• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Fancy-colored suit linings

tricket

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2003
Messages
59
Reaction score
0
Fancy-colored suit linings used to be considered as sign of expensive hand-tailoring in the mid 90s and Paul Smith, Timothy Everest and Oswald Boetang are still keen on them. How popular are they nowadays?
 

johnnynorman3

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2004
Messages
2,702
Reaction score
25
I personally love them, but then again I'm 25. It might be a better look for a younger guy -- if you're a 40 year old lawyer dealing with clients, maybe it would be embarrassing to take off you coat and show them a Paul Smith polka dot lining.

But, I think that the unique lining (1) is a sign that your suitmaker paid attention to detail, and (2) that you also pay attention to detail. I would consider the lining of the jacket as important to the suit's statement as the width of the lapels, or the location of the gorge. There is nothing tacky or flashy about a unique lining IMO, it is just a matter of personal style.
 

Mike C.

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2002
Messages
1,518
Reaction score
7
Crazy suit linings are funny to me. It's like, business on the outside, party on the inside. I definatly wouldn't consider it as important as the lapels though. No one would ever see the lining. The only benefit is that the customer knows it's there. It's like a dirty little secret that you can chuckle to yourself about.

Did you know that when Alexander McQueen worked on Saville Row he sewed dirty words on the inside of Prince Charles's suits. I think the loud suit linings follow the same principle.
 

Mitch D

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2003
Messages
81
Reaction score
0
...Did you know that when Alexander McQueen worked on Saville Row he sewed dirty words on the inside of Prince Charles's suits...
Hmm,like "Camilla,you're a dirty slut" ?
wink.gif
 

Looking to improve

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2004
Messages
345
Reaction score
22
Originally posted by Mike C.
No one would ever see the lining. The only benefit is that the customer knows it's there. It's like a dirty little secret that you can chuckle to yourself about.
Let me start by mentioning that I too have 'discovered' the charm of a fancy-coloured lining. And yes, it puts a smile on my face. I therefore, wouldn't call it a dirty secret.
Second, no one would ever see the lining? I disagree: I sometimes need to walk outside. And that leads to my jacket 'flapping' about in the wind. So the observant passerby may notice the lining.
Another opportunity to notive a fancy-coloured lining is when the jacket, perish the thought, is taken off.

MtB

*EDIT* I occasionally like to wear bright coloured socks (yellow, light blue, red) with my (dark) suits. Of course always co-ordinated with another item I'm wearing at the time.
 

DandySF

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2003
Messages
908
Reaction score
115
Trivia: I just read about a man in New York City who has his suit jackets lined with Hermes scarves. At about $300 a pop this must be a costly way of lining a jacket.

Incidentally, at one point in time some suspenders would feature a naughty sort of printed pattern. This tended to be a private sort of indulgence since jackets were never removed and rarely unbuttoned.
 

NavyStyles

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
505
Reaction score
1
I just can't stop thinking of an episode of Seinfeld where George and Jerry meet Elaine's intimidating father at a restaurant.  Jerry has an expensive new suede jacket with pink and white striped lining.  When they leave, it's raining, so Jerry turns his coat inside out to protect the suede, but Elaine's father forces Jerry to put it on "right-side-out" if he wants to walk down the sidewalk with them.  haha   Anyway, to give my opinion... I think colored linings (especially alternating white/bright color stripes) are great.
 

LabelKing

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
25,421
Reaction score
268
Trivia: I just read about a man in New York City who has his suit jackets lined with Hermes scarves. At about $300 a pop this must be a costly way of lining a jacket.

I believe I read that in an Hermes catalogue. Also there was this Japanese women who had custom Hermes scarves printed with various Pokemon's on them.

I am a fan of eclectic suit linings.
 

Bradford

Current Events Moderator
Joined
Mar 19, 2002
Messages
6,626
Reaction score
228
I just can't stop thinking of an episode of Seinfeld where George and Jerry meet Elaine's intimidating father at a restaurant.  Jerry has an expensive new suede jacket with pink and white striped lining.  When they leave, it's raining, so Jerry turns his coat inside out to protect the suede, but Elaine's father forces Jerry to put it on "right-side-out" if he wants to walk down the sidewalk with them.  haha   Anyway, to give my opinion... I think colored linings (especially alternating white/bright color stripes) are great.
I just saw that episode again the other night. This thread was reminding me of that as well. Bradford
 

Chilli padi

Active Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2004
Messages
31
Reaction score
0
An idea for you all: if you ever have a suit made in Hong Kong or Shanghai, ask your tailor to use some beautiful cheongsam / qipao printed silk for the lining. Absolutely stunning, but not for the faint-hearted. People too shy to wear pink shirts need not apply.
 

PeterMetro

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2002
Messages
781
Reaction score
2
An idea for you all: if you ever have a suit made in Hong Kong or Shanghai, ask your tailor to use some beautiful cheongsam / qipao printed silk for the lining.  Absolutely stunning, but not for the faint-hearted.  People too shy to wear pink shirts need not apply.
I got a suit at WW Chan - chocolate brown, I've described it before. I had them use a bright red paisley lining. They clearly thought I was absolutely nuts, but gracious and accomodating nonetheless.

One of these days I'll figure out how to post pics and show you guys. Speaking of which, HOW THE &*%$ DO YOU POST PICS?.
 

Alias

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
1,661
Reaction score
319
One of these days I'll figure out how to post pics and show you guys. Â Speaking of which, HOW THE &*%$ DO YOU POST PICS?.
You mean like this?
bite-face.jpg
 

jcusey

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 24, 2003
Messages
1,803
Reaction score
54
Quote One of these days I'll figure out how to post pics and show you guys. Speaking of which, HOW THE &*%$ DO YOU POST PICS?.
You mean like this?
bite-face.jpg

Double U - Tee - Eff, mate?[/quote] Oh, come on. If your racoon can't chew on your nose, what can?
 

PeterMetro

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2002
Messages
781
Reaction score
2
Here's what I was talking about - during the final fitting:
AsiaTrip265.jpg
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,164
Messages
10,579,138
Members
223,885
Latest member
Jones&co
Top