Brown suits seem to be going the way of the dodo. Never all that popular to begin with, they are being put to death by that hoary old "no brown in town" chestnut. Now by brown I do not mean tan, or patterned tweed necessarily, but true brown whether flannel for winter, gabardine for spring and fall, or cotton and linen for warmer weather. And that is because brown is a country and suburban color, better suited for holidays than conference rooms. When the suit is worn only for formal occasions, its informal applications disappear. 'Tis a pity, that.
It's a pity because brown suits are one of best colors for the sunshine in my opinion, along with mid-blue and cream. More formal than odd jackets but less formal than city suitings, brown lends itself to travel by air, rail (it admittedly blends in better on EuroStar than Amtrak) or motorcar. And though an attorney in Palo Alto is probably better off in blue, brown is just fine for visiting a suit-wearing executive staff in that same area.
Brown has the further advantage of functioning very well as a weekend suit, should you have cause to need one. The color just seems to complement country details like ticket pockets, even on a double breasted (a request that one of my tailors had never heard before). I like it best worn with brown shoes (oxfords in cooler weather and slip-ons when it is warm), a blue chambray shirt and a striped necktie with some purple in it.
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"No brown is town" is a core principle well alive - and rightly so. As the article says, brown is the colour of the country and the suburbs. Outside the working week and outside the city the brown suit, however, comes to the fore, whether in Tweed the Scottish/English/Irish way, in Gabardine, seersucker, or in one of the many varieties the Italians are the true masters of. Wear a suit and choose "brown outside town."
When discussing colors (ANY color) I think it's important to consider particular shades. Some browns are rich and flattering; others are deadly dull.
Your point is well-taken regarding complimentary colors. (Periwinkle looks great.)
Men who are either very dark-haired or very blonde (silver, too) can carry-off a brown suit better than brown-haired blokes. Men of brown skin color should avoid brown suits.
Agree entirely about the merits of the dark brown flannel chalkstripe although I'd wear it with black captoe brogues.
I can see a brown suit being "out of place" in a power meeting in London or New York, but one must admit that even in some urban situations brown can be acceptable.
For example, Rome or Naples, or other Mediterranean cities... The suit should blend with the colors of its surroundings. London and New York are essentially grey. But Rome and Naples and Barcelona are cities covered in Browns, Ochre, Tans Beiges, Yellows, etc... typical colors of Southern Europe.
I do see many professionals wearing brown suits to the office in late spring and summer. These are ordinary office days for these southern European professionals, no Anglo-American power meetings here. No, they do their business strolling towards the cafe or sitting outside in the shade of a beautiful piazza (what crisis?).
Brown suits are wonderfully appropriate in some professional settings in the climes of southern Europe. Just dont' wear it when you meet thre Brits on their own turf...and for God's sake, try to pretend NOT to notice their hot pink socks!
Isn't it just a sort of modern reverse psychology that people inflict upon themselves? Surely all it takes is for us to look to the past - the real past - and try to remember all the people we know or know of who wore brown suits. I can think of more than two dozen I've known personally and many of them in towns and cities. And even then 'no brown in town' saying existed.
So what were they doing? Probably not taking it as seriously as people are doing so currently.
John brings up an important point: choosing the right shade of brown for your own coloration.
Some men are flattered by warm, golden browns; others, by cool, pinkish browns. Yet others cannot wear brown at all.
According to the "four season" approach to coloration, the Springs (like Will) and Autumns wear golden browns, while Summers wear pink browns. Winters (those with high-contrast coloration) have no brown that flatters. As it so happens, Summer is the most common "season" among Caucasians, while Winter is most common among everyone else. Even so, every season is found among every ethnicity.
So in order to find the browns that work for you, you need to find your season. Carole Jackson's Color for Men is the classic, though there are other books (and approaches) as well.
I got a dark brown tropical wool double-breasted suit that I'm having a hard time finding a place to wear. For someone who doesn't wear suits daily, does it have a place in the wardrobe?
Matt,
As the post said, "brown lends itself to travel by air, rail (it admittedly blends in better on EuroStar than Amtrak) or motorcar. And though an attorney in Palo Alto is probably better off in blue, brown is just fine for visiting a suit-wearing executive staff in that same area."
"Brown has the further advantage of functioning very well as a weekend suit, should you have cause to need one."
Truth be told, cotton or linen suits (at least pre-made ones) are harder to come by, and that sucks on a VERY hot day, when you can only afford the cheaper, gabardine models... Sometimes you just got to go with the smart casual look and not wear a suit, if it's not necessary. Even the pants can be cumbersome, because you get a gabardine pant with the jacket if you're on a tight budget and have to wear THAT pant with another shirt just to look "smart"... And if you do dress down, and wear a slacks instead, the purpose of the smart casual look lose it's meaning and you're down to look business casual, and with that, why not just wear a polo instead ? At least the pants can be a lot less stuffy and you don't sweat (too much) when wearing them with just a shirt.
Every time I watched "Vertigo", Jimmy Stewart in brown suits, and in town, I wanted a brown suit. I now have two, one a finer, lighter Glen (Canali), and the other a darker solid (H-F MTM). I really enjoy both of them, I feel quite comfortable in town, and they get compliments. I would not choose them for a boardroom meeting.
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