IN PICTURES: Sydney style

I was back at work and came home to dinner on the table most nights. But upon his return to work, we found his clothes no longer fit. Consequently we bought him a new work wardrobe – and post-maternity leave, I was pleased to be immersed in a Mad Men-inspired renaissance of fitted suits and shirts, pocket squares, cufflinks and suits without a tie at the office.

"When I first arrived in Sydney in 2003 I saw style atrocities everywhere."
Sarah Imm, Founder, Vélo-à-Porter

And I noticed a significant improvement in the way men were dressing for the office. I was pleased because despite the commonly held belief that we are always at the beach, Sydneysiders are often at the office.

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Contrast this with when I first arrived in Sydney in 2003: I saw style atrocities everywhere. Double-breasted suits from the 80s in all colours that were too big or too small, worn-at-heel slip-on shoes, too-small winter coats with label still attached to the sleeve hem, sack suits, black suits, too-short jackets, button-down collars.

I had come from London where I had worked amongst crisp and impeccable-tailored suits, patterned cotton shirts with contrasting ties, brightly coloured silk linings, side-adjust trousers.

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I spoke with Joe Ha of The Finery Company, a bespoke tailoring company based in Sydney, about the evolution of men’s style in the Emerald City. He attributed it to the internet and to Herringbone.

In 2008, Herringbone was the only ready-to-wear brand offering high-quality dress shirts. It also manufactured its suits in Japan.

Later, it would end up in receivership (and subsequent rescue by Van Laack) because of an aggressive expansion in Australia and the Global Financial Crisis. Despite this, Herringbone gave men more options to dress well for the office.

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Now social media has provided men with even more examples of good style. Previously, we were beholden to magazines and newspapers which prescribed a specific style by season or editor.

Instagram and Tumblr have had an enormous impact on menswear by showing an endless variety of combinations suitable for the office, evening, weekend, holiday.

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Fashion bloggers, stylists, celebrities and brands on social media provide an alternative to traditional fashion press and media.

Ready-to-wear clothing (RTW), also known as off-the-rack, is one way to express one’s personal style at the office and is well represented in Sydney by Herringbone, TM Lewin, Rhodes and Beckett, MJ Bale, David Jones and Myer department stores.

However, Chris Edwards, General Manager of Oscar Hunt, believes men increasingly want to express their individuality in the office and boardroom by choosing made-to-measure (MTM) or bespoke clothing.

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The primary difference between RTW and MTM or a bespoke experience is service. When men come for a fitting at Oscar Hunt, the tailor spends time getting to know the client and his lifestyle. 

What is his profession? Does he perspire a lot? Is he constantly traveling between different climates and temperatures? What are his preferences in material, colour, cut of suit? All of this knowledge, gained from conversation, helps to craft a suit which fits the man.

What’s the difference between MTM and bespoke tailoring? The primary difference is that the MTM suit is cut from a pattern, which is altered to meet the client’s measurements.  Bespoke tailoring is crafted from the individual’s measurements and requires several fittings. An initial pattern is made from less expensive cloth and then the chosen fabric is cut for the final round of fittings.

The difference in price is attributable to the customisation and number of fittings required in bespoke tailoring.

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Both Edwards and Ha explain the fitting process also includes education of and a consultative approach with the client. Clients have varying degrees of knowledge of style and fit.

Ha told me a story about a body builder client. He was accustomed to shirts which were too tight in the arms. During the initial fitting for a set of custom shirts, his client was uncomfortable. Instead of being too tight in the arms, drape in the sleeve meant that he was able to move his arms freely. Despite this, he insisted on a tighter fit.

In the end, they split the difference and the sleeve had less drape than the initial fit but still gave him room to move. Bespoke tailoring is often considered the work of an artisan. It’s often machine-sewn but hand stitching is also employed to provide detail and effect.

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My husband, an economist, and I share a joke about my personal impact on the financial markets. Every time I make major purchases overseas, the Australian dollar gains in value.

In 2007 when I was away on maternity leave the Global Financial Crisis hit. I’ll let you know the next time I decide to make an impact on the credit markets.

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Sarah Imm is the founder of Vélo-à-Porter, a lifestyle brand based in Sydney, Australia. She had a nineteen year career in investment banking with Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and UBS in New York, London, Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney. She lives in Sydney with her husband and two children and writes about fashion, bicycling and bicycling with kids on veloaporter.com. Follower her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebookand LinkedIn.