How to wear suits

What do you mean by "Dude"? If you're thinking something out of a P. Diddy video, the Georgetown neighborhood of DC is crammed with places that sell that sort of suit. (And how can they all keep in business if I never see anyone who dresses at that sort of place?)

anything with colors, as well, and you're golden. (fuck that was almost a pun.)

I do not own any suits.

I'm not sure. Nick Cave maybe, he looks good in a suit. I wanna look tall and thin and serious. I don't wanna look like a smart arse or a gangster. But I wanna look like I can comfortably deal with smart arses and gangsters.

must be black. black shirt. black tie also

I've got a black suit. I didn't think you were allowed to wear them during the day. Black shirt, yeah? Can't this look a bit jazz-club? How optional is the tie?

to reiterate, the MOST important thing is the CUT. A black suit from Prada or Dior is going to look a lot different than one from Armani or Donna Karan.

my advice is to go to an upscale department store and try on as many different suits as you can. I don't know what your budget is like, but you can always go to, say, Harvey Nichols and bother the salespeople and then buy something somewhere else.

You don't look like you are at work if you wear a tshirt under the suit that has a "porn star" logo or some such.

Half-way to suit is something like a pair of trousers and a velvet jacket.

I udnerstand your problem as it is one that I am battling with myself

accessories: skinnyISH tie, soft-collared shirt, flower pinned to lapel, thin blue belt with white stripe and a picture of a horse on the little blue buckle, SNEAKERS!!!, and short hair.

=sexeee

and no white sox

What if you look good in everything but suits? (I do not count myself among this number -- and as for suits, I guess I wear mine well, but the hair is bemusing.)

And more importantly learn how to look comfortable in a shirt and tie.

I find this answer neither helpful nor accurate.

Then find someone who can love you for your mind.

It's almost a Morrissey lyric, it is. ;-)

I recommend a dark suit, double breasted, make sure its the right cut for your frame. When you go out, always button the jacket. A suit with a smart cut is always more impressive buttoned up.

Pin stripe or any kind of weave pattern is OK only if it's BARELY visible, and then only up close.

Find a set of matching cufflinks and tie pin, tasteful not gaudy. Or maybe a tie 'chain', they clip on to the button of your shirt.

For god's sake wear a tie, a tasteful one. Make sure you tie it PROPERLY. Ties must sit in a triangular shape over the top button of your shirt and extend to the top of your belt, DONT let them come up too short! Find someone to teach you how to tie them properly, it's one of the things that defines a real suit wearer over someone that is just pretending (or has maybe god-forbid, hired/borrowed it).

Shirts should be white if you want formal, or dark coloured if you want to look more sexy. Dark coloured shirts need to be muted colours, NOT bright. ALWAYS iron them, NEVER fold them. Black shirts are cool, but ONLY with an equally black suit - and then you might even go without the tie. Make sure you get shirts that have double button-holed cuffs, so that they take your cufflinks.

If your cufflinks and tie chain/pin are gold, then wear a gold watch too, silver with silver, or duo-tone with duo-tone. DONT wear a sports watch or anything too bulky. Choose a slim profile dress watch.

Wear leather shoes. Dark brown goes with most suits, even black. Get shoes with good craftmanship, leather sole is preferred. Wear socks that match the colour, or are darker than your suit. Avoid patterned socks.

Use a cologne. But not too much, and NOT the cheap stuff. I can recommend Opium for men, or Beverley Hills 273 for men. Both very sexy colognes. Dont put the cologne on your wrists. It will wear/wash off. Put it on your inner elbow, collar bone. They are places less likely to be kissed and tasted by you girlfriend! (instead of putting the cologne around your neck, some colognes taste YUK!)

Make sure you are CLEAN. Body, face, hair, finger-nails etc. Use an anti-perspirant that does not detract from the smell of your cologne (or over-power). Wear you hear the way you want, so long as its washed and not oily or dandruffy.

Last but not least, compose yourself as a gentleman, a MAN. Act like you know who you are, and talk like you mean what you say.

OK. There you go.

Wanna trash what I've written, feel free to e-mail.

That's for sure. McDonald's with cybercafes! Their addiction is worse than that for coffee. ;-)

Also I've decided that Ned is actually sort of like Samson, and that if you cut his hair he will suddenly lose his power to recall obscure New Zealand slop-rock b-sides. (We should have ensnared him with a Rainy/Delilah thing.)

