Fall

Buyers, ‘Shoe Dogs,’ Nordstrom brothers—plenty of gentlemen here at Nordstrom wear a suit every day. Here in the online creative department, though, flannel shirts, blazers, denim jackets and desert boots are de rigueur. We look great, don’t get us wrong; it’s just that bona fide suits are few and far between.

That didn’t stop us from jumping at the chance to lay hands on the new Heirloom Collection suits by Billy Reid, when their marketing team left samples at our headquarters the other day. Even the brief encounter documented below left us wishing we didn’t have to return the suits to Billy Reid a few days later; they felt fantastic and fit like a glove, even before a visit to our expert in-store tailors.

Here are some notes on the suits’ incredible fit and quality, courtesy of the Billy Reid team.
Origin: Our Heirloom Collection is produced and manufactured here in the USA, with all fabrications made in Italy.
Construction: The suit construction is 1/2 horsehair canvas, fully lined in a custom cotton/silk printed lining.
Inspiration: This lining was inspired by a fleur-de-lis wallpaper Billy discovered in a Parisian church. [See photos below.]
Fit: The fit is one of the best features—it’s a classically styled suit, but cut a little shorter, with a tailored fit through the shoulder and body. The suits have a 7-inch drop with a flat-front, classic-cut, mid-rise trouser.
Finishes: The suits ship with prepared sleeves and all-natural, dark-horn buttons.

This first suit is the Grey/Black ‘Nailhead’ (denoting the subtle speckle pattern) in 100% wool. It’s a mid-weight wool, perfect to wear any time of year (except, perhaps, a sweltering summer in Billy Reid’s home state of Alabama).

Note the maroon-and-mustard printed lining (a subtle pop of fall color that’s built right in), the ‘Made in the USA’ label, and the camel-colored felt under the collar—which appears on every suit here, and is unspoken encouragement to turn up your collar on cold mornings.
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Next is a suit made of the same year-round 110s wool as the grey one above—but in a super-versatile, Solid Navy. As you probably know, navy goes with everything: black, brown, khaki. This suit jacket, thanks to its tailored fit, would even look great dressed down with your favorite selvedge jeans.
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This third suit is crafted in a thicker, winter-weight wool—in a Black-and-Red Micro Check that’s quintessential for the cold months ahead. Wear it as your outer layer all through fall (supplement with warm accessories and under-layers, as advocated in GQ this month)—then protect it with a killer overcoat when harsher weather arrives.
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Finally, Billy Reid’s Navy/Cream Pinstripe suit was our favorite of all. Made with the thickest fabric of the bunch—a 95% wool, 5% cashmere blend—it’s super warm and incredibly soft. Those wider, peaked lapels give it a luxe, ’70s-throwback vibe (and make your shoulders look nice and broad)—but the collection’s signature trim fit keeps things thoroughly modern.
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[Note: Billy Reid Heritage Collection suits are available at 4 selected Nordstrom stores; but you can order them online—with free shipping and free returns, as with any Nordstrom order—no matter where you live. Detail photos by Justin Abbott.]