"I find today that young men who can afford it really know they have to make an impression if they want to be successful," said Craig Andrisen, general merchandise manager at Andrisen Morton, a specialty retailer with stores for men and women. "They want a beautiful shirt and suit. You can dress a suit 15 different ways today."
Men want to make their own statement and not look like every other guy in a gray flannel suit, he said. "There's no question that luxury items have been a trend, a way to present yourself so you don't see it all over town."
Only a few men can afford the US$5,000 price tag on a Brioni tuxedo like the one Bond wears in the movie, but menswear stores are full of velvet blazers in a range of prices for holiday wear.
"Traditional sport coats are not selling, but velvet jackets are," said Terry Oakes, owner of Bolderdash in Denver. "I think it's an easy way to be more dressed up. It takes a pair of jeans that would be sloppy on their own about three steps up. And with dressier pants it can go to a cocktail party or club."
The suit craze has trickled down from menswear specialty stores to the mass market, with Banana Republic, J. Crew and H&M selling tailored separates. GQ recently had a spread on the best suits for under US$500, including styles by Express and Target, as well as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
"The fact you can get them at Target at all," Thoreson said, "is great evidence of the trend."
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