When Todd Snyder says that he’s designed a suit every style-conscious fella in America will be wearing in five years, we’re inclined to believe him. Part of that trust comes down to sheer pedigree: since launching his eponymous brand in 2011, Snyder has become one of the most trusted names in menswear, helping a generation of guys get comfortable with throwback knit polos, pleated khakis, cinematic trench coats, and an ever-growing assortment of sophisticated basics.
The more compelling reason, though, is that he’s done it before. As J.Crew’s head menswear designer in 2008, Snyder oversaw the introduction of the Ludlow suit, whose slim, runway-indebted silhouette would define men’s tailoring for more than a decade to come. 17 years later, as the pendulum swings back towards classic elegance, Snyder is poised to usher in another major vibe shift, this time in the form of a dramatically different suit: the louche, swaggering Wythe.
Thanks to its wide peak lapels, low-slung button stance, double-pleated trousers, and a generous, slightly billowy silhouette that conjures the energy of golden-age Giorgio Armani, the Wythe is the antithesis of the ubiquitous shrunken suits and flat-front pants of the 2010s—both of which, it’s worth remembering, owe much of their enduring influence to Snyder himself.
To get the low-down on the menswear emperor’s new groove, GQ spoke to Snyder about the lasting value of a great suit, the wonders of gabardine, and how the Ludlow’s success persuaded him to swerve hard in the opposite direction.
GQ: One of the things that sets your brand apart is that it’s a one-stop shop for any guy looking to build a decent wardrobe. How does this reflect your philosophy about getting dressed?
Todd Snyder: I’ve always been interested in what people wear. In the late ‘90s, when I was working at Ralph Lauren, it dawned on me that it’s a little bit like architecture. It starts with a strong foundation, and those foundational pieces are the things that you invest in. What’s the perfect sweatshirt? What’s a great overcoat? What’s a great trench coat? Invest in that, and then you can layer in the fashion pieces as they come and go. It’s not about changing your entire wardrobe, but keeping this core sense of style that defines you.
Where does a great suit fit into that lineup?
A suit is the hardest-working thing in a guy’s wardrobe because you can wear it in so many different ways. The perfect suit, which is typically a navy suit, is something you can wear to a wedding or, God forbid, a funeral, or your first job interview. You can break it up and wear different pieces, and wear it on date night. It’s the most versatile thing in your wardrobe.
How does the Wythe reflect what’s going on in menswear right now?
Tailoring ebbs and flows, and it changes maybe once a decade or every 15 years. If you think about what was going on 20 years ago, it was all about the shrunken suit, and Thom Browne was the genius of that. It affected everybody, and it was a meaningful time in menswear, but now you’re seeing this new reinvention, which harkens back to the ‘80s and ‘90s a little bit. What we’ve seen is this evolution into something more relaxed, with wider legs, not quite as fitted, and not shrunken at all.
What’s interesting about that for you?
It reminds me of what I got into this business for, which is just the art of making clothes and the art of tailoring. I’ve always considered myself a tailor; I used to make my own suits, and I used to make my own shirts. To make a suit that’s relaxed you have to study the body and how fabric drapes, and every fabric is different. It’s pretty cool because there are so many pieces that go into a garment; how a shoulder, for example, balances with the chest. It all plays together.
How did the success of the Ludlow in the 2010s prepare you to create the Wythe in the 2020s?
The Wythe isn’t an everybody suit; it’s definitely for somebody who’s in the know. But that’ll change over time—and that’s the same thing that happened with the Ludlow. When we opened the [J.Crew] Liquor Store everything we were selling was boxy, so we wanted something more tailored without being super shrunken.
We didn’t plan it, but the Ludlow really defined the zeitgeist of menswear at the time. That gave me perspective. It wasn’t like all of a sudden the lights went on, and everybody was like, “I’m gonna switch my fit.” It brought in a new customer and it also brought the other guys forward. Great brands bring things forward, and they build the kind of trust where you can follow them there. The Wythe is definitely, in my opinion, the next step beyond where we are today.
You’ve got a couple of gabardine options in the lineup, which isn’t a fabric we’ve seen a ton of in recent years. What do you like about gabardine?
Armani and Calvin Klein made it very, very popular in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and then it kind of went away, but wool gabardine is an amazing fabric to make a suit out of. It drapes well, it stretches a little bit, and it’s really comfortable.
We spend a lot of time talking about how a suit is only as good as the fabric and the amount of handwork that goes into it. How do you apply that formula to the Wythe?
Fabric is really what differentiates me from everyone else, and the people who make our suits in Southern Italy and Portugal are impeccable in how they care for the fabric. They cut the old-school way, one piece at a time, which is time-consuming, but it’s more accurate than doing just a big stack; there’s an art to it.
We’re also dealing with factories that have been around for three to four generations, and they take a lot of pride in their work. It shows, not only in the fabric but all the way down to the craftsmanship and the guts of it.
How are you styling the Wythe?
I think the same rules apply as they did before—you can wear it with a T-shirt, you can wear it with a turtleneck—but what’s changed is the proportions of your tie width and your collar points. The tie needs to get a little wider and, unless you’re wearing a cutaway collar, the points need to be a little longer. All of those things grow proportionally as the lapels get wider.
Denim is the same way; everybody’s been wearing it slim for the longest time, and now when you start wearing oversized or bootcut jeans, you think, “How did I ever wear those slim jeans?” It’s the same way with a suit. Pretty much all I wear are Wythe suits now, and when I put on other suits I’m like, “Gosh, this just doesn’t feel right anymore.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.
