Lapel
A lapel (
There are three basic forms of lapel: notched, peaked, and shawl. The notched lapel, the most common, is usually seen on
Types
Notched
The notched lapel (American English), step lapel or step collar (British English) is sewn to the collar at an angle, creating a step effect. This is the standard on
Peaked
The peaked lapel (American English), peak lapel, or pointed lapel (British English), is the most formal, featuring on
Shawl
The shawl lapel, shawl collar, or roll collar is a continuous curve. Originally seen on the Victorian smoking jacket, it is now most common on the dinner jacket or tuxedo.[4] This similarly began as informal eveningwear, and was then made in both more and less formal versions, depending on the situation in which it was to be used. It is also commonly used on mess jackets. A Teba jacket sports a form of notch-less lapel that features an angular turn.[11][12]
Width
The width of the lapel is a widely varying aspect of suits, and has changed widely over the years.[13] Some designers maintain however that most stylish lapel width does not change, and that the lapel "should extend to just a fraction less than the halfway mark between the collar and shoulder line".[14]
Fabric
The lapel on business and sports wear is typically made of the same fabric as the rest of the jacket. On more formal wear it may be made of a contrasting fabric, with satin a popular historic choice.
Buttonhole
On single-breasted jackets the left lapel typically carries a buttonhole for holding a boutonnière, a decorative flower. A loop is often fixed to the back of the lapel to hold the flower properly.[15] For symmetry, double breasted suits often have a buttonhole on each lapel. A lapel pin is also sometimes worn.
Origin
This section needs additional citations for verification. (June 2012) |
The most common style of lapel, the notched lapel, originated in older types of jackets that buttoned to the neck, by unbuttoning and turning back the upper part of the closure at an angle indoors or in hot weather, and then removing the upper buttons. The upper points are derived from the end corners of the collar. This can be duplicated by similarly turning back the closure in a modern button-to-the-neck garment such as an overcoat or a boilersuit. Sometimes when caught outside in bad weather in a lapelled jacket and nothing over it, its wearer may unfold the lapels and hold them that way to temporarily reproduce the ancestral to-the-neck closure.
As tailcoats evolved rapidly among the wealthy during the
Once double breasted frock coats were established, lapels were sharply creased and their form was more static, varying only in details such as height, since they were buttoned nearly to the neck by the
Some historians of dress such as Bernard Rudofsky have ridiculed the evolution of jacket lapels into "vastly unnecessary flaps" and "decorative rudiments",[16] while others have celebrated the transformation of lapels into "fetishes" as part and parcel of fashion as expression.[17]
Lapelless jackets
Though less common among men's suits in the west, other jacket styles feature no lapels. Jackets with
Notes
- ^ Antonio (31 October 2012). "Casual Dress for Young Men: What to Wear & How to Wear It".
- ^ Flusser (2002). p. 83
- ^ a b Flusser (2002). p. 85
- ^ a b Antongiavanni (2006). p. 172
- ISBN 978-8-4927-1579-4.
- ^ "Double Breasted Notch Lapel "Wall Street" Suit". Ask Andy. 2008-08-04.
- ^ Antongiavanni (2006). p. 48
- ^ Flusser (2002). p. 234
- ^ Flusser (2002). p. 84
- ^ Mahon, Thomas (2005-03-29). "Single breasted, peaked lapel". English Cut. Archived from the original on 2005-04-03. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ^ "Oliver Brown is the place to go for maximalist tailoring (and top hats)". The Jackal Magazine. 26 April 2019.
- ^ "Style Heroes: Arnold Wong, Senior Brand Manager and Buyer at Attire House". LIFESTLYE ASIA. 20 May 2019.
- ^ "Style Q&A: Dressing Up Casual, Wide Vs Skinny Lapels, and Tailored Recommendations". Primer magazine.
- ^ Flusser (1985). ch. 2
- ^ Boehlke, Will (2007-01-07). "What's in your lapel?". A Suitable Wardrobe. Archived from the original on 2008-10-14. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
- ^ Rodofsky(1947). p. 122
- ^ Machete, A.J. (2010-10-28). "Jacket Lapels". The Complete Suit Guide. Retrieved 2011-10-27.
Bibliography
- Antongiavanni, Nicholas (2006). The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style. ISBN 978-0-06-089186-2.
- ISBN 0-394-54623-7. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
- ISBN 0-06-019144-9.
- Rudofsky, Bernard (1947). Are Clothes Modern?. Paul Theobald.
- Whife, A.A (ed): The Modern Tailor Outfitter and Clothier. The Caxton Publishing Company Ltd, London, 1951