quality of craftsmanship achieved in the jacket, and
the lovely thickness of cloth and depth of construction used.
The jacket is coupled with a smart, tightly knotted tie in a
half-Windsor knot (naturally), and a deep v-neck jumper which gives the tie
plenty of space to make a statement. Equally, the steep lines of the jumper's
break echo the lines of the jacket's lapels. The pockets on the jacket are very
sharply slanted - almost too much so - but they nonetheless produce a very
striking effect and the Duke naturally adds extra style by tucking the pocket
flaps in to reveal the very crisp pocket bindings. The resultant bound pockets
make for a dapper and distinctive touch. So too is the decision to add a chunky
turn-up at the bottom of the trousers and to ensure that the trousers are
hemmed at a length which allows the turn-ups sit neatly in a horizontal line
across the top of the shoe. The trouser leg also has lovely proportions; its
cut straight through the leg, but close to the thigh, which ensures that the
trouser has body without being baggy, its also nice to see a flat-fronted
trouser with a leg that doesn't taper at all - its a rather distinctive shape.
I may not have answered precisely what constitutes 'flair'
in this article, but I'd suggest that the Duke is as fine an example of a
gentleman who knows how to dress with flair as there has ever been. On paper,
there's nothing terribly inspired about a fairly coarse tweed blazer and some
separate flannel trousers - that's a bog-standard affair, but the Duke
demonstrates how to wear them with panache - he offers the very essence of
dressing with flair.
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