ASK AN EXPERT: George & King

What are the trends we can see coming with suits for 2017?
For wedding suits, we are seeing a strong desire for the ivory smoking jacket paired with a tailored pair of black pants, three piece tuxedos with a double breasted vest and a strong step away from the typical navy suit. Leave it for the office or the races!

What is your favourite style of suit and why? 
My favourite style is just a well tailored fit. You could be wearing the most awful shade of colour, but if it fits perfectly, it will always look fantastic. Other than that, I have a deep love of a forest green or burgundy suit. So stylish and so different.

Tell us about a day in your world at George & King?

It usually starts off with a coffee and flicking through all of the wedding leads that have come through from the previous evening. I’ll contact all of these brides personally to discuss their needs and desires, then put together a package just for them. I’ll receive a delivery of suits from our tailors, which I unpack, steam, then contact the clients to let them know of the arrival.

I will no doubt have a few fittings for the day, whether they are corporate gents on their lunch breaks or couples who need a consultation for their wedding day.

I’ll then hop on LinkedIn, Instagram and a few other channels to network with potential clients and potential partnership businesses. The day will usually end with an evening appointment of a grooms party to be measured up; they will enjoy a whiskey or a few beers whilst I take down their body measurements and process their wedding orders.

Then finally, I finish off with a glass or two of red, flip through my calendar and prepare for the next day!

What are your top tips for picking a suit?

Every body is entirely different, so it’s important to understand that a tailored suit needs to highlight and mask certain features of the individual; and that’s why I’m here to lend a hand. Always go double vented with your jackets, as gents enjoy putting their hands in their pockets and a single vent will split and look untidy.

Balance is also key with buying a suit; you need the length of the torso (jacket) to match the length of the legs (pants). 

Pocket squares, yay or nay?

I’m a big yay on the pocket square, but only a crisp white pocket square. You will already have a flower on the lapel, a tie/bow tie and then the draw of the suit; you don’t want it to look too busy.

Have you had the chance to dress anyone famous? If so, WHO and what did they wear!? I have dressed a few different people for Logies award season, like Alin Le Kal, The Block and The Voice contestants, plus many fashion bloggers. They are always after something a little quirky, but most importantly are after the perfectly tailored fit.

Do you have any industry secrets for getting a perfectly fitted suit?

Patience is key, from both the Stylists side and the clients side; grooms are usually wanting to lose weight before their big day, so this usually requires adjustments to the final product.

We will get the fit perfect if everyone is patient 😊 other than this, it is all down to the stylists’ knowledge of tailoring and craftsmanship. No secrets, any and every question asked by the client will always be answered!

G&K x