From ties to suits, socks, shirts...

Press, 24 February 1977, Page 10

From ties to suits, socks, shirts...

A men’s-wear company best known for its ties is celebrating its twenty-first birthday this month with the launching of its latest venture, a move into leisure suits.

The easy-going, but smart suits were shown along with a wide range of men’s wear for next spring and summer at a special celebration function at the Chateau Commodore recently. From tie manufacturing, John Webster and Company, have branched nut into socks, knit to - leisure tops, cardigans J pullovers, trousers, shirts, accessories. and now the leisure suit. It does not replace the traditional suit; it complements it. It gives a man a smart, yet casual alternative for those days when summer is just around the corner — and obstinately stays there. Next summer’s men’s wear colours, the company says, are natural, steel blue, sage green and camel. The lighter tones dominate, and plains and stripes are a popular theme. John Webster aims to make dressing easy. All its clothes co-ordinate, and its styling and fabric knowledge straight from New York and Rome gives the New Zealand male the international look. Jacket styles in the leisure suits are all variations on the shirt jacket — a com- j fortable unconstructed jacket! with shirt cuffs and coolj side vents. Cuffs are 'designed to be turned back with the shirt cuffs worn | over the top. i The styles are simple and[ uncluttered; patch pockets, some top-stitching and tabs are the only details. There is also a more casual blouson style with ribbed band and

cuffs. Open-neck shirts worn outside the jacket collar, or fine polo jumpers make the partners. | The complementary mix-[and-match shirts in the company’s range give leisure [suits enough formality to ilook dressy without a tie. And they do not have to be worn as a suit.

Fabric weights vary from light to medium, but all are wash and wear — Polyester viscose through to heavier French twill polyesters and elegant, wool polyesters. Most of the cloths are plain with interesting textures but some suits combine plain jackets with striped trousers. ’ The average retail price is about $6O. Biggest styling news in the company’s shirts is the Continental collar — a deep collar above a V-neckline with buttons starting part way down the chest. There is also the collarless look — simply a collarband without a collar. John Webster has added woven fabrics to its range of knit fabric shirts. Most of the striped and checked woven cottons have been made especially for shirt manufacture.

' Tops in the shirt fabrics are the new, seethrough knitted muslins [which dry in the proverbial puff of wind. They are in solid, bright colours and allover prints.

Summer ’77 knit shirts are lighter, with smoother, more subtle styling that the conservative styles Dad used to

wear. Neatly-turned welts instead of ribbing add to the tailored effect.

Necklines are V-shaped, and more open than in previous seasons. The long, fourbutton placket is out, replaced by a simple, short Vplacket and one button. The more casual, bulkier knits often have an interesting, slub cotton texture.

Leisure tops are the aristocrats of the T-shirt brigade. Made in knitted polyester cotton, they have a tailored, clean finish that holds its shape, which is often accentuated by stripes. Pullovers and jackets are the seasonless part of this collection. Latest looks include the campus look, created specially to be worn with denims, in masculine, navy, red, and natural white wool in a multitude of stripe combinations; neo-classic fairisle jackets with sporty, zin fronts; marled, rainbow colours and navy-and-white boatie stripes. And zip jackets and V-necks, claims the company, are “pure 1978 out of 1930.