Over at A Continuous Lean, friend of the Pins, Jake Gallagher has a nice commentary on the lasting effect of the Thom Browne suit. Yes, we've all been hit over the head in regards to how vital TB has been to the world of men's suiting. This is the guy who legitimately built and fostered the movement of shrunken, cropped suits that has, without a doubt, permeated the macro world of menswear. In part because of Thom Browne, today's suits are slimmer and pants hit closer to the ankles than ever before.
But what Gallagher points out is arguably the most important point: Thom Browne himself hasn't messed with his signature silhouette in years. When 2006 came around and he won the CFDA's Best Menswear Designer award, he knew the look worked. While his womenswear and outlandish runway designs may move and shift with trends or rely on pure spectacle, the Thom Brown suit remains largely the same: grey, slim and shrunken with dramatic cropping. When you see someone with high water trousers and a too short-sleeved blazer complete with that iconic red, white and blue grosgrain, you know they're wearing a suit by choice. Which, in our day and age, actually says something.
