The Outside View: Long Live the Suit

The suit is not dead. The question is, what role does it play in a customer’s wardrobe, and, therefore, how is it treated by brands and retailers? Even if that office staple of yesteryear was already diminished by the rise of more-casual looks and is now utterly lost in the work from home closet, there is a post-COVID-19 life for foundational tailored clothing.  The function of the suit is changing and — along with all of the other changes sweeping through the industry — presents opportunities for brands willing to change and retailers ready to change with them. The suit in American life is now a special occasion business. That occasion may be a wedding, but going forward, it may also be a business meeting. There is little doubt that the convenience we have discovered in virtual meetings will not be completely discarded and in-person meetings will be reserved for more meaningful occasions.  So how does retail solve this problem when so many businesses are reliant on a tailored business? Initially, I think we have to address the bifurcated nature of the customer. There is the guy who needs one or two good suits for meetings, weddings, funerals, etc., and then there is the

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