We know you enjoy brand reviews. And frankly, so do we. We'd like to do them every week, see everything, try everything, with the same objectivity that characterizes us.
But the truth is, we're short of time. Cruelly. And, as it's not in our DNA to rush through topics, as you well know, the result is that we do less than we should.
But here we are: it is indeed a new test that you are reading, a costume test in this case, wedding season requires it.
I chose Wicket because it is a brand that is recommended, without having formally conducted a test yet.
And, although we are still sure of its value, we still wanted to take a closer look.
Wicket, the tailor spirit
You might think that the brand is English, but that is an illusion: it is French. However, it must be said that it expresses itself in English. Like some French singers who choose English to declaim their musical poetry, because they believe that it sounds better and that it is the way to speak to the greatest number.
Not stupid.
And it has been the case for many years. 2003 is the year Wicket was born, which places it among the old brands. It has managed to slip into a market in revolution, a market in crisis and hold its ground. And even do better than that, to be honest. The impetus and the direction were given by Hugues de Peyrelongue.
Let's say it right away: Wicket has bet on the classic . And "classic" is not a bad word. It's even the surest way to achieve elegance in my opinion. And the silhouette defended by the brand has been classic since its beginnings:
- It is a two or three button suit.
- Whose cut is not too fitted
- With 9cm cuffs
- An 80° notch
- A traditional jacket length
- Significant padding on the shoulders
- Slanted pockets
- A ticket pocket
- High-waisted pants with or without pleats
- A leg opening of 21cm
Hugues de Peyrelongue, commenting on this initial silhouette of Wicket, told me:
In short, what makes the charm and elegance of the English style.
In 2005, however, he decided to redesign the lapels to make them thinner (at 7cm) and create a curve, with a higher and narrower notch (40°) parallel to the shoulder.
And lapels are one thing, but that's not all in a suit: the cut has also evolved over time. Because Wicket doesn't look at its navel and remains attentive to what happens outside the comfortable microcosm of its stores.
Which makes Hugues de Peyrelongue say:
Our Kensington and Hampstead models are very different from those in our collections of 15 years ago.
Indeed :
- The padding the shoulders have been lightened
- The cropped jacket
- Tapered pants, with a 19cm bottom and a slightly lower waist
However, some original characteristics have remained:
- Two 28cm high slots which are weighted to ensure a nice clean fall
- Slanted pockets
- The ticket pocket
- Button fly pants
- Side-adjusters at the waist
- Half-moons on the pockets to reinforce them
- Fancy linings...
Adapt, therefore, to the fluctuation of tastes, but always maintain the same message.
Regarding the assembly of the jackets, it is semi-canvassed. That is to say that the bib is assembled via seams (or "free assembly") and that only the bottom of the jacket and certain details use heat-sealing. This allows for a good rendering without making the price of the costume explode.
Hugues de Peyrelongue adds:
All these details, semi-traditional assembly and the demands of our finishes are essential points which impose a certain production cost on us which we try not to pass on too much to our sales prices.
The sale prices of the suits are between €580 and €750 and the sizes go from 44 to 58. With the possibility of buying, for certain models, the corresponding waistcoat for the sum of €180. This is good value for money considering the work of making, the finishes and the materials used. It must be said that the suit is their core business. This represents more than 60% of their annual sales.
The rest of the Wicket wardrobe consists of more casual pieces (chinos, blazers, safari jackets and jersey jackets in particular). The safari jacket, along with the suit, is a specialty of the house. And for this year, the brand has launched a mini-series of four Bermuda shorts.
It is also noted that Wicket offers models in an Italian style with the natural shoulder and less construction in the jacket.
Come on, I'll show you the product up close.
The Wicket Costume
I chose to test a suit. It's only natural, it's their core business! I wanted a wedding suit. Formal.
