This past week I was reminded that several men who I respect have many more odd jackets than suits in their wardrobes. They are employed in occupations of medium formality, and perhaps that is the reason, but I had always taken on faith that a man's closets should contain more suits than odd jackets.
The late Duke of Windsor's 1960 autobiography, Windsor Revisited, describes a wardrobe containing about three times as many suits as it did odd jackets, and I have stuck with that ratio over time personally. After all, the Duke most often wore suits that were too casual for business and, free from the "must wear" obligations of the office, they have the look that I like the best: loud tweeds, summer Solaros, patterned flannels like the brown and gray check in the illustration, and black and white houndstooths of the type James Bond once wore to the golf course.
I think it was the Italian ready to wear makers who changed the way men think in this regard as in so many other ways. The culture encourages men to appear more relaxed, and the odd jacket is less formal than the suit. When the Zegnas and Kitons filled their racks with muted odd jackets in slightly aggressive versions of suit patterns that could be worn to many offices without drawing a second look, men bought in.
I think today, when for many men the suit is reserved for Saturday nights and is as formal as they dress generally, it is a good time to re-examine the casual suit as an alternative to the odd jacket. After all, its relative rarity makes it a little sharper and more dandified without resorting to costume.
Next time, try a suit.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Next Time Try a Suit
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14 comments:
i read this somewhere, Cary Grant's father told his son. always wear suits, not tweeds or odd fabrics.
that advise worked out well for him.
Excellent post Will. I agree- a
casual suit in a rich fabric worn well is the epitome of comfort and style
Too dandified unfortunately. The casual suit will never work; frankly, they make men look like they stepped out of a theatrical show.
The days of significantly more suits than odd jackets in the wardrobe appear to be fast coming to an end. The challenge now is how to look businesslike using a mixture of odd jackets and trousers, while business suits are increasingly reserved for sales and marketing personnel and for business occasions of special consequence.
The additional room for maneuver increases the likelihood of making mistakes, so what's now required is a set of straightforward rules for the use of jacket, shirting and trouser combinations in a business context.
The Italians and French have shown the way, but their combinations are somewhat influenced by their climate, skin tones and generally short stature.
italians aren't short of stature, and they always seem to be wearing gray or dark suits.
Great example of how all clothing is regional DB. The men I know with a preponderance of odd jackets are in the more casual Southern and Western US, and academia. The New Yorkers and English, on the other hand, have suits. Casual suits included.
Have both suits and odd coats in your wardrobe. Wear according to your mood, and enjoy in good health.
I have not searched the site, so I'm sure someone may have ten examples of Will giving this information, but what would qualify as a casual suit?
Turling,
A good example of a casual suit is ASW's post of Tue. Oct 13 Peter Harvey's coming to town...
The second picture shows a brown flannel-I believe-Glen Urquhart check three piece suit with a thin red stripe in the pattern. This is a country suit because of its color and pattern. Generally, only suits that are worsted dark blues or dark grays are considered appropriate for the office/city day wear. Patterns should be very discreet. Even the classic bankers stripes should be relatively discreet else you risk looking like a gangster. Ties should also be relatively simple.
The tan suits, linens, glen checks come out in summer, but these are not considered city suits. In fact, the color and pattern rule for the office remains during the summer. Dark colors and subtle pattern. Hope that helps…
I love casual suits. And when I'm not in London on business, I'll wear them to the office as I would to wash my car. Of course, the rules (if we want to call them that) vary by city and profession. But if you live in a place where you are judged by your appearance, you wouldn’t dare going to the supermarket in board shorts and a tank top, because that’s when you’ll bump into an important client. Believe me, his reaction will be permanent.
So why not enjoy wearing your casual suits? You’re the weirdo because you don’t have piercings and purple hair?
I teach at a local college in the school of business. In my case a suit is usually out of the question. However I feel it my responsibility to set the example for my students. I live in what I call "Sports coats" odd jackets. Paired with good slacks and a shirt and tie, or collared sports shirt, they work quite well.
Actually, I'm in academia as well, and I have gone from a suit every day, to dressing to the weather (short sleeves in hot weather, long in warm, and a coat & tie in cool), and now to a jacket & tie (or suit) every day. As comfortable as I was in the humid place I lived when I went sans tie, I did not enjoy being mistaken for a student.
A suit & tie, or even just a jacket & tie, lend a certain gravitas to a man. That, alone, is reason enough to suit up.
Personally, I can't wait to expand into casual suits. I'll start with a seersucker or poplin for summer and a corduroy for the rest of the year.
Unfortunately, since stores have stopped carrying athletic build suits its become impossible for some of us to find any suit that fits without going the made to measure route. I relied on odd jackets for years until I recently discovered made to measure and am now in the process of building a suit inventory. Even beyond the fact that its impossible to find an off the rack suit that fits, its very difficult to find a quality suit in a store without traveling to a larger city, such as chicago.
John,
My most recent off-the-rack suit is an athletic fit, and I bought it earlier this year. I think it depends on the designer or brand, as well as your local conditions. If you live someplace with a preponderance of land whales, the stores probably won't carry athletic fit suits.
Can't wait until I, too, can afford MTM and bespoke.
While I agree with you in principle, it is not quite easy to accomplish in real life.
I'm afraid that we're in a culture that's getting more casual by the minute, not less. As a result, suits are becoming increasingly uncommon in the US unless you're in certain lines of work, or you're interacting with European businesses.
On the other hand, jackets, sport coats and blazers offer a certain degree of flexibility without looking totally out of place.
While I have my staple collection of suits, I also have a far bigger collection of sport coats - navy blazers, tweeds, herringbone, linen, wool, corduroy etc.
I have a job where I travel a lot, so odd jackets are easier to pack. They also tend to be more flexible and more acceptable than suits in some places.
That said, in stark contrast to the "obsession" that I've with fit re: my suits, I am far less picky with my odd jackets.
Of course, one could always do the Swiss Army Suit or the Blazer Suit if one is desperate for both. ;-)
(I kid, I kid!)
Dear Will,
What you you make of the trend towards slimmer lapels in suits? As a 30 year old, I am wondering if I should make the investment in such a suit or if this will be a fleeting fad.
Many thanks,
VR
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