The Launch

General Assembly

When a group of Brooklyn guys noticed that there was a lack of affordable suiting made with quality materials but without any pretension, they decided to do it themselves. General Assembly started by crafting a blazer that they could knock around in on Friday nights and button back up on Monday mornings. That meant interchangeable jackets and pants with a modern fit and classic details (like unique buttons sourced from a tiny shop in New York's garment center). "We wanted our jacket to be versatile, meaning it wouldn't weigh you down in length or be too delicate in design," says GA's Alexander Keith. In fact, it was Keith's boarding school past that influenced the collection. "I learned how to speak casually across a spectrum of topics and I always thought that confident flexibility was the truest style," he says. "We try to strike that balance—we make button-up gear, but we hope guys are confident enough to kick it around and really make it their own."