There are never enough clothes in a suitcase in my opinion, but one way to add flexibility to a travel wardrobe is to include a suit that can do double duty as an odd jacket. I am aware of two ways to do this without it being obvious in a not-good way that one is wearing a suit as a separate.
The first route to travel flexibility is to commission a suit or two with buttons that can be changed out to match the occasion (you knew a tailor would be required for this somewhere did you not?). Called the Blazer Suit on the men's clothing forums, the switchable button approach is usually applied to navy suits with jacket buttons that can literally button in and out of the coat (the sleeve buttons are sewn onto a strip and buttoned into the buttonholes). Replace them with a set of brass and voila, a blazer to pair with gray trousers. The most useful Blazer Suits tend to be made from heavy, wrinkle-resistant fresco or mohair blends.
Equally amenable to wear as a separate is the patterned suit of flannel or tweed, with a jacket like the one in the photograph where the cloth might as easily have been made into an odd jacket in the first place. The bolder pattern of course makes the suit itself more useful in transit and in less formal settings than in urban conference rooms.
Either way, the suit jacket worn separately can add variety to a travel wardrobe with none but the wearer knowing the secret.
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9 comments:
That is a nice suit coat, Will. It looks very well on you...
I am sure it is even better as a suit, although I realize that is beside the point of your post.
For what it's worth, I do that with a grey/blue triple overcheck cashmere suit... looks amazing on a pair of skinny jeans, very light grey flanels, etc.
Nice jacket. I'd never heard of the 'blazer suit' before. I go for the separation of a blue tweed suit (I've done it with a grey herringbone one too).
The blue colour, like in your photo, adds an air of the odd-jacket. I like to wear the trousers separately on occasion, though I've noticed on forum posts that for some reason quite a few people don't like to wear dress trousers in blue.
Done that for summer travel with combo of grey slacks, blazer, and light grey glen plaid suit, lot of mileage with those
Will, I remember when you got the cloth made from that masonic tribe at the London Lounge. It makes for a beautiful suit.
The tailoring is exquisite, and the way the large checks line up looks of high precision mechanical engineering. It's simply a work of art.
And it is with great pain, but It looks awful. Something screams uniformed security guard more than a simple dark navy. Worse, it screams Disneyland's Groups sales manager!
I'm sorry, but we all push the limit, sometimes. And I admit I've concocted worse.. Rome's answer to the Real estate agent look was my favorite (yes, they wear suits here, still). So I hope you appreciate a different opinion.
Honestly, the tone of blue is too light for anything but white, pear grey or cream flannel trousers to look like an honest odd jacket. The lighter colored trouser would work better with you coloring any how. As it stands, it flattens you to definite uniformed employee status.
Anybody can miss. Even the best. Hope you appreciate my two cents of opinion.
Spliting up suits for odd jackets is a fairly common practice here. So your point is completely valid. But the tones and textures of contrast and coloring are more important when you do so. Extra care for such a bold, beautiful cloth.
CG, I like the way you led slowly to your conclusion. :-)
If you would be so kind, go down to Naples and ask Ambrosi why he still has the light gray flannels he was supposed to send me in October. It's all his fault.
Next time I will try it with cream flannel.
CG certainly lays out a case for his opinion, but I'm sticking with mine: It's a handsome look, and that cloth is superb.
Hi, just a couple of questions...
I just got an odd jacket similar to the one in the picture and I'd like to pair it with gray flannels. I see you're wearing brown shoes, is it OK if I wear black shoes or does brown look better???
Also, which other pants colors can I match with the jacket? Navy is out, but can I wear it with khaki chinos? Brown slacks? Maybe black? Jeans???
I'd appreciate your comments...
Serge, khaki would be fine. Cream or gray also. Not black. Either color shoes would be OK with the right trouser color.
I have a wonderful navy suit jacket with a subtle pin stripe. The pants were lost when my car was stolen en route to the dry cleaner.
I have never worn it since but would like to if I could find the right pants. Everything I come up with just doesn't seem correct. Brooks tried but couldn't match it.
Anybody have any thoughts?
Vern Trotter
New York
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