Three cheers for another continental fellow! Italian style is a mind opening experience, but you also have, on the continent, the french and austrian style. I admit that on men's sartorial intelligence Italy is "the place" and sometimes a breath of air from the preppy style !

lol...You can't count on me! Not with the power suits! Slim line suits with narrow lapels, fine with me, as long as the jackets are not ridiculously short, as long as the trousers are not too tight and tapered...

WOW... the Austrians are really hip!

Last edited by Hard Bop Hank (2008-07-17 11:17:42)

I was thinking Knize, not leder hosen . I may admit that the vienna style is a little bit too structured for my taste, but you cannot restrain "continental style" just to Italy, and that when you are speaking about classic styling.
FYI:
http://thelondonlounge.net/gl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7249 excellent essay by M. Alden! Just to have the taste.
A good day!

What Are The Classic Suit Styles?

Each suit style is distinguished by its silhouette (the character of a suit's lines).  Three silhouettes have lasted for many decades: the American Sack, the British and the Italian.  However, these categories are not rigid, and you will see variations when you browse through suit racks; even classics get tweaked and updated.  "In the 1950s, it was perhaps easier to tell the difference between the American, British and Italian styles," says Garrick Anderson, designer for Garrick Anderson Sartorial Ltd.  "Today, we still hold an idea of the distinctions of these styles." However, these distictions have become blurred.  "For exaple, you might see an Italian designer producing a very British-looking suit, or an American company designing suits with what was once considered a strictly Italian look," says Mr. Anderson.

American (or Sack or Ivy League):  The Sack suit, made popular in the early 1900s by Brooks Brothers and J. Press, is perhaps the archetypal American suit.  It is distinguished by its boxy silhouette and natural (not padded or very lightly padded) shoulders.  In its classic form, the Sack coat is single breasted (a coat with a center closure secured with a single row of buttons).  Sack coats typically have a single vent (the center slit in the back) and either two or three buttons.  Trusers are not pleated and cut full.

A variation on the Sack is the so-called Updated American suit, popularized by Paul Stuart in the middle of this centruy.  The coat is slightly suppressed (tailored closely to the shape of the torso) and shoulders have more padding, imparting a slight "V-shape" to the torso.  Trousers are often pleated and cut full.

British:  The British suit was created in London's Savile Row, home to generations of customs suitmakeers, who have long been admired for their exquisite tailoring.  There are some common touches among traditional Savile Row tailors, but no single style predominates.  In general, the so-called "Savile Row" suit is more shaped than the American silhouettes.  It has a tapered coat with particularly defined shoulders and high arm holes.

Coats are either single-breasted or double-breasted (a coat that overlaps in front and has tow rows of buttons) and commonly have a ticket (or "change") pockets and two high side vents.  Trousers generally have a high waist, two or three pleats on each side of the fly, and a generous cut.

Keep in mind, however, that Savile Row is now known more as a standard of tailoring excellence than as a suit style.

Italian:  The Italian silhouette generally is regarded as sleek, modern and cutting-edge.  Italian suits are often associated with the padded-shouldered but softly cut silhouette creasted by the designer Giorgio Armani in the 1970s.  But Italian suits first came into their own in the 1950s, largely as a result of the popularity of the suits by Italian suitmaker Brioni.  Brioni's stylistic departure from American and British silhouettes was marked by a longer, tighter-fitting coat (often unvented), slightly accentuated shoulders and bolder colors and patterns.  In general, Italian suits' lapel notches and buttons are slightly higher than those of American and British coats.  Discreet, and therefore dressier, the besom pocket (a pocket without flaps) is common on Italian suit coats.

As with American and British suits, it would, however, be incorrect to pigeonhole the Italian silhouette.  "There's no single Italian cut.  In fact, there's a dramatic difference from city to city - from Naples to Rome to Torino," says Tom Kalenderian, executive vice president of men's merchandising at Barneys New York.  Moreover, Italian suits often resemble Savile Row suits and American suits, although they usually add an elegant twist.  "The Italians really mimic a great deal of what Saville Row does, but they look to sort of spin it to a much finer taste level, in terms of what they do with their fabrics and combinations," says Daniel Patrick Heaney, general manager of Sulka.

http://reviews.ebay.com/What-Are-The-Classic-Suit-Styles_W0QQugidZ10000000002771619


A little bit general, but quite a nice summary...

We need something more, something similar about French style, too... and maybe Austrian... or Russian?;-)

See thread on Mimmo Siviglia.

some more random links on Italian style:


http://www.tailor.com/blog1/category.asp?cat_id=15


http://www.rylandpeters.com/content/news_UK/body_secret_month/013_body_aug_07_UK.html


http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?p=788429


http://www.styleforum.net/archive/index.php/t-11060.html


http://www.lifeinitaly.com/fashion/men-suits.asp



http://thelondonlounge.net/gl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7762



http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-45607.html



http://www.robbreport.com/archived-issues/Article.aspx?article=5669




http://www.dnrnews.com/site/article.php?id=1246



http://www.iht.com/articles/1997/03/17/sital.t.php




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945-1960_in_fashion




http://www.mensxpert.com/completearticle-artid-1417-cat-25-subcat-104-pagename-xpert+lifestyle-title-world%27s+most+expensive+suits.htm



http://sleevehead.blogspot.com/2008/06/florence-liverano-cisternino-and-madova.html



http://www.buddhibusiness.com/



http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/forum/showthread.php?t=76761&page=2

THE HISTORY OF BOGGI
From the end of the 1930s the basis of the modern day suit has been that created by Sir Frederick Scholte in his Savile Row tailor’s shop in London.  The structured jacket, straight shoulders and nipped in waist that make for a well balanced silhouette.

