Arguably the main criterion when it comes to choosing a black suit is whether or not the silhouette is razor-sharp
enough, a soupcon of rock ’n’ roll being essential here, to cut it with shirt and tie as well as separated and worn
in a more casual context. “I have a single-breasted black Chesterfield and a blazer I ordered on a whim about a
decade ago in a semi-structured style with Vitale Barberis Canonico’s mesh hopsack, and it’s
been surprisingly useful,” Urbane Outfitter Chris Modoo tells The Rake. “It has tonal taped edges on the
collar and cuffs, and I’ve worn it as a cocktail jacket in the evening, as ‘half morning dress’ in the day and as a
casual jacket.”
Modoo, in fact, has plenty of advice for those wishing to step into the inky void – and it starts with the swatch
book. “Choose your cloth carefully, avoiding the limp and shiny ‘supers’ fabrics that you find so often in
ready-to-wear,” he says. “Pick a cloth with character - and this will probably mean ordering bespoke or at least
made-to-measure. Tonik* or Fresco** are good choices and are available in nice, rich black shades.” It’s worth
noting, here, too, that wool fabrics hold darker dyes better than pretty much any other material.
Mixing and matching blacks, adds Modoo, has its own complications due to the very concept of ‘blackness’ being
anything but an absolute: onyx, black olive, charcoal and jet can all fall under the umbrella,while Vitale
Barberis Canonico offers over 20 different shades of black, created using many different casts, when it comes to
their range of fine fabric offerings. “There are many shades of black, and this can be an issue when you put a black
tie with a black suit,” he says. ”The richer shade will always make the other one look ‘off’. This is also true for
shoes, so keep your black shoes immaculate. Red shoes in shades of oxblood and burgundy can also be worn with black
tailoring, and will combine particularly well if they’ve been antiqued.”
It would be remiss to tackle this subject without alluding to the Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. A master of not
just combining black garments, but going total black, Yamamoto once said: “Black is modest and arrogant at the same
time. Black is lazy and easy - but mysterious. But above all black says this: ‘I don’t bother you - don’t bother
me.’” Yamamoto achieves this aloof poise by being highly experimental (and even asymmetrical) with layering, cuts,
drape and textures. Large, robe-ish overcoats, suede jackets, dark cords and thick wool jumpers will all help
ordinary mortals achieve this effect - pairing a heavily textured jumper with smoother textured trousers, for
example.
Modoo, meanwhile, offers a specific example of how the multi-form, monochrome approach can be executed with gravitas:
“One of the best suits I have seen in black was one I made for a customer in a lightweight whipcord,” he says. “It
had a slight equestrian feel to the styling, with a hacking-style coat and slim trousers with cross-pockets and
lapped seams. We styled it with a charcoal roll-neck and black Chelsea boots.” Meanwhile, while those
brighter hued garments that drew admiring gazes at Pitti are best left in the wardrobe, flashes of lighter
monochrome - socks, scarves, hats and, of course, jewellery – can work if used sparingly. All in all though, as with
all that polychromatic exuberance hiding in the suitcases on the carousels at Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport
twice yearly, wearing black is – like dancing, heckling or expecting to be taken seriously in skin-tight cycling
gear – all about chutzpah, gusto, measured nonchalance. And if you need help with that, here’s a tip: frame a copy
of the Abbey Road cover, and mount it somewhere at home where you’ll see it on a regular basis. Because mark our
words, that was the one time Ringo was the coolest.
* A mostly mohair cloth made by Dormeuil
** A high twisted wool fabric which deserves to take its name from the Italian word for ‘cool’.
Ways to Wear...
