The World-Class Tailors Reinventing the Suit for Travel and Leisure

Typically, suits are stiff and worn simply out of a need to wear a suit. But in Paris, Husbands is giving the suit a makeover. “Today, the suit is all about appeal,” says Husbands founder Nicolas Gabard. “We want to give men a reason to ditch their chinos, and to show that suits can still be elegant and cool.” Former lawyer and advertiser, Gabard founded Husbands in 2012 with the sole purpose of making tailoring sexy, particularly suits. His designs put a modern spin on ‘70s looks. They’re best worn simply, with open collar shirts, turtlenecks, and loafers.

Other European indie brans are reexamining tailoring with fresh eyes. In London, duo Joshua Dobrik and Kimberley Lawton are ditching some of the old rules when it comes to their craft. “We cut a lot of statement pieces for clients to wear in the evenings or on weekends,” says Dobrik. “We’ve just delivered a ‘Battledress Jacket’ to a customer who wanted a modern reinterpretation of his grandfather’s wartime garment. It’s designed to be worn over a cable-knit sweater and paired with jeans.”

Another tailoring house that’s mastered the art of dressed-down suiting is Stockholm’s Berg & Berg. They market themselves as contemporary takes on classic styles. “I probably only wear a tie twice a month now,” says creative director Andreas Larsson. “We stay true to the principles of quality and craft, but our tailoring is designed for a creative guy—to be dressed down, not up.” This philosophy is mirrored by Sweden’s other hot tailoring brand, Saman Amel, which is also known for teaming suiting with minimalist knitwear. It looks like rigid formalwear is on the outs and more versatile pieces are making their way for your closet! And we’re sure people everywhere are grateful for the change. After all, who doesn’t love to roll up their sleeves every once in awhile?