Drape suit
Encyclopedia
Drape suits are a 1930's British variation of the lounge suit. The drape cut, sometimes called a "London drape" was popularized by Frederick Scholte, tailor
to the Prince of Wales
(later the Duke of Windsor). Scholte observed that adding cloth to the shoulders of a jacket made many men look trimmer and more athletic. The new suit cut was softer and more flexible in construction than the suits of the previous generation; extra fabric in the shoulder and armscye, light padding, a slightly nipped waist, and fuller sleeves tapered at the wrist resulted in a cut with folds, or "drapes," front and back that created the illusion of the broad-shoulders and tight-waist "V" figure of the very fit.
The British drape was taken up by men around the world. The American Zoot suit
was an extreme exaggeration of the drape popular in some sub-cultures in the 1940s.
More recently the drape suit has been popularised by the well-known clothing authority Michael Anton.
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
to the Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
(later the Duke of Windsor). Scholte observed that adding cloth to the shoulders of a jacket made many men look trimmer and more athletic. The new suit cut was softer and more flexible in construction than the suits of the previous generation; extra fabric in the shoulder and armscye, light padding, a slightly nipped waist, and fuller sleeves tapered at the wrist resulted in a cut with folds, or "drapes," front and back that created the illusion of the broad-shoulders and tight-waist "V" figure of the very fit.
The British drape was taken up by men around the world. The American Zoot suit
Zoot suit
A zoot suit is a suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. This style of clothing was popularized by African Americans, Mexican-Americans, and Italian Americans during the late 1930s and the 1940s...
was an extreme exaggeration of the drape popular in some sub-cultures in the 1940s.
More recently the drape suit has been popularised by the well-known clothing authority Michael Anton.
Further reading
- The Gentleman's Gazette provides more information and illustrated pictures about the Drape Suit.