Long considered the nec plus ultra of formal tailoring, RIVES now delivers a more casual reinterpretation for everyday wear, with volumes that have gained in allure and contemporaneity.
A look back at the history of a form that marked its time.
Invented at the end of the 19th century, the Double-breasted suit is a summer version of the British navy pea coat. This iconic double-breasted design was invented to enable sailors to button their jackets according to the direction of the wind.
From the 1930s onwards, the Double-breasted jacket began to be adopted in everyday life by radically opposed circles. On the British side, it became the prerogative of the English lords after the Duke of Windsor seized it. Across the Atlantic, it was Al Capone and his fellow gangsters who adopted it as their uniform.
At the end of the Second World War, the Double-breasted suit was gradually adopted by leading industrialists. From this point onwards, it becomes the ultimate expression of a certain business formalism.
It wasn’t until the 80s that it became a veritable fashion phenomenon, thanks to Giorgio Armani. Helped by Hollywood cinema, the Double-breasted jacket became popular, and Richard Gere in Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo (1980) became a tailoring icon who inspired a whole generation of young boys dreaming of fortune: the Golden Boys.
A veritable field of expression and exploration, the Double-breasted suit has been the genesis of a motley imagination – from British aristocracy to businessmen to gangsters – and has been constantly reinterpreted ever since.
Double-breasted suit by RIVES
The Double-breasted suit has the particularity of naturally displaying right angles and clean lines. A geometry that resonates with the sleek, racy silhouette that is the signature of Maison RIVES.
To give it a contemporary twist, RIVES’ signature Double-breasted suit has been reinterpreted in an oversized version. The volumes, slightly bolder than usual, give the silhouette just the right amount of theatricality. Like Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone film, the fabric of the costume moves, as does the wearer.
Far from the formalism it’s made out to be, the RIVES oversized double-breasted suit can be worn in an inspired and inspiring way, perhaps even more so when dressed in its metallic Grey version. Cut from a wool gabardine re-edited from a 70s archive, the fabric has a shiny yet dense appearance. It has the ability to reflect light, like the flat surface of a steel plate, while guaranteeing wool’s heavy fall and its properties as a thermo-regulating, crease-resistant material.
The oversized Double-breasted jacket by RIVES, a perfect balance between sartorial heritage and contemporary style.
