An Extensive Guide to Wearing Cream From CORE
Cream colour in a garment has always had a strong association with refinement. It was one of those that belonged to the higher level of the pyramid of colours. Like quiet luxury, it is a kind of flashiness that displays tacit supremacy through delicacy, the actuality that one does not have to stoop down, taint the pristine body and sleeves from some nitty-gritty labour. These are flashbacks of the time of our history, but they may not be relevant today. The coronation of the United Kingdom all over tabloids and social media reminded us that the old royals' dressing styles were once aspirational to sartorial fanatics. But as we move with the times, Prince (now officially His Majesty King) Charles' affair with a cream suit was no longer our source of inspiration. We think there is more to a cream suit, jacket and trousers than a sheer status symbol.
Breaking traditions, starting with an unabashed high-low ensemble, which we think is the real joy of tailoring today. A 'so far so good' spotless cream double-breasted suit jacket worn as an odd jacket, styled against a pair of heavily abused, washed jeans that are blemished and destroyed with layers of 'patina'.
Solely an outfit elaborates plenty of the intricacies of our pursuit and motto of the house: to unlearn and learn from classic tailoring.
If you ask an older gentleman, he might disapprove of how we try to break the lore of a suit to enable as separates. Fastidious studies on the subject matter helped us understand the crux of the problem. Most suits in the old days were woven in formal plain worsteds as if they were married couples who said the vows, hence never meant to be broken up. But in reality, most people would've come across more than one love, and they want options. The truth is, when they do not look distinctively like a part of a suit, that's when they can be styled as separates, and that is the responsibility of the creators of the garments, us. The CORE collection is designed to express this, by combining the casual attributes of linen and cotton and twill construction to the garment, to add texture and visual interest to a primordially plain cloth.
Instead of dressing cream in a formal context, it can just be as suitable for bright warm days with a casual polo and Civilman Trousers if the usual pleated dress trousers are a touch formal.
Bringing back to slightly more traditional settings, which most people find useful. Dressing for wedding days, whether to attend as a guest or the host, is a day one tends to follow traditions a little more — it is not a day to be experimental. Taking the whole suit look as is, paired with a striped tie to add in some patterns, can be styled with a repp tie or a patterned motif tie.
Imagine travelling with a suit to a wedding, but would like to extend the sojourn for a few more romantic moments, staying agile is key. Well-executed garments are meant to last. We don't mind repeats, but the most important is how we can generate variations with the same outfit. We suggest bringing along a few more simple upper-body garments that can help make good use of the suit set even after the ceremonies. With or without a jacket depending on the temperature, the option is on the table.
Matthew showcases the summer black tie look. Pocket square by Simonnot Godard, silk bow-tie crafted exclusively for The Anthology, coming soon.
If you are the bridegroom and think that a traditional tuxedo is not the best fit for the setting, say coastal weddings, then this may be an interesting take on a summer black tie.
The cream linen/cotton suit set from the CORE Collection and collaboration shoes by Crockett & Jones are both a crucial part of our 5th anniversary collection. Visit these links to check out all the featured ready-to-wear tailoring pieces for this season. Photography by Milad Abedi.