Looking for a winter-ready suit for less than $1,000? Check our guide to the category first.
I assume there are people who have enough closet space to keep all their clothes accessible and on display year-round. To which I say: must be nice, enjoy, and I’m jealous. Most of us, though, have to rejigger our closets when the seasons turn, a process that can be simultaneously invigorating, annoying, and occasionally cathartic.
The one silver lining of my annual cold-weather wardrobe turnover? I get to rediscover some of my favorite stuff every six months or so—and this time of year, that usually involves countless sweaters and no less than four (4) pairs of pants. This season, though, I’d add Madewell’s flannel Roebling suit to the list, which I wrote about last year and remain as enamored with now as I was then.
For one, I just really like the suit and missed wearing it. But it also was one of those rare purchases that lived up to every expectation I had prior to buying it—the weight, the color, the construction, you name it. The fit might’ve been even better than I had hoped for when I first saw it, with a vibe that lands somewhere between ’90s-era movie premiere and ’60s-era Brooks Brothers ad.
Let’s start with the Roebling pleated trousers, because I have a deep and abiding appreciation for pants and if that were ever to change you should check on me immediately. They’re cut full, with a single deep(ish) pleat at the waistband and a crease running down the center of the leg that holds the shape beautifully.
They look absolutely killer with loafers and black derbies—or, for that matter, mules, sneakers, or any other shoes I wear ’em with. The waist sits on the higher side, an ideal contrast with tucked-in button-ups or shorter knits, and both the charcoal and navy pinstripe options look great against practically any color on the wheel. Bottom line: for a mere $178, you get about $500 worth of pants.
The partially-structured Roebling jacket is no slouch, either. Crafted from that same Italian flannel fabric, it boasts a two-button closure and healthy-but-not-exaggerated lapels, and fits both fuller and a touch longer than, says, J.Crew’s Ludlow. It cuts a lot more of a classic (read: vintage) silhouette than most contemporary off-the-rack options—and fits exponentially better than nearly all of them.
Basically, it creates that telltale ‘V’ silhouette every good suit should, accentuating your shoulders and slimming your waist, without ever feeling constricting or cumbersome. Do I actively look forward to summer’s end? Even I’m not that nuts. But when there’s a suit like the Roebling waiting for me on the other side, winter looks just a shade brighter.
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