The whole point of wearing clothes, beyond the obvious protection from the elements, is to look good. We wear what we wear because we believe it flatters our bodies, and we change what we change because we believe the new will make us look better than the old. Menswear, no less than womenswear, is about achieving a Platonic ideal, a triumph of form whereby our clothes suggest that Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man lies just beneath the cloth.
To further this goal, we suggest a transformation of your next sport coat or suit jacket. Rather than purchase something with the typical notch lapels, take the time and spend the money to find a suit or sport coat with peak lapels. A jacket’s lapel occurs where the front edges of the jacket fold over and rise until they meet the jacket’s collar, at which point collar and edges are sewn together. Most jackets will have the edges and the collar gap apart at the seam, forming a notch, hence the term ‘notch lapel.’ In a peak lapel, the jacket’s edges continue up beyond and past the seam at an angle, where they finally form a point.
The peak lapel is a marker of taste for more reasons than one. It flatters a V-shaped torso, emphasizing strong shoulders and suggesting a broad, powerful chest. The lapel draws attention to the gorge of the jacket, the triangular gap where the shirt is displayed, making it an ideal window through which to show off fine shirting. Moreover, it is a sign of fine tailoring: on a single-breasted jacket, cutting a peak lapel is a challenge even for a skilled artisan, making a fine peak lapel the mark of a master tailor. This extra work translates to a higher price, but that is not a matter of inflation. You get what you pay for.
The difficulty in cutting a peak lapel means it is rarer on jackets than the notch lapel- in addition to being more expensive. The benefits are more than worth the cost. Make a statement and declare your independence from the ordinary.