With advent of the 1940s, the ‘English cut’ makes its mark among the Hollywood set. From there, thanks to the distribution of the many classic Hollywood films throughout the world, the ‘uniform’ of the well dressed classic gentleman is established.

The first Boggi shop is opened in 1939 in Salerno.

In 1964 Paolo Boggi moves the company offices to Milan. In a few short years he creates a modern chain of quality shops where generations of ‘Milanesi’ can choose the best English suiting, finest Scottish wools, Indian madras, gaberdine, seersucker, as well as the finest linen, silk and cashmere.

Under one roof Boggi offers clothing and accessories for both work and free time. The range of permanent items, the essential classics – a well cut suit, a blue blazer, grey trousers, an oxford shirt, striped sweaters, ties – are always available. Each season these items are complemented by other additions to the range that reflect current colour and style trends. It is here that we find the real secret of Boggi, the ability to freshen the product offer whilst always remaining true to tradition.

In the 1980s the Boggi chain grows further and defines a co-ordinated imagine that permeates throughout all the shops.

The coming of the 1990s sees the emergence of a new type of Boggi customer, shoulder to shoulder in the shops with professional elite of Milan the new consumer is younger but knowledgeable and therefore selective.

To the Boggi group a new challenge presents itself, that of an international commercial strategy; the horizon widens to usher in a new shop in Crans sur Sierre and shortly after in Ginevra Switzerland.

A Boggi shop is a microcosm, a space organised according to created points of attraction and natural preferred walkways. It is fitting, therefore, that the design and placing of the furniture, the windows, the display tables are all adaptable to the different needs of the customer throughout the year.

The basis of all of this is the gentleman’s wardrobe. The shop environment being the open cupboard to the customer who is free to benefit from the gentle help of the discreet salesperson, symbiotic with atmosphere of the shop itself.

The co-ordinated image of Boggi, from the labels in the clothes and the packaging, through to the window displays, is the result of decades of being on the high street together with the constant updates from a pool of experts in the field of communication.

The socio-economic position of the customer is an important consideration; in the words of many  customer Boggi represents a perfect balance of taste, price and quality. From the product itself and the shop in which it is bought comes the creation of loyalty of the customer.

At the helm now are the three Zaccardi brothers who have run their own ‘multi brand’ chain of shops, ‘Brian & Barry’ for years. They are Carlo, CEO and financial soul, Claudio, the product supremo, and Roberto, head of logistics and the outlets. The management team is completed by Fabrizio Fassino, the indefatigable general manager.

With the takeover of Milanese institution Boggi in 2003 there has been a new injection of passion and enthusiasm. The marrying of the two important names of Boggi and Brian & Barry and their respective potentials has heralded a return to winning form.
Under the Boggi banner to date there are 41 shops in Europe and 2 in the Middle East (Qatar and Kuwait); under the Brian & Barry name there are 23 stores,  employing 350 people. The gross turnover in 2003 was 38 million euros; the gross turnover in 2004 was 45 million euros and the gross turnover in 2006 was 70 million euros. For the year 2007 the expected increase is +15%, with the aim to increase the shops’number in Italy arriving to 70 stores; the employees’number expected for the end of the year 2007 is 400.

The development plans Boggi Milano are ambitious; the aim is to become the leading chain of mens’ clothing shops in Italy in the space of five years. With the opening of the first shop in Qatar and in Kuwait, thanks to the partnership with Azal Group,  new phase of the internationalisation of Boggi brand has taken flight. There will also be openings in the Middle East (20 shops) in the next three years and the project to enlarge the network of Swiss shops by eight sites in the next four years.

The tradition continues

‘There’s been a change of air in the Boggi shops but it still feels like home’, says Claudio Zaccardi, buying director.  ‘What this means for the customer is that the collections point to dressing not only the head of the family, but now his sons and nephews.’
‘Our objective,’ adds Claudio, ‘Is to entice the modern professional back through our doors’.

‘In order to throw again Boggi onto the world stage not only the content of the shop has been changed, but the communication concept’, explains Fabrizio Fassino, group general manager, ‘To start with take the improvement to the shop windows. Consider the modifications to the interior of the shop and the changes to the display where the customer can touch the cloths, study the models and give himself an idea of what the new collections hold in store’.
‘Another strong point’, continues Fabrizio, ‘And it’s connected to the new selling concept, the careful selection of personnel that we school internally.  The aim is to constantly give new ideas and to become the customers’ personal advisor’.