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Waaaay OT: Mens’ Suits

Dan1911

Dan1911

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Jan 17, 2016
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Looking to buy a couple of suits due to insane sales on them from little/ no demand in the Covid crisis. I usually go charcoal gray and navy blue pinstripe with cuffs and Braces.

Just wanted to know if you guys wear the modern cut suits that don’t cover your chest and look like it’s about two sizes too small. Jessy Palmer on College Gameday always wears those suits and they look off to me. Just curious how many of you guys wear that cut of suit.

Second, I noticed that men are wearing dark suits with tan leather shoes that clash imho. Do you wear tan shoes with dark suits? Just curious.
 
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Man, I loved suits when I was younger and in style. Like the mid 90's, they just up and disappeared for the most part unless you are in Legal, Finance, and some Fortune 500 HQ jobs. I have bought some sports jackets over the past 10 years, but it has been a long time for a suit.
 
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Have not wore a suit in years. About 8 years ago I thought I started to see suits in the airports. Sheer panic. It went away. I have some clients if I would show up on site with a tie they literally would cut it off.
Brown shoes with dark slacks are popular.
 
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Try Tom James custom suits, better than off the rack, good guidance on cut, and fit and style from the local sales Rep. Craig Rauch, 412-952-7231. They have a shop on Strawberry way or they come to your office, either way by appointment only. Not cheap but well worth the investment.
 
I wear "modern" cut suits, but the everyday modern cut and the modern cut you see on TV are different, for the reason you mentioned. On TV, the cuts are so fitted and tight that they only look good if you are standing. As soon as you sit, everything is too tight and it doesn't fit right.

Short story: there is a middle ground modern cut that is really more realistic for the everyday wearer.

Also, in case you are wondering (and maybe you aren't), the modern cut suit should be worn with flat front pants (ie not pleat) and no cuff. Also be aware that modern suits typically have skinnier lapels, and current convention is that your tie should not be wider than your lapels.

I also wear tan or medium brown shoes with grey/blue suits, but only black shoes with black suits (but my black suits are basically reserved for funerals).
 
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For the question on cut, I think it depends on your build. If you are built like Jesse Palmer then go for it. If not, I’d be careful.

I have always bought nice, classic suits from good companies (my favorite/most reliable has always been Ralph Lauren although I don’t buy Lauren or Polo for really anything else). A couple years back I had a salesman convince me that the slim fit (even for average to above average guys) was the current look. Against my better judgement I bought them and honestly they almost never make my rotation because I don’t feel “right” in them. So it was probably a waste of money even if they might be the better look - it just doesn’t feel like the look I want.

I think the most important thing when buying any suit is paying the extra money to have it tailored. Depending on how far up the food chain your peer circle is, I know one thing that stands out immediately to judgmental people is the fit. If you look like you purchased a pre-fitted suit and eyeballed the one you thought you looked best in, you were probably wrong.

Re: the light shoes...not sure what GQ would say but I think it’s ok now. When I first started working it was kind of taboo...but I see a lot of people, including some of my more stylish, metrosexual colleagues wearing them regularly.
 
i thank god i don't have to wear a suit to work anymore.

there are no rules anymore - where black with white shoes if you want. whatever. it's total chaos. the dumber it looks the better, these days.

i have a closet full of very nice shirts, ties, and fancy shoes that go unused and i'm great with it.
 
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I’m ok with the contrasting shoes. Do not like pleats or cuffs anymore, but to each their own.
When I retired to. HHI, I had 6 never or lightly worn suits...gave 3 away, donated 2 to goodwill, and kept a black Hart Shaffner and Marks suit, for when I croak... I still have 9 sport coats, and haven’t had on on since May 2019.
Kevin the owner of Lapels in Greensburg is another good choice, to get a good price on a quality suit. Nice guy, great stuff.
 
NCanton Panther said:
You have a few weddings coming up? That’s about the only time I can think to wear a suit these days.
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Weddings and funerals. Many elderly family members. Many nieces and nephews of marrying age.
I keep a suit in our vacation home in PA for emergencies (funerals) so I don’t have to travel with a suit, and several for here in Vegas for meetings, funerals, weddings, formal outings, though Vegas fine dining ditched a dress code at most places years ago.
 
I think the modern fit is fine if you have a slim to athletic build. The problem with the ex-football players wearing them is that they tend to be bigger in the chest and neck and it can look silly. Especially when they pair it with a patterned shirt and some double Windsor knot tie, which further accentuates their neck. Normal dudes with a few extra pounds or barrel chest are probably best to stay more traditional too. But whatever the style, proper tailoring is key.

Brown shoes are fine with navy or lighter grey IMO but black is probably a better choice for a more formal setting.
 
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A problem with trendy suit styles is that they always go out and boy do they look bad in 10 years. Look at the picture from old nfl drafts. Man, those suits don’t age well. I like to see myself in family pictures and still have a look that’s acceptable many years later.
 
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I am retired and so my wardrobe is scaled down. I have a terrific navy blue suit for weddings and funerals. LOL. I spent $800 on it 3 years ago and hope it makes it to the end. I own a heavier gray herringbone sport coat that has never gone out of style and never will. That’s about it.

no help here
 
Buy an inexpensive suit from Burlington that is close to the fit you want and have it tailored.

Unless you look like Richard Gear and it's the 90s, don't get pleated pants.

You don't want the jacket to be too long. If it goes past your fingers, then it's too long.

