The Winter Markt arrives in early December, and with it the run of holiday parties, client dinners and family evenings that carry Birmingham through to the new year. Most men own one suit and it was bought in June. In December it is the wrong suit.
What flannel is for
Flannel is wool with a brushed surface, heavier and softer than a smooth worsted, and it does two things a summer suit can’t: it keeps you warm walking from the car, and it photographs with depth under the warm light of a December room. A mid-gray flannel is the classic; a navy flannel is the one that also works in the office.
How it fits differently
A heavier cloth wants a fraction more room through the chest and the thigh, or it binds when you sit. Roman, master tailor at Lincoln Tailor, on site in our store, fits flannel with that in mind, and sets the trouser to break once over a heavier shoe.
Where it sits in the tiers
Real wool, in the weights that breathe or in the weights that warm, is the Signature Wool tier, $259 to $299. A second suit for the cold half of the year is a small price for looking right in every photograph from Thanksgiving to January.
Also for Birmingham: Closed Saturdays. Open Sunday at Noon, After the Market. More on style consulting, or plan your visit to our Oak Park showroom.
