American Informal

 "Cultivated leisure is the aim of man." --Oscar Wilde

According to a great coffee table book put together by the Council of Fashion Designers of America called American Fashion Menswear, which my fiancee got me for my birthday, there's a genre of menswear called "American Informal."  I would say "American Informal" is pretty consistent with my aesthetic for modern business attire--it being built around odd jackets and trousers, strong textures and distinguished but bold patterns, natural colors with some bold accents.  It hales from the time when a gentleman's country attire was dressed up by today's standards, but regarded as dressed down leisurewear compared to the morning dress and black tie appropriate for the city.  Here's one example that I liked quite a bit--even though I don't plan on wearing quite so much into the office, it's still inspiring.

This outfit from designer Sal Cesarani in 1997, while a bit too matchy-matchy for my taste, is a good example of dressed-up leisure from the age of country estates.  Notice the heavy use of textures with the waistcoat and sport jacket, the bold jacket pattern, but the generally sedate and serious color palette.  As a young professional I wouldn't opt for a waistcoat, and certainly not a collar pin and strait collar, but the principles of relaxed distinction are applicable to refined business casual.  I would substitute an ecru oxford cloth button down, perhaps a colorful pocket square, and toned down lapels.

The "American Informal" tradition of blending sportswear and informal pieces with formal attire has been adopted so heavily by today's paragons of male fashion--Italian designers like Brunello Cucinelli and style icons like Gianni Agnelli--that it's easy to loose track of its American roots.  But this style originated with Americans, particularly Hollywood's golden age movie stars like Cary Grant and Fred Astaire.

 
Here Cary Grant used a subtle touch to make a basic suit and tie a little more interesting and relaxed.  Look closely, and you'll see that he's wearing a silk knit tie, a staple of more laid back Ivy League style but unexpected with a serious double breasted suit.  Classic cool.

A fundamental of style is mixing formal and informal in unexpected ways--it applies especially to business casual.

N.M.C.