Modern cut is for fit dudes and vegans who eat a banana and some crackers at lunch. BUT, even with a few extra pounds, you also don't want to be swimming in it.

I'd say most of us regular looking jabronies can look good with a SLIGHTLY fitted suit, and the sleeve length coming to almost the bottom of the thumb. With pants that have a bit of taper at the bottom without being tight in the thighs and rear.

Also, I'd rather spend a lot on shoes then a suit. A good pair of shoes will last many years and your feet won't change size. When I worked in downtown Pgh, I would occasionally spot Allen Edmonds on the rack at Burlington.
 
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Irrespective of style, cut, etc., make sure your suit is 100 percent wool and is fully lined to the knee on the pant leg and fully inside the jacket.
 
My dad hated wearing suits and I think I inherited that from him. (He also hated long-sleeved shirts and used to wear short-sleeved shirts even with a coat and tie.)

I used to have to wear suits every day when I started working as an attorney. It was required at large, prestigious firms. Besides, back in those days you never knew when you might have to make a court appearance. The first Friday after I was admitted to the Bar, I was notified at 9 a.m. that I would be trying a bankruptcy discharge case in federal court at 1:30 p.m.

When I started my own practice six years later, I started only wearing suits if a client was coming in for a meeting or if I was going to court. I kept a suit, tie, shirt, dress shoes and socks in the office in the event of an emergency.

Still, I bought a new one every year. I went with the style that fit my body style best, which definitely was not the Jesse Palmer style. When I was relatively thin, it was an Italian maker whose name escapes me. Later, it was Hugo Boss. For some reason, they fit me very well.
I continued to buy a Hugo Boss every year until about 10 years ago when the styling got too much like the modern cut the OP referred to. I haven’t bought a suit since. After all, most of my newer ones had only been worn about a dozen times each.

I assume that the Hugo Boss suits were “in style” when I bought them, although I could care less.

When I became “of counsel” to Wasser, Cooperman and Mandeles in 2000, I only agreed to join them if I could continue my practice of not wearing suits unless I had a court appearance or a client meeting scheduled. They agreed in return for my agreement not to wear Hawaiian shirts in the office. (I collect vintage Hawaiian shirts and own around 35.) When they adopted Casual Fridays, that was modified to allow me to wear them on Fridays.

Since I retired, I have a dark blue suit for funerals, memorial services, etc. I have a slightly lighter blue suit which I wore to my wedding. Both are 10-plus year old Hugo Boss models. I donated all of the rest.
 
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Pitt1975 said:
I’m ok with the contrasting shoes. Do not like pleats or cuffs anymore, but to each their own.
When I retired to. HHI, I had 6 never or lightly worn suits...gave 3 away, donated 2 to goodwill, and kept a black Hart Shaffner and Marks suit, for when I croak... I still have 9 sport coats, and haven’t had on on since May 2019.
Kevin the owner of Lapels in Greensburg is another good choice, to get a good price on a quality suit. Nice guy, great stuff.
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Can't go wrong with a nice properly fitted Hart Schaffner or Hickey Freeman. Throw in a fitted shirt and some Allen Edmonds Strands, a nice tie and maybe a matching pocket square, and almost anyone can pass for well-dressed.
 
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Is Larrimor’s still in the Union Trust Building?
I also remember a K Barchetti on Oxford Center. I think her husband was a football coach at our high school.
 
Dan1911 said:
Is Larrimor’s still in the Union Trust Building?
I also remember a K Barchetti on Oxford Center. I think her husband was a football coach at our high school.
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Larrimor’s moved to One PNC on Fifth Avenue when they booted all of the tenants from Union Trust to renovate it. It was a few years ago when they were still the official clothier of Jamie Dixon.
 
Dan1911 said:
Second, I noticed that men are wearing dark suits with tan leather shoes that clash imho. Do you wear tan shoes with dark suits? Just curious.
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Dan, I think that brown dress shoes are fine with grey or blue suits, but black suits should still be worn with black shoes, IMO.

But as others have commented, I too am a retired guy who spent the better part of 35 years in corporate sales and marketing, and was required to wear suit or coat/tie/dress shirt every day until casual Friday became popular. And even then my “look” was still “business like”.

I have one suit and two sports coats left. Not sure when I’ll wear them again. Last time was at a funeral one and a half years ago
 
I am glad suits are passe (for now) but also sad. I think they brought a certain decorum, and when i was young, I loved wearing one on Friday because it was Friday night happy hour in Dahntahn.....and what's a lapsed 20 something single guy supposed to do?
 
For most people a classically cut suit, well tailored, will suit them better than the hipster suit of the day.....unless you want to waste your money.

The whole brown or cordovan shoes with navy or gray suits is a travesty......
 
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HopeandChangeforAntoons said:
I think the modern fit is fine if you have a slim to athletic build. The problem with the ex-football players wearing them is that they tend to be bigger in the chest and neck and it can look silly. Especially when they pair it with a patterned shirt and some double Windsor knot tie, which further accentuates their neck. Normal dudes with a few extra pounds or barrel chest are probably best to stay more traditional too. But whatever the style, proper tailoring is key.

Brown shoes are fine with navy or lighter grey IMO but black is probably a better choice for a more formal setting.
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Man. Merrill Hodge had some big ass tie knots.
 
I could tie a tight and slightly tilted Windsor. With a spread Collar....amazing...
I also liked a contrasting pocket square. Conversation piece...
 
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