Some of the points made in Perry's post were debatable, but the whole thing went out the window with this recommendation. And while wearing cologne is dud in varying degrees in different circumstances, it is never, ever permissible to wear cologne to the office. The very idea.

Yeah, I'm inclined to agree because the people who do wear cologne in the office have a tendency to douse themselves with gallons of the stuff and end up giving co-workers w/in 10 yards of them headaches.

we were gonna get him so drunk that he would pass out, then take a few locks, alas ned is very sensiful with his alcohol so we never had the chance. ned without ability to remember nz sloprock b-sides = oxymoron.

First, it will divide your friends. Most girls will like it, most guys will rip the piss. The guys who don't mock will slowly start moving toward suit-wearing themselves. The friends of mine who mock are all t-shirt and jeans and thus do not matter.

Secondly, it's easy to buy a decent suit. At least it is in Manchester. Cafe Pop used to sell some good ones and some rooting around in Afflecks can come up with the goods too. I own three lovely suits, one black, one blue and one with grey with barely visible pinstripes.

Thirdly, the actual suit. Someone above mentioned velvet, I'd say this is a big no-no. Velvet reeks of 17yr old college student in purple flares. Not good. It's best to look for trousers with a slight flare though, boot cut. And a sharp crease down the front and back is nigh-on essential.

Fourth, the extras. Do not wear sneakers with the suit - this is akin to buying a Monet and throwing Tippex at it. I wear black leather shoes/boots. Don't wear bright shirts. Ever. With or without a suit. Plain white/grey/black/navy/dark red is good. As its winter you'll also need a good coat. Knee length black/brown cashmere is what you need, top it off with a scarf worn around the neck and tucked inside the coat. Hats. I'd like to wear a hat. But I don't know how.

Fifth, the walk. Walk like you mean it. Strut. Scowl a bit. Ignore the proles and their snickering.

There. Easy.

For he is master of the under £5 suit; of course it helps to be built like a pipe cleaner!

I have suits: weird navy pinstripe Hardy Amies postwar skirt suit, black suit unworn since Britpop, Peck&Peck suit inherited from grandmother, but missing its fur collar, torn off to get 'Japanese deconstruction/Hussein Chalayan' look.

I would like a new suit. Next book advance, I AM GOING TO FIND MARK POWELL OR SIMILAR for hot bespoke action. Every time I go to thrift stores everything's too big, I buy the skinny-person's choice thinking it might fit, it's £5, so I grab and wind up giving it to Nick (and no, Currie, you aren't getting one this time).

This is nonsense. Suits don't come with "boot cut" trousers, and if they do I don't want to know about them.

(Also, Dickon to thread)

I agree with most of what SPACK says however I wouldn't say it's that easy to buy a great suit but it certainly is possible - though it can take quite a bit of time (also you DO NOT have to spend lots of money, it's possible given a bit of time and a bit of luck to find great looking suits for under £20, if you want to spend a bit more/haven't got the time then there's a place in Covent Garden on [forgotten road name - same road as Pop Boutique] Road that sells nice 1970s Italian factory stock suits.)

Black is good and works well with a black shirt and a skinny tie (I've got a great neon-pink tie which my idiot brother gave to me in a RoMo coming of age ceremony). I'm currently looking for a navy blue (poss. pinstripe) suit. Dark grey is nice too. Basically, dark is good. The darker the better.

I've always avoided hats because there always seems to be an element of "look at me, I'm wearing a hat, A HAT!" in hat-wearers. This can also be true of suits and is something you must, at all costs, avoid. If you find that nature/destiny/whatever has decided you are to wear suits then it is something you simply must do as naturally as possible, with a minimum of fuss. The other week, I bought a magnificent jacket (£8) and was a bit put out that no-one commented on it until I realised that actually, it was a good thing as I'd developed my(look/self) to a point where people are blind to what I'm wearing (ie I had passed Brummell's acid test)

Ian, you'll find people are much more tolerant of suit wearing in London. When, in a former life, I accidentally spent two years in Manchester, people constantly asked me "Why are you wearing a tie?" ("Why aren't you wearing a tie?" I would ask. "Because I have to wear a tie everyday at work and the weekend is my only opportunity not to wear one" they would respond. "But, surely you also have to wear trousers to work" I would reply. Then they'd walk off, muttering "tosser"). This never happens in London, at least not in my London.

