SUITS AND COATS: FOUNDATION OF A WORKING WARDROBE

We hear that suits and ties are making a bit of a comeback, and we wouldn't be surprised if they are. This much we know: Even in the age of “corporate casual,” good suits, sport coats and blazers—sometimes with a tie, sometimes appropriately without—are the foundation of a business or professional wardrobe.

Nothing says authority, responsibility, reliability and seriousness of purpose with more credibility than a good fitting suit made of quality fabric in a conservative, naturally flattering style.

At Fairclough & Co. we feature a range of suits and coats distinguished by subtle differences in detail and seasonal variations in fabric and color. But the underlying, unifying tradition reflects the classic lines of British hand tailoring, adapted to a more relaxed American style more than half a century ago by the elegant leading men of the Golden Age of Hollywood, such as Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (Charlotte's own Randolph Scott belongs on that list, too, but we remember him mostly in Westerns.)

It is a style that has been part of the image of the most successful men in business and the professions in the second half of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Fads and fashions come and go, and some leave an enduring influence, but this paradigm of style has endured, and we believe it will continue to be the standard.

The look is basically conservative and never out of style, but at Fairclough & Co., we freshen it every season with some tasteful tweaking of the details, some new textures and colors, and sometimes a shifting balance between seriousness and casualness that reflects our changing times and tastes.

You can shop our well-stocked library of fabric samples from Hilton-Oakloom and Samuelsohn and special order to your own specifications of fit, model and design detail. Your custom-tailored suit or sport coat can be ready in five to six weeks.

Or you can choose something “off the rack” from our distinctive, carefully selected inventory. Our ready-made suits and coats come from those same two legendary makers of hand-finished garments, Hilton-Oakloom and Samuelsohn, as well as from such respected names as Corbin, Ltd., H. Oritsky, Burberry and Oliver.

If the standard coat-and-trouser dimensions don't work for you, but you don't want to wait for a custom suit, take a look at our lightweight wool separates from Corbin and Oritsky. You can put together the coat and matching trousers in the sizes that fit your own shape.

Whether you choose custom or off-the-rack, our expert staff and our in-house alterations shop will make sure the fit is just right. And because we consider quality clothing a long-term investment, we'll keep the fit just right as long as you own it, at little or no additional cost.

Accessorize your suits and coats