You've heard of the King of Spain, now get ready for the Duke of...
derek guy@dieworkwear
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Aug 20, 2026
~5 min read
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You've heard of the King of Spain, now get ready for the Duke of Huéscar. 🧵
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Fernando Fitz-James Stuart, 17th Duke of Huéscar, might be the second most stylish living royal (after the King of Spain). Let's explore what makes his style so great. And how some of these things can apply to your own wardrobe (I promise, you don't need to be an aristocrat).
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Let's start with the basics. First, his jacket's collar always hugs his neck. When shopping for a suit jacket or sport coat, you always want to make sure the collar stays seated on your neck, even when you move around. A collar gap is hard to fix via alterations.
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The second thing is that his jackets always fit beautifully. There is minimal pulling, puckering, or wrinkling. His jackets end halfway from his collar to the floor when he's wearing heeled shoes. Compare to the more common silhouette on the right.
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Guys often resist this kind of cut because they have in their mind all of the shapeless, baggy suits they associate with low-end clothiers from the 1990s (even though low-end clothiers nowadays are more likely to stock short jackets and skin-tight clothes. Just look as Shein).
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Many also associate a slimmer, shorter cut with being macho, as then you get to show off all your muscles. But let me show you something.
Here, we see two builds: slim and muscular. Proportions between the shoulder and waist are similar, but muscularity differs
Here, we see two builds: slim and muscular. Proportions between the shoulder and waist are similar, but muscularity differs
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Here, we've clothed both of these figures. Which silhouette looks more traditionally masculine?
Note, I am not making any comment about the inherent masculinity of these people, only about aesthetics.
Note, I am not making any comment about the inherent masculinity of these people, only about aesthetics.
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IMO, the silhouette on the left looks more traditionally masculine. This is because, in classic Western aesthetics, the Platontic male figure has shoulders broader than the hips. The female figure has hips wider than the shoulders. We see this represented in David and Venus.
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Once again, I'm not saying you have to conform to these body types. Or denying that masculine and feminine people can't come in a range of figures. I am only speaking about how these figures are represented in classic Western aesthetics.
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The Duke's tailoring does three things:
1. The extended shoulder broadens his shoulder line
2. The nipped waist gives him a V-shaped figure
3. The longer jacket smooths out his hips and creates a line that flows into his legs.
1. The extended shoulder broadens his shoulder line
2. The nipped waist gives him a V-shaped figure
3. The longer jacket smooths out his hips and creates a line that flows into his legs.
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By contrast, overly short, trim jackets do three things
1. They reduce the shoulder width by bringing the shoulder seam closer to the body
2. They raise the buttoning point, reducing how much can be nipped from the waist
3. The hem emphasizes the hips, making them look wider
1. They reduce the shoulder width by bringing the shoulder seam closer to the body
2. They raise the buttoning point, reducing how much can be nipped from the waist
3. The hem emphasizes the hips, making them look wider
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There are some other interesting things about the Duke's style. Traditionally, your shirt collar should peek out about 1/2" above your jacket collar. The Duke likes to wear taller collars, which gives him a slightly bolder look. Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann does the same
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The Duke wears slightly fuller trousers, which allow them to drape more cleanly. My friend Ethan, who runs the wonderful shop Bryceland's in Tokyo and London, once described this idea to me as "stride."
He said: "If I'm standing still, the trousers will fall a certain way."
He said: "If I'm standing still, the trousers will fall a certain way."
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"But when I lift my leg and take a stride, the length of my back rise and the fullness of my thigh change how much room needs to be in the trousers."
In other words, you must consider how your trousers look not only when you're standing but also when you're in motion.
In other words, you must consider how your trousers look not only when you're standing but also when you're in motion.
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The relative fullness of the Duke's trousers also allows him to create a smooth, harmonious silhouette between his jacket and pants. Compare to Craig on the right, where the jacket and pants form distinct blocks (trousers also cling to his legs, creating ripples).
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The Duke also knows that dark worsted suits should be worn with black, mid-brown, or dark brown shoes (although he sticks with the most aristo choice, black). This keeps the focus up top, leading the eye up to his face. Compare this to tan shoes, which drag the eye downward
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We also see a more handsome, full lapel. It's a little wider than the classic width—which ends about halfway from the collar to the shoulder joint—but looks better than the anemic lapels we see today. Duke's lapel even has a nice roll (a mark of quality hand tailoring)
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Even his black tie is well done. I like that he went with a peak lapel (notch lapels on dinner suits aren't technically wrong, but they miss an opportunity for refinement). A lot of black tie nowadays focuses too much on trying to be different & not enough on tailoring quality.
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It's notable that the Duke's father, Carlos Fitz-James Stuart (19th Duke of Alba), is also well-dressed. We can see here that he's not slim. He carries a bit of weight around his stomach, as would be expected for someone his age.
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Yet, he also dresses very well by following the same principles. Note that he doesn't wear suit jackets on their own. The brass buttons here denote this as a blazer, a type of sport coat.
(2nd pic shows a bit too much shirt cuff, but we'll chalk that up to sprezzatura)
(2nd pic shows a bit too much shirt cuff, but we'll chalk that up to sprezzatura)
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When you're a heavier man, it's even more important to wear slightly fuller trousers, so you reduce the space between your jacket's front edge and your trousers. Trump's silhouette on the left makes him look top heavy. The Duke's father looks more balanced.
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You may be thinking: OK, but the Duke and his father have access to some of the best bespoke tailors in the world. It's true that having such access helps. But it's not true that you have to be some kind of aristocrat to dress well, even in tailored clothing.
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Examples of men from much more relatable backgrounds applying these same ideas to their dress
1. @DavidLaneDesign (art teacher)
2. @urban_comp (electrician)
3. IG thefoxtooth (realtor)
4. IG therapeuticwhale and @Barima_ON (both writers)
1. @DavidLaneDesign (art teacher)
2. @urban_comp (electrician)
3. IG thefoxtooth (realtor)
4. IG therapeuticwhale and @Barima_ON (both writers)
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Not only are most of the clothes above ready-to-wear, but some were thrifted or even bought off of eBay. To accomplish the same looks, one only needs to develop the eye, figure out their own fit challenges, and be patient with the process of building a wardrobe.
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One more thing: a video demonstrating the concept of stride. Trousers have room for movement. You can also see how a broader shoulder line and longer jacket create a V-shaped silhouette.
Video via IG chan__tailor and lucamuseo
Video via IG chan__tailor and lucamuseo
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