While flipping through the channels the other night, I stumbled upon some vintage footage of old 1950′s rock stars, during an infomercial. One thing that quickly stood out was the MOD slim cut suits they were wearing that were all the rage during the mid to late 1950′s and early 1960′s. Its always a little shocking when one sees the full effect of fashion trends making a come back. Anyone that is into fashion has always heard the saying that “fashion is cyclical” and after seeing the videos of old time musicians, its easy to make the connection to the styles of yesteryear and the pages of today’s men’s magazines.

MOD Slim Cut Men’s Suits of the 1950′s and 1960′s

Men’s business suits have always been the uniform of corporate America and at the beginning of the 1950′s it was the dawn of the growing middle class. More and more men worked corporate jobs and the look of the charcoal gray flannel suit, paired with a crisp white shirt and dark woven silk tie was the norm. MOD suits and their unique shape and proportion were born during this era as younger men wanted to have a feel of individuality. MOD suits, which is short for modern featured a slimmer yet some what boxy fit. Every thing about it was taken back a bit as it had a shorter crop on the jackets, slim lapels and trousers that were hemmed just  a little short and pretty tapered. It was a decisively different look from their fathers suit.

The cut became an icon when young Hollywood stars and musicians adopted the look. This slim cut style can be seen on the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis J.R. and The Beatles. Sure enough, just like today, when the trend setters wear it the rest of the world follows. The ability to customize details on the suits were a big draw. The clean and slim lines paired with unique lapels, pockets and details help create a suit that had its own unique flair while still remaining understated.The MOD custom suit tailors of the day took great lengths to create unique one of a kind pieces and they can be credited with many style cues that today’s big brand designers use as inspiration for their men’s suit collections.

Today’s Slim Cut Men’s Suits

Today’s slim cut suit is a staple of every top designer brands. From Christian Dior to H&M, there is a wide choice of ready made MOD style slim cut suits at just about any price range. If a slim cut suit is some thing you are looking to add to your clothing rotation here are some things to look out for:

• Identify your look. The thing about slim, is that it can vary from fitted to extreme. if you are looking for a nice tailored look for the office it would be best to avoid the extreme cuts as it is better for art gallery openings the board rooms. Brands like Z Zegna, Gucci and Hugo Boss all make slim cut suits perfect for a corporate gig.
• Buy accordingly. If you wear it often, spend a little more. The better quality stuff cost a pretty penny but will last longer. Do not worry about the trendy factor of a slim cut suit as this is one trend that has worked its way to full fledged mainstay. So if you do wear it more often skip the H&M poly version and save up for the Dior Homme.
• Stick with basic colors. The power of the MOD slim cut suit is its ability to straddle the line between fashion and tradition. Colors and patterns more associated to traditional business wear will be a better match for the look. Pair the cut with dark grays, simple checks, or midnight blues and blacks.

Chris Vance is the senior trends and fashion spotter for Requisite clothing, a custom clothing design house specializing in custom suits, custom shirts, custom tuxedos and sports wear for both men and women.

http://www.requisiteclothing.com