Alexander McQueen, AW11, Milan.

Menswear is always such an interesting study in detail. There are tiny decisions that are made by the design team that aren’t done justice by full length catwalk shots, details that are probably debated over for hours on end such as the angle of a buttonhole, or the colour of the contrast trim on a welt pocket. At the end of the day these details might seem like an afterthought to others but to designers who carefully plan a garment from beginning to end they are incredibly important. At the end of the day what is a garment but a series of tiny decisions about details? Or as Charles Eames has said in the past, “The details are not the details. They make the design.”

In the following images from the Alexander McQueen Autumn-Winter 2011 collection we see how Sarah Burton is ensuring that the tailoring tradition, so integral to the McQueen legacy, is continued in the menswear garments through the careful execution of tiny details such as perfectly formed buttonholes and slim welt pockets in unexpected positions.

Catwalk images from Vogue.co.uk»