September is actually the most pleasant month to dress in. The oppressive inner-city heat has subsided, the weather
is still mild enough to enjoy an after-work drink without an overcoat, and you still have license to be bold with
pattern and colour. No outfit comes close to the power that a well-cut pinstriped three-piece suit emanates. Don’t
be put off by the ‘banker’ stigma it now seems to bear - a pinstriped suit has been donned by gangsters,
sportspeople (Jesse Owens) and relished on the American Frontier, so have no hesitation in rocking one, but make
sure it’s cut by an adept tailor in an appropriate fabric. Unlined and rendered in a lightweight wool, B Corner’s
blue pinstriped single-breasted three-piece suit is a knockout option for late summer and early autumn. With
razor-sharp wide peak lapels, and flat-fronted trousers featuring a split-backed waistband, B Corner’s version is
about as classic as it gets. Don’t undo the maturity of the suit by wearing brown shoes, stick to black Oxfords,
brogues and more masculine loafers from distinguished Northampton shoemakers such as Gaziano & Girling and
Edward Green. Donned by lawyers in Lincoln's Inn, hedge fund managers in Mayfair and underwriters of Lloyd’s of
London, Edward Green’s Piccadilly loafer is an excellent footwear choice. Pinstriped suits and a white shirt go hand
in hand. Add a discreet touch of flamboyancy by opting for a pin collar design from Edward Sexton, and don’t refrain
from wearing a fun paisley tie from Vestrucci and Rubinacci. As the suit trousers come without belt loops, it’s
worth investing in a pair of classic braces from Sera Fine Silk. Denizens of financial districts, will also likely
need something refined and classic to house their laptops and documents. Crafted in the old-school briefcase style,
Ettinger’s and Asprey’s luxurious versions are what you should take with you to an important business lunch.
Not everyone will feel comfortable wearing a suit to work. Of course, there are many ways to dress it down (think
rollnecks, trainers and casual models of shirt collar), but you might be looking for a garment that is a nudge under
the corporate line of work. Houndstooth, Glen Check and herringbone tailored jackets are the perfect diffusers to
this outlook. With Huntsman’s stunning navy and orange linen houndstooth jacket being lined, you might be able to
get away with wearing it until mid-October, but have a coat handy. When the temperature plummets, move on to Byrne
& Burge's green herringbone wool jacket, which is cut in an elegant English style. One of the main attributes of
this type of separate is that you have endless scope when it comes to choosing a pant. Wear with a Manny trouser
from Rubinacci, a Hollywood top trouser from Edward Sexton or a pleated Aleksandar model trouser from Kit Blake:
patterned jackets do give you the freedom to have fun with your trouser choices, whilst maintaining a
smart-yet-unstuffy appearance.
The vagaries of today’s work climate orchestrates an uneasy sense of what is acceptable. Are denim jackets and casual
boots too informal for a Soho advertising firm? Judging the mood is of course important, but say you do roll into
your advertising office in Richard Anderson's Kurashiki jeans and brown suede Kerouac Balmoral boots, partnered with
a lightweight bomber jacket from Valstar, you’ll realise quickly due to the complimentary response of co-workers,
that the sheer coolness of the look takes informality out of the equation. You will have added some much-needed
style to the office environment, and as Cecil Beaton once said: “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be
anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of
the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”
If you’ve been withholding your lust of wearing bold checks and resplendent colours for most of your working life;
ditch all of that apprehension – and embrace it confidently. The same goes for the people firmly in the camp of
dressing up again, don’t hold back. Cordone 1956’s red flannel Spina shirt is a cosy option to wear on its own in
late summer, whilst you can channel fictional character Pete Campbell in Mad Men by donning the
refined-yet-flamboyant green and beige check silk, linen and wool jacket from Lardini. And don’t forget to wear a
vintage-looking tie from a specialist tie maker.
Understandably the lines between workwear and leisurewear have become more blurred. Classic-cut pants with a
drawstring waist, mastered by brands such as Rubinacci and Kit Blake are here to stay, and with good reason due to
their smart-yet-relaxed attributes. But don’t get too complacent in the work environment. Instead mix traditional
elements with casual items, and find ways to creatively adapt/accessorise a suit in accordance to formality. Buying
into the calibre of artisans that congregate the TheRake.com will certainly help you achieve that smooth and stylish
work transition.
