photography by Glen Allsop
There’s a tendency to treat tailoring like something delicate.
Pressed. Protected. Reserved for offices, commutes and formal occasions.
But that’s never really made sense to Katie and I.
The tailoring we make at Rivay is built the same way everything else we design is built — with beautiful materials, thoughtful construction and the expectation that it will actually be worn.
Not just carefully, but often.
So before we began shooting our Spring campaign in Joshua Tree, we decided to photograph three looks that show how we think tailoring can live in your wardrobe this season.
Not as a uniform, but as part of an everyday rotation.
Strangely enough, the high desert felt like the right place to do it.
We shot against a modern art installation that immediately reminded us of the minimalist sculptures of Donald Judd — stark geometry sitting quietly in a rugged landscape. It felt like the perfect backdrop for what we were trying to say: that refined things don’t have to live exclusively in refined places.
The weather helped make the point.
High desert winds were kicking all afternoon, dust blowing across the ground and eventually a light rain rolled in. The suits got a little weather on them.
And that was fine, because good tailoring shouldn’t feel precious.
It should feel lived in.
Below are three ways we like to wear it for Spring.
Look One: The Tour Knit Sport Coat
Made in Italy with a soft shoulder and trim cut, the Tour has the shape of classic tailoring, but the comfort of a knit jacket.
Instead of pairing it with traditional trousers, we styled it with our Series II Garment Dyed Utility Pant in Chalk — a fuller, military-inspired silhouette that plays nicely against the more tailored top half.
Underneath the jacket we kept things simple with our Slub Cotton Pocket Tee in Storm and our Rivay Indigo Discharge Selvedge bandana. We finished it off with the Alden Plain Toe Blucher 990 in Shell Cordovan. And don't forget a great vintage accessory like this 1940s U.S. Army Air Force ID Bracelet — it's those little details that make all the difference.
Italian tailoring up top. American utility down below.
Look Two: The Shelby Suit, layered.
Using our Shelby Italian Wool Suit in Navy Chalk Stripe, we layered two casual pieces underneath in lieu of a dress shirt: Our Slub Cotton Pocket Tee in Storm and our Hawker Indigo End-on-End Camp Shirt (coming April).
The combination softens the suit immediately.
The workwear-inspired indigo shirt adds texture, while the tee keeps the whole thing relaxed. Finished with the Alden Chukka 1493 in Snuff Suede, the suit feels less like something reserved for formal moments and more like an outifit for everyday wear.
Look Three: The Shelby Suit, relaxed.
Here, we took the Shelby Italian Wool Suit in Navy Chalk Stripe and layered our Gibson Waffle Henley in Antique White — one of the most versatile pieces we make (this look also works well with our Shelby Italian Wool Suit in Charcoal Herringbone). Instead of a polished belt, we added this Vintage Leather Belt with Western Style Buckle.
The tailoring provides the structure, the henley gives it a casual & rugged character. For a slightly more formal finish, we paired the suit with the Alden Plain Toe Blucher 990 in Shell Cordovan.