"Do not wear sneakers with the suit"
The last three words are unnecessary here.

getting the "fit" of clothes right requires a sensitivity to visual subtleties, which is not something everyone has, unfortunately. i know better than to have a suit jacket bunch up but some of my shirts and pants are pretty slim fitting and, idk, i hope they will withstand changes in fashion sensibilities over the next few years

yeah tbf I work in law, where most people dress solidly on the conservative side

I am also the grandson of a suitmaker, and I guess I just had it drilled into me that it's a bad sign if the suit jacket pulls at the button

it's a horrible sign! i did not know that was a trend, god

http://wpc.4d27.edgecastcdn.net/004D27/Men%20on%20the%20Red%20Carpet/DanielCraigRomeParisSkyFallMPRC/Daniel+Craig+Rome+Paris+SkyFall+MPRC+3.jpg

it's def a sign when you look at fashion magazines, and then that sort of thing sort of inspires sloppy people to emulate. See also: not wearing dress socks with your suit.

See also: spectator shoes.

whoa didn't even notice his suit pants are also horribly cut

good job making yourself look even more constipated, DC

this ultra slim fit nonsense needs to end

is this all thom browne's fault? or would the trend have happened without him?

this ultra slim fit nonsense needs to end

― call all destroyer, Sunday, April 21, 2013 11:11 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ultra slim pants look ok on ultra slim legs. They make meatier legs look ridiculous though.

right! daniel craig is a dude with an athletic build and theyre trying to squeeze him into these tiny pants

i thought it was thom browne's fault originally, yes

surprised at daniel craig, didn't his suits in the actual film fit quite well? and does that jacket have three buttons and the middle one is buttoned?

it seems that it has one of those top buttons that's under the lapel roll and never meant to be buttoned

ah yeah i see.

looked at a few stills from bond film -> several other awkwardly fitting suit jackets

tbf suits crinkle awkwardly sometimes when you are engaged in hand to hand combat with trained assassins

I picked up this suit on the relative cheap:

http://cdnb.lystit.com/photos/2013/08/19/boss-by-hugo-boss-grey-jamessharp-trim-fit-houndstooth-suit-product-1-12882484-945083296.jpeg

Feeling a little uncertain about shirt/tie combos that work though

Here the pattern shows better:

http://cdnd.lystit.com/photos/2013/08/19/boss-by-hugo-boss-grey-jamessharp-trim-fit-houndstooth-suit-product-4-12882484-944296656.jpeg

I mean it's m/less grey, most shirt/ties will work? Depends a bit on the visible pattern I guess, but just avoid checks?

You don't look like you are at work if you wear a tshirt under the suit that has a "porn star" logo or some such.

some great stuff in here http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/unspoken-suit-rules-every-man-should-know

^ "22. Your tie should always be darker than your dress shirt."

But I like my black shirt + red tie! :-(

black shirt's basically the equiv of a porn logo

Be brave. Be bold

hi that buzzfeed article is trash just fyi

I think you have to get everything made bespoke so you need to be making money.
Have always wanted a zoot suit but never found one. & I think they'd cost a few hundred to get cut.
But wonder if once you're overa certain age zoot suit trousers just look like old man trousers with pegs since they come up so high on the waist. Think the top at the front is actually on the ribcage isn't it?

Other than that you can get mod suits in a few places around London and probably other large cities. & they probably don't look too office orientated. But you do want to watch what you're buying cos off the peg ones from Carnaby street aren't that great. There is a good shop on Portobello where the clothes part of the market is.
But they are definitely 60s orientated even with whatever quirks the shop adds.

There's also this guy who has some interesting but very expensive stuff that he makes in very small quantities. http://www.mendozamenswear.com/

Or keeping your eyes open in charity shops, possibly doing that combined with a bespoke tailor to alter or copy items you find in 2nd hand places might be an idea.

There is a good shop on Portobello where the clothes part of the market is.

Is that Adam Shener's? Got my basic off-the-peg suit from there years ago, always liked that suit.

