Splitting the Suit
Words by Ben Brewster, Creative Director, The Cuff
Photography by Mustafa Kacar
Suits are an investment. From the initial cost to the tailoring, a good looking suit isn’t cheap. As the world becomes a little more casual post-pandemic, a full suit isn’t always as practical or necessary on the day to day. One of the ways I like to get more use out of my suits, an especially relevant trick in this more relaxed environment, is by splitting them up.
The Italians refer to this concept as spezzato, a tailoring art form all its own. The idea is to style a suit jacket and trousers separately from each other, serving not only to extend the usage of a suit but also to allow for more wardrobe creativity and flexibility.
The concept can be intimidating at first, but once you get a feel for it the possibilities are endless. Personally I love taking a suit jacket and swapping out the matching trousers for white ones. This immediately relaxes the aesthetic and works year-round with almost any color jacket. The time of year will dictate whether you complete the look with a shirt or sweater, as well as the color. But in today’s example I’m talking about another go-to spezzato idea—the monochromatic navy theme.
When I wear a patterned blazer, I keep the other pieces in the outfit quite simple, and that same concept applies here. I’ve taken the jacket from a winter-weight houndstooth suit and essentially styled it as a blazer, pairing it with plain navy trousers and a sweater—keeping the focus on the pattern and detail of the jacket. There are many ways you could style this jacket—switching the navy trousers for white or grey, and adjusting the shoes and sweater accordingly, for instance.
Now apply this same open-mindedness to all your suits and you have the blueprint for a plethora of possibilities, along with the peace of mind knowing your investment in tailoring is more valuable than you thought.
As the world becomes a little more casual post-pandemic, a full suit isn’t always as practical or necessary on the day to day. The concept of spezzato has never been more relevant.
Jacket by Suitsupply
Sweater by Express
Trousers by Pini Parma
Ring by Degs & Sal
Shoes by Paul Evans