Armani Suit Adjustment Process
1982 Fall/Winter ad Campaign by Aldo Fallai
The joys of second-hand clothing cannot be overstated. No matter if it’s a piece you’ve been looking for or if it’s something you stumbled across and never knew you needed. This piece is definitely the latter for me and I’d like to share with you the journey with it.
I’m a hard size to get right even in ready-to-wear garments, so thrifting can be difficult. I’m tall with a very small waist which means trousers have always really been out of the question.
When I stumbled across this presumably 90s Armani suit I was smitten. Vintage Armani is not particularly difficult to find second-hand. However, one that even has the possibility to be adjusted is a true rarity. As with any good piece of clothing, I immediately started envisioning scenarios in which this suit would be the centerpiece. Where I’d wear it, what I would be doing, what the suit has already done before me. It all came flooding in. I knew I had to have it.
Before adjustments
I took it for myself and treated it right; had it dry cleaned and wrapped in plastic. And then, nothing. Life got in the way and there just wasn’t a need to get it adjusted. So it sat there in my wardrobe, the best suit I owned which I couldn’t wear. It ate at me for a while. Until finally, I pulled the trigger and brought it to my tailor.
I’ve taken many things into his shop and he has never disappointed me. I expect the best and he delivers. Truly he and I are passionate about clothes. I had a very specific vision for my suit. I wanted to really lean into the Armani design language that I have spent years falling in love with. A few months prior, I saw a post showing the original sketch work done for the suits worn in the Wolf of Wall Street. While my opinion of the film is not particularly positive, the costume design is still very appealing.
The reason they’re so appealing is that the suits are full of contradictions. The shoulders are heavily structured taking cues from British tailoring. However, Armani is an Italian house and also this particular era was extremely fashion-centric which means it isn’t as simple as them creating their own British-inspired suit. No, instead these suits are loose, almost as though the word that most aptly describes the way the fabric falls is “drape”. From the shoulders and the waist the fabric is allowed to drape around the man. But it isn’t to say the suits are without shape, in fact far from it. Looking from the back there’s a clear V-Taper and the trousers sit with a full break and a slight flare at the bottom. Typically ventless and with jetted pockets, these suits on paper sound very formal. But when the suit is considered as a whole, it too is very juxtaposing. The design would feel more at home with patch pockets. The power suit and 80s–90s Armani are all about excess. Extra in the length of the sleeves, jacket, and trousers; extra in the body and leg opening; and extra in the design of the fabric. Yes, the fabrics typically are very loud as well. However, these louder designs historically were reserved for odd jackets and sport coats. To further accentuate its already masculine silhouette and V-Taper, jackets from Armani have very low button stances. I had to get used to the fact that my tie kept falling out because of it. Leading the eye towards the buttons are the soft “bellied” lapels which give the jackets an air of whimsy. I find it somewhat difficult to imagine the high-finance world so many of these suits called home because today, these suits are so clearly fashion rather than the sobriety that white-collar jobs require. However, on the other hand, power suits are designed to make the wearer look powerful and imposing. “I belong in this room and you’re going to listen to me because I have the confidence to wear this suit”.
What I wanted from my tailor was clear to me from far before I stepped into his establishment. I wanted to give life to an Armani cut that has waited decades to be worn once again. I showed him the pictures and marked the suit for adjustments. In the jacket: take in the waist so it follows my natural shape whilst maintaining the excess that defines Armani. The sleeves were too wide which can completely make or break the look of a suit. In the trousers: take in the waist and bring in the width at the knee to give the illusion of a flare. Two weeks later, the suit was ready and so was I. With one last try on and a quick handshake I was off on my way. The aim was never to modernize the suit. Just to my specifications, over 30 years later, I have the distinguished honor of wearing an Armani power suit in a way that honors the brand’s original vision and my own. No matter how disheartening and how much of an uphill battle thrifting and tailoring may seem, there is always hope in the world bestowing upon you what it was you always truly wanted. It is truly delightful to study something from afar for so long and to be rewarded with the pleasure of experiencing it yourself.
Final Alterations
Notes from readers
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