Christian Kimber, M.J. Bale and Parker & Co reveal why the suit is making a comeback in corporate Australia

Christian Kimber has a quick response for anyone questioning the future of the suit in corporate Australia. “Everyone wants me to say the suit is dead — but it’s not,” says Kimber. “It’s the environment that’s changed. We might not need it every day, but we still need it.”

It’s a sentiment echoed throughout the menswear industry, and a far cry from what many assumed was the death knell for this item: the COVID pandemic and the hybridisation of working conditions that still sees many companies trying to coax staff back into offices on a full-time basis.

“I mean, if you’re at home on a Zoom call, you’re probably not wearing a blazer,” says Kimber. “But if you’re client-facing or you’re in the office, you’re still wearing tailoring. It might be a blazer and a trouser, or a chino and a blazer, but you still need to look and feel good.”

Christian Tana, owner of Parker & Co menswear in Perth, one of Australia’s oldest tailoring companies that stocks brands including Zegna, Canali and Brioni alongside its own line, concurs with Kimber “100 per cent” that the death of the suit has been overstated. He also concedes that some confusion remains around what corporate wear now entails given the variety of working environments in play today.

“Guys are now having to wear different things every day of the week, apart from a suit,” says Tana. “They’re looking for smart casual, but have no idea what that actually entails. And it’s created a lot of issues. We get a lot of the guys that own their own companies coming in and they’re trying to explain to their staff how to present properly, professionally. And if that’s not a suit or something that’s sartorial, it’s not easy. So I’ve actually had a lot (of these clients) tell everyone to go back to suits, shirts and ties again.”

And while the suit remains the ultimate corporate power play, both Tana and Kimber agree that tailored separates can do a great job in those less client-facing settings.

“I still think if you’re selling a service or a product, and you’re trying to present professionally, you should have some form of tailoring in a jacket or a suit,” says Tana. “I just think it shows a level of respect to the people you’re dealing with and that you’re serious about what you’re doing.”

“I don’t think the suit ever left the stage,” adds Matt Jensen, founder of M.J. Bale, which has over 80 stores, including department store concessions, around Australia. “I still think in the super corporate areas, classic tailoring with a woven shirt and tie . . . is still very much that.”

The new look

But even the suit, that most classic of items, still requires an occasional update.

“What’s wonderful to see is the resurgence of a new shape,” says Jensen. “We’ve had a consistent, leaner-fitting block for 15, maybe 20 years since the early 2000s. Thom Browne was probably the guy who brought that in, with his closer, cropped trousers and bare ankles, and a leaner, neater silhouette, which harks back to that Neapolitan tailoring. But now it’s moving back to a looser-fitting silhouette, back to the early-90s vibe, which is cool.”

This suits Kimber, who has always offered a more relaxed silhouette in his tailoring. “We don’t sell slim clothes,” he says. “We never have. There’s a trend for wider trousers, there’s sometimes a fashion guy who is into it, but straight cuts have always been our base. We just want to make things to fit guys’ body shapes and if you’re thick in the leg, or if you’re really strong in the shoulders, a slim trouser doesn’t work.”

Knot’s landing

While ties have become a major fashion statement for women in the past 18 months, word on the street has also slated the tie as being deceased for men. But again, retailers are finding the reality to be quite different. “We sell loads of ties, all the time,” says Kimber. “I love wearing ties. Women are wearing ties. There’s something about putting a tie on that makes you feel put-together.”

Tana concedes that while he might not be seeing as many ties finishing off an outfit when out and about, the appetite for collecting beautiful neck pieces has not stopped. “We are selling more ties now than we have ever done — ever,” says Tana. “And I cannot explain it, because I don’t see anyone wearing them (in the streets), but we go through about 800 a season. It’s wild.”

He suspects that fewer stores may be carrying them, driving more customers to those that still do. “And I mean, there’s still professions such as real estate, lawyers, barristers, judges, CEOs when they’ve got AGMs, they’ve all got to wear a tie with their suits.”

Confidence made to measure

A working wardrobe should enhance your working life, helping you exude confidence — and competence. And perhaps there is no greater flex than having something created especially for you to add an extra layer of self-assurance.

Both Christian Kimber and Parker & Co offer bespoke options alongside ready-to-wear.

“So many companies now offer different levels of made-to-measure,” says Tana. “Some people know what they want and a lot of people still prefer to try things off the rack. And some clients either don’t want to or can’t visualise choosing something out of a swatch book, they prefer to see it on them. So we do both.”

Tana suggests that a beautiful sports jacket can “cover you for so many things”, and the range of fabrications on offer — such as textured silks, linens, cashmere and even vicuna as well as a wide range of wool grades — means that customers can find something truly personalised in made-to-measure pieces.

But Kimber says ultimately, you need to know what works for you — and help is always at hand. “Our real job is making men feel confident and helping them understand what their personal style is, and then figuring out what your wardrobe is around that. We can make anything or we can show you what we do in ready-to-wear and see if it fits with your style. But it’s about understanding yourself, knowing what suits your body shape and what makes you feel good.”