Celebrate angles and curves on International Suit Up Day
by Aaron Chatha
Photo by Josh Naud.
Get ready to suit up — International Suit Up Day is right around the corner on Oct. 13. Another one of those Facebook event phenomena that’s blown up, the event is named to honour the catch- phrase of Barney Stinson, a suit-wearing ladies’ man from the sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He’s played by Neil Patrick Harris and has become famous for always wearing a suit — even in bed — and encouraging others to wear one as well.
It’s not something you see every day, people wearing a suit just for the sake of it. Usually we wear them as a job or university program re- quirement, and it’s usually something that’s just picked up off a rack. But Claudio Migliaccio, a Calgary tailor who has been making custom suits for over 11 years with his father at Umberto’s Custom Tailors, feels that a good suit can make a new man, or woman, out of you.
“Here in Calgary, it’s different (than) if you go to a place like Montreal or Toronto, but here in Calgary you’re not going to see a lot of people wear a suit just to wear a suit,” Migliaccio said. “To me it’s just appearance. I definitely think when you wear a suit you feel a lot more confident. You walk with a little more swagger, right? If you wear a suit that fits, you’re going to enjoy wearing it, whether it be to work, or at an event or just a Sunday out with the family.”
But what goes into a good suit? Many would immediately say it’s the fabric, and that’s a very good answer, but it’s just off the mark. It’s actually the fit. It’s no surprise that Barney Stinson has his own tailor — the most important aspect of a suit is its fit. A fitted suit can make a world of difference. It’s comfortable, you won’t look like you’re swimming in it, nor will the back be so tight that you can’t bend your spine.
A suit says a lot about a person. The colour can tell how bold or outgoing they are, or how a person’s Joker costume is coming together. The younger look we see in magazines is very trim, very sleek. You’re not going to a board meeting; the men in GQ want something they can dance in.
A suit is a complicated type of clothing, so being able to have a hand in its design goes a long way in making the right impression while wearing one. As they say, clothes make the man. “You get to come in (and) pick your material. So that cloth that you like, say I want a blue suit with this stripe, wheth- eritbeagreystripeora coloured stripe,” Migliaccio explained. “You get to come in (and) pick your suit, from there we’ll start measuring you, asking you how you like the suit to fit: if you like a trim cut, do you like big shoulders, do you like narrow shoulders? How many buttons; do you want a three-button, do you want a two-button? Do you want it double-breasted? No pleat or pleats? We basically go through every aspect of the suit, so when at the end of the day when it’s finally done and youtryiton,youhadalotof say in how that suit looks.”
Unfortunately, style comes at a cost. A custom-made suit, after all is said and done, usually starts around $1200, Now, no matter what the fab- ric, a good tailor is going to make every suit in his or her own style, and at that price you’re pretty much just pay- ing for their stamp on it. But when you want to go higher- end, prices can soar.
Ermenegildo Zegna is considered one of the most prestigious cloths you can choose. The difference in quality cloth comes from the technology of the company and how intricately they can weave the cloth. It also takes a fair amount of skill to dye it. Whatever it takes, Ermenegildo Zegna must have it, because a suit bought directly from their website will cost you over $100,000.
But International Suit Up Day isn’t about having the most amazing suit in the world. It’s about confidence in wearing a suit just because you wanted to. So when Oct. 13 rolls by, you’re encouraged to put on the best blazer outfit you have and, in the words of Barney Stinson, suit up!
