Crafting The Suit

This is a fun post as it’s been some time in the making! I’m not sure if you saw on social, but about six weeks ago, I got to check out a pretty rad pop-up at Nordstrom to build my own wool suit for this summer. It was an exclusive collaboration with The Woolmark Company and Hart Schaffner Marx to highlight their Cool Wool suits made with Merino wool. Hart Schaffner Marx is a Chicago-based suiting company that has been manufacturing tailored American-made clothing since 1887! They’ve collaborated with The Woolmark Company – who is the authority on all-things wool – to highlight the benefits of Merino wool’s properties in suiting in a pop-up collection with Nordstrom! This collaboration features an exclusive collection of Cool Wool suits that are all made-to-measure and will be perfect for the coming summer months! I’ve never had the chance to craft my own suit and was so excited at the chance!

I ventured to the pop-up at Nordstrom and had quite the customized experience! I got hit – hard, with so many choices! I could have made up tens of thousands of suit combinations with the options we had.  The stitching, type of lapel, pockets, buttons.. the list goes one! The biggest decision was selecting the fabric from a slew of swatches – all of which were Merino wool. I’m so pleased with the one I finally landed on! It’s a blue-on-blue windowpane that will be so versatile in my closet and perfect for summer. The whole collection is really designed to show off the benefits of using a fabric like Merino wool in a suit. It’s lightweight, breathable, and perfect for late summer and even the early fall months.

So how do you like it?! ME TOO. LOVE. All my measurements were taken at Nordstrom and the suit fit like a glove. If you’re used to getting your suits off the rack, the suit is going to fit a little sung. That’s a good thing. The size of the lapel and the slant of the pockets are my favorite little details on the jacket. A fun little detail was getting my name on the inside of the jacket – you never know… sometimes a wedding dance floor gets hoppin’ and high-heels and suit jackets come off!

Here are two scenarios for the suit: one is a classic and dressed-up version with a white button-down and a chambray tie. The tie really brought out the light blue in my suit and I love how crisp that white button-down looks! The other option is a more casual and summery look featuring an indigo linen button-down. Both are standard looks and are completed with closet staples (white button-down, linen shirt, blue tie) that you should already own. Now add Merino Wool suit to the list for this summer – it’s going to be keeping me cool and lookin’ good. You should be too!

Stay Risky,

– John

Photography by Wes Taylor and Ali Stone