There’s an old, often passed around adage among men who use bespoke tailors: don’t stray far from a tailor’s house style. There’s good reason for this. Many of the best tailors specialize in certain looks, which they’ve perfected over the years through hundreds of commissions. And just as you wouldn’t walk into Nobu and order French food, you shouldn’t go to an English tailor and ask for an Italian jacket. Even if he or she is willing to make it for you, it probably won’t look very good.
Sometimes, however, under the right hands, the stars align. Last year, George Wang at BRIO told me about a new project he’s been working on with Hong Kong tailoring house WW Chan. I’ve always admired Chan for their precision, but their jackets sometimes lack the distinctiveness you might find at Huntsman or Liverano. By the same token, they’re also a bit more flexible in terms of what they’re willing and able to make.
For the last couple of years, George has been working with WW Chan to create a BRIO house style. It’s not an easy project – and not something you can really do alone as a client. When I met up with George earlier this year, he brought with him a sample jacket, which was maybe it in its third or fourth iteration. “You can’t just give a tailor a big list of changes,” said George. “You have to see how small changes affect the look here and there through each commission. Plus, tailors can be set in their ways, so you have to change their production process in piecemeal steps.”
You can see an example of the new cut here. (Incidentally, a good pair of jeans, some suede loafers, and a pattered shirt can be a great way to dress down a textured sport coat, as George shows in the photo below).
The biggest change is internal. George softened up Chan’s construction by having them take out some of the structure they use in the chest, shoulders, and lower half of their jackets. In most bespoke jackets today, you’ll find two major layers: a soft linen canvas that’s used to give the garment body, then a horsehair canvas to give it shape. In a typical Chan jacket, that stiffer horsehair goes all the way to the hem, which shapes not only the chest, but also the overall silhouette (my Steed jackets, incidentally, are built the same). George wanted his BRIO house style to be lighter and more expressive, so he had Chan reduce the horsehair canvas to just the chest area.
As it usually goes with tailoring, a lot of BRIO’s house style is about the chest and shoulders. The chest here is cut full, but lean and with no drape. The lowered, slightly more angled gorge and extended collar form an equilateral triangle that points toward the wearer’s face. The lapels have just a hint of belly. And the shoulders are made with internal, pressed open seams, which give them a rounded, natural look (note how the shoulder line is almost at an equal height with the sleevehead).
For me, the most appealing part is that subtle slouchy look. The front of the jacket (what tailors call the front balance) has been lowered; the buttoning point is set just below the natural waist; and the chest is full and curved. Along with the softer construction, the style just feels more expressive, relaxed, and frankly stylish. It’s almost as though the jacket is falling away from the body. At the same time, the relatively closed quarters and rounded sleeveheads give a sense of modesty – something conservative enough for pinstripe suitings.
There are some other interesting details here. Since the buttoning point is lowered, the front buttons necessarily have to be set a little closer to each other. Additionally, all the seams are lapped, which lend a sportier look (George calls this the “exoskeleton of a jacket”). And, interestingly, the front dart has been eliminated. Instead, all the shape is taken from a hidden underarm dart, much like you’d find in Florence, Italy. George says he didn’t do that to imitate a regional style, however. “I believe in a kind of minimalism when it comes to contemporary tailoring, and hiding darts is part of that pursuit.”
I think there are three things here that made the project successful. First is working with a tailoring house that’s open minded and flexible enough to deviate from what they’re used to. Second is being able to commission four or five jackets before being satisfied with an outcome. (George says this is still a work in progress and he’s looking to slim the sleeves on the next order).
The most important, however, is understanding that a jacket isn’t just a sum of its parts. George has a uniquely sharp eye and sense of style. Combined with his extensive experience in working with bespoke tailors around the world, he’s been able to create something with feeling – an elusive concept, to be sure, but tremendously important to how a jacket looks and hangs. Men who think of tailoring as just being technically “right” or “wrong” often miss this. A good jacket should fit correctly, but it takes a bit of playing around to find a stylish silhouette.
George will be offering this BRIO house style at his Beijing store. He’ll also be present at fittings (the jackets will be offered at their WW Chan trunk shows), which I think helps with getting the look right. Readers in the area can get more info by contacting BRIO directly through their website and Instagram.
