Nowadays, largely due to the prevalence of casualwear and the prioritization of comfort and simplicity, tailoring has become an increasingly rare sight. This trend can be recognized in all sorts of settings, even those where, not too long ago, suits were often considered mandatory. Or, at the very least, heavily encouraged.

Whether for a typical day at the office, or for an elegant evening out on the town, men used to don suits for all sorts of occasions.

But today, suits and tailoring tend to be thought of as wholly “formal.” Something you really only ever wear for very specific events, such as weddings. And even then, there are those who prefer weddings with an entirely casual dress code.

But this was not always the case. For much of the twentieth century, there existed the notion of the “casual suit.” This was more or less a middle-ground of sorts that existed between formalwear and casualwear.

Today, the concept of business casual often fills this gap. But instead of the drab khakis and cheap dress shirts found on sad discount store racks, casual suits still contain all of the depth and visual complexity of traditional tailoring!

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Believe it or not, the concept of the “casual suit” was once well-accepted. In the past, men understood that not all tailored garments read as formalwear.

And today, many menswear enthusiasts hold by the same truths and standards, educating themselves about the history and context for the various fabrics, patterns, and colors that qualify some tailoring as timeless, casual styles.

Read on to discover it all for yourself!

The History of Casual Suiting

Like so many western menswear traditions, the origins of the casual suit (and suits in general, for that matter), can be traced to England. In this particular case, we can look to the lounge suit, born out of Scotland in the mid nineteenth century, and the arguable granddaddy of all suits.

Typically made from heavier wool fabrics, the lounge suit wasn’t actually intended for lounging. Instead, it was essentially the sportswear of that era. Used for hunting and other outdoor activities, the coats on these suits were shorter than the longer frock-style jackets worn in town for business matters. This shorter length would accommodate easier movement for sporting activities. It was all about performance!

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Of course, the construction of these garments, often seen in three-piece configurations, was still rather elegant, using rich, earthy tones and quality wool. As the 1800s progressed, and the 1900s began, the trends of the lounge suit eventually made their way from the English and Scottish countryside to dense, bustling cities.

The business suits frequently seen in the professional world kept their darker appearance and their finer, subtler wool fabrics, but adopted the shorter coat configuration of the sportier lounge suits. And thus, the modern blueprint for the suit was born.

In the United States, suits followed the trend timeline set by the British, as Brooks Brothers debuted their famous “sack suit” in 1895, in accordance to the rising popularity of shorter coats.

Frock and tailcoat demand was down! And Brooks Brothers was there to claim the opportunity. The sack suit quickly cemented itself in the American fashion vernacular, while carrying over the cultural associations of various fabrics born out of England.

Rougher, heavier wools such as tweed became a hallmark of academia and the American Ivy League, a setting in which the aforementioned “middle-ground” of formality thrived. Meanwhile, just like in England, business suits and formalwear retained their smoother, sleeker look.

You may be thinking, well, thanks for the history lesson. But how does this apply to the idea of casual tailoring today?

What History Teaches Us About Fabrics

The rich history of tailoring and the fabrics used for different occasions, locales, and eras, all point to modern contextual clues we can use to determine a suit’s formality.

In the Scottish countryside, aristocrats donned heavy, three-piece tweeds to go hunting. It wasn’t really something they wore on their wedding day, per se. Or even to do business!

You may have heard the old phrase, “no brown in town” before. While this needn't be followed so stringently today, it did refer to the practice of brown tweed and tweed-adjacent suits being designated for countryside wear.

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But the lesson remains the same. A gentleman had tailoring for recreation. For casual affairs. At the same time, he also maintained a wardrobe for more formal occasions.

This path of thought can still be followed today to determine the modern-day implications for a tailored garment. Because clothing is so strongly informed by our culture, those associations are often already there whether we’re aware of it, or not.

The gentleman’s difference? He understands the association and the historical context of different garments – right down to the fabric and pattern itself.

Therefore, the casual suits of yesteryear can still read as casual today to the informed mind. Where some may still just see a suit and equate it to a fancy vibe, the casual suit teaches us that one can still be “put-together” without sacrificing a degree of elegance.

Because good tailoring is three-dimensional. It drapes. It creates interesting shapes to compliment your figure. But it can still be casual!

How to Identify Casual Suits

Now that you know the history, and how that history influences our cultural aesthetics, you’re ready to discover casual suiting for yourself! Here are some tips on how you can do this successfully.

1. Fabric Is King: This is arguably the most important aspect of determining the formality level of a suit. Fabrics like tweed, flannel wool, corduroy, cotton, linen, and seersucker are all examples of fabrics that typically “casualize” a piece of tailoring. More formal suits are usually made from smooth, worsted wool.

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