This is what it looks like:
Wicket suit, Berg&Berg shirt, De Fursac tie, Paul Smith shoes, Atelier Boivin pocket square
This is the Kensington model I'm wearing. The most iconic of the brand. Three-piece as you can see, in a medium grey Prince of Wales check.
The jacket is fitted, two-button and features Wicket's famous weighted slits.
The shoulder, as announced in the above, makes proud shoulders without appearing artificial. I find that this level of padding is very successful for a formal suit. Because, without being too marked, it still gives a little aplomb.
We feel good with such a shoulder, it is the status costume, the one we take out for special occasions.
Also, the fabric is worthy of interest. It comes from Vitale Barberis Canonico and is a 120S wool yarn-spun serge.
About the "Super"
"Super 120s" describes the quality of the wool fiber. That is, its length and fineness. For example, Super 100s wool fibers are much less fine than 180s for example. But this does not mean that the fabric is of better or worse quality. If you are looking for a suit for work, which creases little and withstands your intense days, it is better to opt for a 100s, 110s, 120s or 130s. If you are looking for a very refined formal suit then a 180s will bring you softness and more subtlety.
Serge is an armor with raised diagonals. It can be seen in this close-up:
We can clearly see these diagonals. This forms a staircase because the weft thread (vertical) passes over two warp threads (horizontal), then under a warp thread. Thus creating an offset. And the same thing happens in the direction of the warp threads.
That's for the serge. And the fact that there are two colors of threads is referred to as "thread by thread".
This is also the case for the fabric of the costume that interests us.
Here, the two colors are medium gray mottled and anthracite gray. This is what gives the charm of this fabric which, moreover, is tighter than the one I gave for comparison and more subtle too.
This therefore gives a costume that takes the light well.
The cut
The jacket
The cut is fitted, don't believe it. Just because we're classic doesn't mean we can't opt for a little adjustment.
What I particularly like about this jacket is precisely this fitted waist that is cleverly highlighted by the slanted pocket. This gives a very elegant look and gives a certain appreciable character I find.
And I also like that the jacket is a little long. It suits me well since my torso is longer than my legs. It compensates. 
And, moreover, it covers the buttocks which makes it a more dignified formal garment I think. I am not against a suit with a shorter jacket but it should not go beyond half of the buttocks in my opinion.
The pants
It is clipless and mid-rise. This will fit a lot of people for sure .
I find it neither too tight nor too loose. There is enough space to move around easily.
The finishes
Our collections are manufactured in Europe , in different countries depending on the specificities of the models we offer. This includes the Netherlands but also Italy and Portugal. These different countries have very good workshops with highly qualified personnel who allow a high level of finishes. In addition, it is at the gates of France so very practical for trade. We have been working with them for many years.
Functional buttonholes
It's a traditional detail that you rarely see in this price category.
Fancy lining
Here we find the English spirit, whose style is often tinged with self-mockery.
Topstitching on lapels and pockets
Reinforcement half-moon
It is the semicircle at the corners of the pocket that serves to reinforce the opening. A detail that is always appreciated because it demonstrates the care taken with the finishes.
Collar lining
Lifting the collar of the jacket reveals a little surprise on the felt lining of the collar: a pattern. Wicket wasn't obliged, but it shows the brand's hard-line approach.
The back of the vest
I wanted to show you the color of this viscose vest back. We use this material so that the jacket moves easily over it. But we are not supposed to show it to the public in an ostentatious way like here.
The side-adjusters
In the hands, they feel reassuringly solid . It's a very practical finish, especially if your weight fluctuates a bit or the size is a bit too loose.
The closure of the pants
It's neatly finished. And there's also some thickness under the fingers. It smells like a job well done.
Strap buttons and anti-slip strip
The pants are equipped with buttons that allow you to attach suspenders. And besides, this makes me want to buy some on occasion because, well adjusted and well chosen, suspenders provide real comfort in holding the pants. Indeed, the waist is left free and there is no need to pull up your pants after sitting down for a while.
