There’s a particular kind of reaction you have when you see tailoring done properly for the first time. It’s not just admiration for the craftsmanship or approval of the fabric choices. It’s something closer to an existential crisis. You suddenly realise that everything you thought you understood about suiting—the padding, the structure, the rigid formality of it all—was only one version of the story. And it might not even be the best one.
I recently underwent a similar experience when G.B. showed me Australian tailor and clothier P. Johnson’s 2021 campaign. Deconstructed Italian tailoring, flannel cloths, corduroy and cashmere-wool ties are just a few of the lovely sights worth having a look at. I don’t know whether I should visit the tailor or a psychologist.
What P. Johnson Actually Does
For the uninitiated: P. Johnson is an Australian bespoke tailoring house founded by Patrick Johnson, with showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Jakarta, New York, and London. They make custom suiting, formalwear, and what they call casual luxury sportswear. The brand has built its reputation on a specific aesthetic—relaxed, Italian-influenced tailoring that prioritises comfort and movement over the stiff, armour-like construction of traditional British or American suiting.
This isn’t a new idea, obviously. Italian tailoring has been doing deconstructed, unstructured garments for decades. But P. Johnson has done something interesting with the concept: they’ve made it feel distinctly Australian. There’s a lightness to their clothes—not just in weight, but in attitude—that suits the climate and culture here in a way that importing an Italian house’s aesthetic wholesale never could.
The 2021 Campaign
The 2021 campaign showcased exactly what makes P. Johnson distinctive. The images featured soft-shouldered jackets in earthy flannels, unlined blazers that moved like cardigans, and trousers with enough room to actually sit down without feeling like you’re being slowly crushed by your own clothing. The colour palette was restrained but warm—olive greens, tobacco browns, muted blues, and the kind of grey that only exists in really good flannel.
What struck me most was the styling. These weren’t outfits designed to impress other menswear enthusiasts or win style points on Instagram. They were clothes designed to be worn by actual human beings doing actual things. A jacket thrown over a t-shirt. Trousers with a simple knit. A tie that looked like it had been tied by someone who understood that a knot is just a knot—it doesn’t need to be a statement.
The Italian Connection
P. Johnson’s relationship with Italian tailoring is genuine but not uncritical. They source fabrics from Italian mills and draw on Neapolitan construction techniques, but the end product isn’t a replica of what you’d get in Naples. The shoulders are softer, the silhouettes are slightly more relaxed, and there’s an ease to the clothing that feels designed for Sydney summers rather than Roman autumns.
This is important because so much of Australian menswear has historically been either a pale imitation of British formality or a lazy approximation of American casualness. P. Johnson found a third way: take the best of Italian construction (the lightness, the deconstruction, the emphasis on fabric over structure) and adapt it to Australian life. The result is something that feels both sophisticated and appropriately relaxed.
Why It Matters
P. Johnson’s success matters for Australian menswear because it proves that local tailoring can compete on quality and aesthetic with international houses. For too long, the assumption has been that if you want really good suiting, you need to buy from overseas or go to Savile Row. P. Johnson has demonstrated that a tailor based in Surry Hills can produce garments that stand comparison with anyone in the world.
The 2021 campaign also pushed the idea that bespoke tailoring doesn’t have to be reserved for weddings, job interviews, and funerals. The casual pieces—the knitwear, the unstructured blazers, the relaxed trousers—suggest that having something made to measure can be an everyday pleasure rather than an occasional indulgence. This democratisation of bespoke is genuinely exciting, even if the price point still puts it out of reach for most people.
The Psychology of It
I keep coming back to that line about visiting the tailor or the psychologist, because there’s something genuinely unsettling about seeing clothing done this well. It forces you to confront the gap between what you own and what’s possible. Most of us have spent years building wardrobes based on convenience, habit, and whatever was available at the shops we happened to walk past. Seeing a P. Johnson campaign makes you realise that those were choices, and they might not have been the best ones.
That’s not necessarily a comfortable realisation, but it’s a useful one. If nothing else, P. Johnson’s 2021 campaign is a reminder that menswear can be beautiful, that tailoring can be joyful rather than punitive, and that the best clothes are the ones that make you feel like a more relaxed, more confident version of yourself. Not a costume. Not a uniform. Just really good clothes, worn simply.
If you’re in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane, do yourself a favour and visit one of their showrooms. Even if you’re not ready to commit to a bespoke commission, it’s worth seeing the fabrics and understanding what well-made clothing actually looks like up close. Your wardrobe will never feel quite the same afterwards.