Turned 40, getting married next year, hope to save up & go bespoke for the first time.

that looks like it should be it, it's at the entrance to an interior shopping area under the Westway.
I've never bought anything from it but frequently looked in the window etc.

k another question, is a suit like this going to work as a formal suit?

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/rag-bone-trim-fit-wool-suit/3550676?cm_cat=tellapart&cm_ite=mens_btc&cm_pla=suits/sets/wardrobers:men:tailored_suit&cm_ven=display_rt

I guess I just can't tell if the picture is supposed to imply not. Something about the jacket looks a little less structured, but maybe that's just how it fits the dude? Also just R&B is not what I think of as a classic formal suit brand.

actually now that I'm looking at it the trousers look a bit too narrow cut for me, but feel free to answer

i see exactly what you mean - jacket does look a bit casual in the pictures but copy lays on the 'lined, tailored' so ???

I have trouble analysing trousers that break that high, I just blank out and assume they are not for me.

I think that looks pretty good.
I mean I think the guy's posture, shirt, and lack of tie make it look more casual that it might otherwise.

jacket's a little short though maybe?

yeah, having trouble telling if what I'm looking at is the suit or just cool guy ironic tailoring/fitting, like those fashion dudes who wear their suit jackets too tight

to me it also just kinda looks like the guy's wearing it off the rack, but he's going to get it tailored later in the week or something

I'm wearing a jacket that's too tight today :/
I need more money for clothes

tempted to pull the trigger and just return whichever of the two winds up looking worse on me (that or the boss suit)

I have a feeling it's the better quality suit, being R&B.

fabric looks nicer too

Well, ordered it, so we'll see. One thing I'm a little concerned about is the high top button - I think that might be what's making me perceive the shape as a little funny, but it may look different on me than that dude.

i think you're right about that and chinavision is right about the rest of the guy's look. no harm in trying it out tho.

yup. clearance items are returnable there, which is sweet.

hrm, actually though, the more I look at it it's not all that different from the other suit I posted in terms of the lapel size, button height,etc. Maybe it's just less tapered? Maybe it really is just the fit and the dude's posture. Will report back. R&B is def not known for its suits, in fact googling around I could barely even find any R&B suits (maybe it's just something they do for Nordstroms). But they are known for well-made clothing so seemed worth a try.

I support your decision!

ty!

I'm a big fan of price of Wales check suits but wearing it with a check shirt is a definitely a on no. Have a fabulous Vivienne Westwood suite in pale bluey grey price of Wales, bought on hood last year, it is by far an away the bets cut suit I've ever owned. I think it works well with a lighter floral pattern shift, no tie but I hardly ever wear one. In fact I have a hard time conceiving of making a tie work with it. Possibly a Pucci print with a white shirt but that might be a bit much

I like the rag and bone suit. It's a bit country squire/brown in town but not so much it's a tattersall check shirt and flat cap away from requiring accessorising with a flat cap, land rover and shooting stick. Not full on tweeds but not full on sharp either.

hurting, i think one thing you're going to notice (now that i've gone back to look at the boss suit) is a significant difference in the shoulders between the two. the boss shoulders look pretty built up, and the r&b look more natural.

yeah so that suit didn't work out after all -- but the material is the real problem. It's MUCH thicker and woolier than it looks in the pictures (which may also be what causes the effect I'm talking about with the structure of the suit). It's very professorial looking. Nice but I have no context in which I'd wear it.

Always makes me a bit sad to see this thread that I started 12 years ago - I still haven't got round to sorting out a good suit.

I have not been able to get the imagined sound of Ed's voice saying "brown in town" out of my head since that post

https://www.josbank.com/clearance-suit#facet::3074457345616780502741111154632653266971101073282101115101114118101&productBeginIndex::0&orderBy::0&pageView::grid&minPrice::&maxPrice::&pageSize::24&curPage::2&positionY::4900&edgeCaseFacets::size,fit,color,pattern,type,collections

Jos A Bank I know, but their top of the line "Reserve" suits are good quality and these are a very good deal today at 60% off clearance price plus an extra 20% off at checkout, coming to about $200 per suit. Half-canvassed and made from legit Italian fabrics, and the slim fit ones are not terribly boxy. Def on the conservative side but good quality.