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Formal wear is dead! Long live formal wear!

Name: Premium Fabric
Brand: Roger La Viale
Rating: 4.9 (607 reviews)

Author : Roger La Viale

Uploaded on : January 27, 2025

Category : Fashion

Tags : Bespoke Custom Tailoring menswear trends

This is bound to raise some sharp reactions and emotions especially with those directly in this business.

OK, so let's do an imaginary survey....

When is the last time you saw somebody live (not on a screen) wearing a proper tie with a classic suit?
How many persons did you notice at the airport between 7 am and 10 am (during business flights), dressed in a formal trouser with a sharp crease and a classic and simple full sleeved shirt with formal collar?
During your walks from the metro station to your office, how many formal shoes could you spot?

If your numbers don't add up to anything substantial, then is it true that formal wear is dead?

The world is changing fast. That is the case always for any century. However, those who see it changing live feel that the changes are accelerated. The phase between 2020 and 2022 changed the fundamentals of this world. For sure, it has changed the world's dressing and the world's fits.

Is it true that formal-wear and well-fitted garments go hand in hand? Is it that the very hidden purpose of formal wear is fitted garments and sharp dressing? So, in a world where comfort and convenience are the current axis, what remains the scope for a fitted and sharp look?

Is it just a temporary fashion fad where in a few seasons, formal-wear, sharp dressing and custom tailoring will be back in fashion? Is it a permanent shift where just like hats and long coats, will trousers with a sharp crease, full sleeved and cuffed shirts and classic notch lapel suits go obsolete only to be found in period movies?

The only sure lessons from history are that change is constant and only those who evolve, survive.

So, is this an opportunity for those in formal-wear business to evolve and morph their offerings into contemporary silhouettes and futuristic looks? By very definition, is not the very basis of custom tailoring to customize whatever, wherever, whenever, whoever?

And interestingly, there is a growing sense that this trend may soon take a turn, paving the way for a resurgence of more structured and tailored garments in the near future!

The future of formal wear may not be about clinging to the past but rather about evolving it. Custom tailoring—at its core—is about customization, making garments that suit the wearer, the time, and the context. This means there’s still room for structured, sharp styles to evolve in new and exciting ways.

Formal wear may not be dead. In fact, it might be on the brink of a revival—one that reimagines classic forms for the modern age.

Like always, only the quickest and fittest will survive.