Ben Sherman is great. It’s an established, classic British and, of course, Mod brand selling some pretty sound stuff. It might now be owned by a bunch of corp suits, but their flagship shops still stay (largely) true to their heritage. There was a slight wobble in the 2000s, but since then I find myself walking into their shops more and more whenever I happen to go past. The knitwear section is stocked full of smart jumpers of all shades. They’re selling some pretty natty Crombie-style coats. The Shirt Bar is an inspirational triumph.
But I can’t buy a suit there.
This is the fundamental flaw with BS which they never in my lifetime have ever quite corrected. The creative variety in their suit fabrics is excellent. There are pinstriped suits, check suits, grey, blue and even brown tweed. Yet if you look at all of them, not one draws from the three-button Mod tradition. They are almost always two-buttoned (with low lapels), or in some cases one-buttoned, and they often come in three pieces. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but waistcoats have never been part of the Mod look. Shiny-backed or not, they usually just make you look like a waiter. For a brand of such strong heritage, I find it disappointing that it doesn’t seem to be able to make even a nod to its traditional style. Just a single, sharp, black three-buttoned two-piece would be excellent if done well. Combined with the exceptional shirts and strong knitwear, it’d also make BS a one-stop-shop for all of a man’s clothing requirements.
I’d snap one up in a trice if it was available, but for people who want to stick firmly to the style, Ben Sherman just isn’t an option.
But I can’t buy a suit there.
This is the fundamental flaw with BS which they never in my lifetime have ever quite corrected. The creative variety in their suit fabrics is excellent. There are pinstriped suits, check suits, grey, blue and even brown tweed. Yet if you look at all of them, not one draws from the three-button Mod tradition. They are almost always two-buttoned (with low lapels), or in some cases one-buttoned, and they often come in three pieces. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but waistcoats have never been part of the Mod look. Shiny-backed or not, they usually just make you look like a waiter. For a brand of such strong heritage, I find it disappointing that it doesn’t seem to be able to make even a nod to its traditional style. Just a single, sharp, black three-buttoned two-piece would be excellent if done well. Combined with the exceptional shirts and strong knitwear, it’d also make BS a one-stop-shop for all of a man’s clothing requirements.
I’d snap one up in a trice if it was available, but for people who want to stick firmly to the style, Ben Sherman just isn’t an option.
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