This story is from Manual, GQ’s flagship newsletter offering useful advice on style, health, and more, five days a week. Sign up here to get it free.
The window between the first cool days of autumn and the first big chill of winter is prime time for all manner of menswear, from buttery suede jackets and cozy flannel shirts to natty corduroys and Chelsea boots. In all of the excitement about the arrival of peak layering season, however, it can be easy to forget that fall is a great time for suits, too. Instead of the breezy seersuckers and linens of late summer, heartier (but still breathable) weaves like worsted wool, cotton flannel, and tweed are the order of the day. To home in on the best tailoring picks of the season, we polled a select group of tailoring Illuminati to find out what they’re reaching for right now.
Double-breasted “Prince of Wales” check suit in deadstock worsted wool
Courtesy of The Armoury
Courtesy of The Armoury
I usually wear a sport coat over knitwear in various weights throughout the seasons, so when I reach for a proper suit and tie, I prefer it to be one of my more unique pieces,” says Papier, who has been wearing a double-breasted suit by legendary Florentine tailor Liverano & Liverano on dressy days this season. “The fabric is a superfine worsted wool I found in an old tailor’s shop in Milan, likely dating back four or five decades. Wool from that era is hardier, and I was drawn to the cream-and-black check rather than the stark white of many modern checks in this style.”
3 Great Options With a Similar Vibe
- Budget: Suitsupply Checked Double-Breasted Havana Suit ($859)
- Affordable: J.Crew Double-Breasted Glenplaid Suit Jacket ($798) and Suit Pants ($398)
- Splurge: Caruso Double-Breasted Prince of Wales Suit Jacket ($2415) and Suit Pants ($930)
Double-breasted navy cotton flannel suit; double-breasted cashmere bouclé overcoat
Courtesy of Fitzgerald Bespoke
Courtesy of Fitzgerald Bespoke
“This season is typically the time to start getting your flannels out. Any cloth with a nap to the surface will help trap the heat and keep you warm,” says Fitzgerald, a Savile Row-trained tailor with an atelier in NYC’s Chrysler Building. While flannel is traditionally made from wool, Fitzgerald is partial to brushed cotton flannel this season. “It’s incredibly soft and durable, and you get the stretch from the cotton for comfort,” he says, showing off a crisp 6 x 2 double-breasted jacket cut from textured navy blue cotton. “It’s a perfect workhorse and easy to break up and wear as separates.”
In addition to cotton flannel suits, Fitzgerald is reaching for a double-breasted overcoat made from a prized bolt of double-faced cashmere bouclé—a cozy wool with a distinctive fuzzy texture. “It’s the ultimate Teddy-esque coat for the winter,” he says.
3 Great Options With a Similar Vibe
- Budget: Banana Republic Italian Wool Flannel Suit Jacket ($450) and Suit Pants ($200)
- Affordable: Buck Mason Italian Wool Flannel Blazer ($798) and Suit Pants ($348)
- Splurge: Drake’s Chalkstripe Wool Double-Breasted Jacket ($1,995) and Trousers ($755)
Double-breasted suit in taupe Merino wool
Courtesy of The Anthology
Courtesy of The Anthology
“I have always been fond of plain colors for their versatility, however, I often find myself fixated on ensuring that they incorporate other elements to avoid appearing bland,” explains Tang, who found a happy medium of texture and gravitas in the taupe brown of his current favorite double-breasted suit, which he’s been wearing unbuttoned over The Anthology’s cotton crewneck sweaters. “Tailoring discussions often revolve around travel suiting fabrics like high-twist wool fresco and high yarn count numbers, but the finer the cloth, the more drawbacks there are with performance and durability,” he says. “This Australian merino wool strikes the perfect balance: it’s soft and pliable while having a reasonable amount of drape, which are attributes that don’t normally come together.”
3 Great Options With a Similar Vibe
- Budget: Banana Republic Rustico Suit Jacket ($450) and Suit Pants ($200)
- Affordable: Kaptain Sunshine Wool-Twill Suit Jacket ($1,010) and Suit Trousers ($585)
- Splurge: Tom Ford Wool and Silk-Blend Suit Jacket ($5,250) and Suit Trousers ($1,750)
Ghost Blazer in Meadow Country Cloth with Side-Tab Dress Trousers
Courtesy of Sid Mashburn
Courtesy of Sid Mashburn
Mashburn, who regularly travels between Atlanta and New York City for work, has been living in his brand’s new Ghost Jacket in Meadow Country Cloth and a matching pair of side-tab trousers this season. “The country cloth is a very heavy English fabric, so when it’s below 70 degrees outside, you can start wearing it,” he says. Sourced from a family-owned mill in West Yorkshire, the cloth has the robustness of tweed, a breathable open weave, and a heathered green color that Mashburn says reminds him of an English hedgerow. “The Ghost is meant to be your all-in-one jacket,” Mashburn says of its unlined and unstructured design with convertible pockets that can be worn with the flaps either in or out. “It’s almost like you’re wearing a second skin. The fabric is quite heavy, so it really doesn’t need any internal canvas or interlining to help it keep its shape.”
3 Great Options With a Similar Vibe
- Budget: J.Crew English Wool Flannel Suit Jacket ($798) and Suit Trousers ($398)
- Affordable: Sid Mashburn Ghost Blazer ($995) and Suit Trousers ($395)
- Splurge: Massimo Alba Sloop Wool Suit ($1950)
Three-ply plain weave suit
Jamie Ferguson
Jamie Ferguson
“My current personal favorite is a three-ply plain weave that we developed. It has the weight of a sturdy wool but the breathability of a much lighter cloth and it’s nearly impossible to wrinkle,” he says. Mueser wore the suit for a recent trip to Los Angeles, where it proved ideal for Southern California’s warm days and cool evenings, and it’s also been a worthy go-to for fall in New York City and a recent trip to Scotland. “The fabric is also super resilient, which is great for travel and perfect for me since I’m not someone who is precious with my clothing.”
3 Great Options With a Similar Vibe
- Budget: Suitsupply Perennial Tailored Fit Havana Suit ($499)
- Affordable: Todd Snyder Italian Tropical Wool Wythe Suit ($995)
- Splurge: J. Mueser Charcoal Fresco Single Breasted Waverly Suit ($1,950)