Another little treat: this non-slip strip. It allows you to hold the shirt so that it does not come out of the pants, by providing resistance. It is clever and the benefit is immediate.
A V of ease for comfort
Well-known finish allowing the waist of the trousers to be softened by tolerating a fluctuating exercise of the tension on it.
The in-store experience
I also wanted to emphasize one point: the very warm welcome reserved for customers. And this was not reserved only for me, just because I had to write an article about the brand. While I was in the store, I could see that the same treatment was applied to other customers.
It's the tailoring spirit, as mentioned above. First of all, you are received with great politeness and friendliness, which is far from being the case in all boutiques. That's already appreciable. Then, the advice to guide you towards the right suit, in the right size and the alterations to be made are very precise, convincing, directive without being authoritarian.
In short, we are well taken care of and gently led towards the costume that we came looking for without knowing it.
"The suit remains the quintessential Western male uniform"
BonneGueule : Do you think that English aesthetics have a future?
Hugues de Peyrelongue, founder of Wicket : Of course! Just look at the impact of the images on the fashion planet of the wedding of Prince Harry of England with Meghan Markle: a parade of English suits and morning coats and always a lot of fantasy in the colors of ties, shirts…
And then English style is not limited to Savile Row suits. It is also country clothes (rustic, sporty and casual), the essential rainwear, an immoderate taste for headwear and for beautiful shoes.
This is what leads us to sell many accessories made in England in our stores (Briggs umbrellas, Lock and Co hats, Smedley sweaters, Albert Thurston braces, etc.) and to develop since 2016 our own collection of Goodyear-welted shoes made in Northumberland in England especially for Wicket.
BonneGueule : This also raises the question of the costume: we often say that it will die and yet it resists. What is your point of view on the subject? Do you think that the way of wearing the costume has evolved for the better or for the worse?
HdP: I want to answer you that for nothing to change, everything must change… except the essentials. The suit remains the Western male uniform par excellence. It never stops evolving and will continue to evolve with lifestyles.
It is up to us, the costume specialist, to adapt and offer costumes whose cuts will suit tomorrow's tastes, but there is no question of selling off the quality of manufacture or going to excess: for example, trousers that are too tight will never last long: the wear on the fabric caused by friction will be too great. A jacket that is too tight will create tension in the seams and will lead to risks of wear and deformation.
On the other hand, the technicality of fabrics brings us a lot and has evolved a lot in recent years. Mixed wools (with linen, silk, cashmere, etc.) are becoming more and more common, as are water-repellent wools, etc. and these technical developments allow new uses. We are also rediscovering traditional fabrics such as Solaro and tropical wool, which are highly technical and whose qualities are well known to costume enthusiasts.
BonneGueule : Your range has a more Italian aesthetic: is this to meet customer demand, to diversify your offer?
HdP: The Italian cut came later, with the desire to diversify and approach the "sprezzatura" spirit. The straight cuts (Turin, Milan and Rome models) then our crossed cut (Naples model) are more unstructured, half-lined and the assembly behind the shoulder is more rounded which gives these models a feeling of flexibility and lightness.
Our Italian jackets have a slightly higher waistline to fit the balance of the jacket which is slightly shorter. This is very appreciable for the spring-summer season, but also in weekend wear.
For us, an Italian-cut suit will always be less formal than an English-cut suit. The two styles coexist harmoniously in our collections and have allowed us to address a wider clientele with truly different products.
The final word
This is a good value for money suit that I highly recommend. The finishes are up to par and the fabric from Vitale Barberis Canonico has a lot of charm. In addition, I find that the slanted pockets emphasizing the cinching bring a certain character to the whole.
I was particularly impressed by the non-slip strip to prevent the shirt from coming out of the pants and by the weighted slits.
It can be worn with or without a waistcoat to adapt the level of formality of the piece to the context.
In short, all the lights are green, we will continue to recommend the brand!
