The sartorial thread

[stuffedsuperdud]

For when looking good naked is too damn hard.

[Mkgillman]

Idlehands is going to be so excited.

Ask him to post the linen jacket/unicorn combo.

[simonrest]

Well it’s about fucking time

Anyway, I’ve been going full sneaker cunt recently. Picked up a pair of adidas tennis hu in white:

3B224FAE-4049-4547-9A49-F5A3D6A901E4.jpeg

Wore them with light denim skinny jeans and navy t shirt.

[mgil]

For when looking good naked is too damn hard.

I’m always damn hard when naked.

[stuffedsuperdud]

I've been slovenly for several days, but with a highlight here and there:

Last Wednesday I had:
Light blue OCBD, CT
British tan chinos, BB Hudson fit
Gray suede bucks again

Which prompted an interviewee (she's a nerd) to ask, "Uh...so I guess I have one question. Is there some sort of dress code here? You're looking a bit too sharp to be a research guy."

She was clearly a noob at this sort of thing, and was sporting:
Overly cleavaged blouse
Stretchy maroon jacket and matching shirt
1" nude pumps, to which she was clearly unaccustomed

The too-tight, too-stretchy skirt was kind of amusing in that it hugged her closely enough that we could see all the tucked in material of her shirt bulging out, and there was a divot where her bellybutton was (she was kind of round). It was all a bit distracting, and not in a good way. She also went skidding across the floor several times due to the shoes.

Last Saturday:
Blue linen-cotton jacket with white windowpane, one helluva $50 find at JCPenney last year. Note: except for the polyester stuff, JCP's slim-fit Stafford jackets are a steal at their price point.
Light blue chambray shirt, CT
Gray chinos
Allen Edmonds Strands, walnut... they're back!! I had to send them in for a resole a few weeks ago and got them done with a pair of red Dainite soles because I am an attention whore. Kidding: they're not really visible when I am standing up, because we're all about elegant minimalism here, not ostentatious displays of haute couture.

Mini-review:
I shelled out for this during the 40% off sale: Men's Tailored Fit Wool Flannel Sport Coat and can't say enough good things about it. The material isn't advertised as coming from any famous mill, e.g. Fox Flannel, but it feels plenty nice with a very satisfying heft to it that screams fall/winter, and quite a bit of texture to it due to the nature of the flannel as well as the herringbone weave. Think of it as tweed-lite that feels as soft as any merino sweater. The patch pockets are also a nice touch in further making this more friendly/casual than a stern gray suit. It also comes with various features characteristic of more expensive suits: a half-canvas chestpiece, Bemberg lining, and little details such as a business card pocket inside the right breast. One concern re: the fabric: I've had many pairs of Lands' End wool flannel trousers and they all started showing their wear relatively quickly: the parts that rub up against the world the most, i.e. where my phone and wallet bulge out, the seat, and the tops of the thighs, lost their texture and became a bit smoother and shinier than the rest of the pants, and holes showed up in the crotch that I had to have patched. No one sees that part, at least. This fabric is significantly more substantial, but only time will tell how it holds up.

They call the fit "tailored" and it is certainly less boxy than what we are used to from the super frumpy folks at Lands' End, but it's still not as sleek as a suit jacket needs to be, and I had to have the sides taken in a bit. I'm guessing this is particularly true for most folks here, who have more v-shaped torsos than most and find that jacket shoulders and waists don't align off the rack.

Versatility-wise, this thing is wonderful: the casual flair means it pairs well with jeans, chinos, and wool trousers in brown/beige/blue/gray/burgundy, i.e. basically all pants. I wouldn't try it with linen of course, because of the clash in seasonal appropriateness, and particularly sleek wool trousers might be a bit too formal, but all other bets are definitely on. Interestingly, Lands' End makes matching trousers for this thing too, which I ended up getting too, and are just as versatile: alone they're just a pair of gray flannel pants, and thus match with everything from merino sweaters to OCBDs to blue/brown sportcoats, while together with the jacket becomes a very office-acceptable gray suit, though again it'll be more casual than your staple navy/charcoal worsted suit, and might be a bit too informal for a serious job interview at an uptight organization, or if you're in court for murder or something.

Lands' End is offering this in two other colors, a medium brown they're calling wheat and an olive plaid one with what looks like a reddish-orange windowpane. The brown jacket and pants are individually just as versatile as the gray, with perhaps a hint of countryside to it (no brown in town, etc.), but together as a suit might be a bit tooooooo British landed gentry. I'm not really sure what to do with the olive plaid one. Olive is considered a neutral color and lots of guys online are rocking it with blues, browns, and tans. Idlehands, might be another chance for you to indulge in your fashion eccentricities.

PS: I got the pants unhemmed and my tailor used the pile of extra material to make side-tabs for the waist, replacing the belt loops. I recommend this alteration whenever possible, as belts were meant to be uncomfortable corset-like devices for making Prussian soldiers stand taller with sucked in waists and puffed out chests. They were not intended for 1. comfort or 2. holding pants up, and were unfortunately somehow mixed into the male wardrobe some time after WW1. Side tabs, on the other hand, confer the comfort of drawstring pants to your dress pants, and allow you to account for minor changes in your girth over the course of a day.

PPS: Suspenders are actually the proper proper way of holding up your pants. Side tabs were originally sort of a backup for when you are wearing a shirt that suspenders cannot drape over, e.g. a polo.

TL;DR: This is a lot of suit for the $210 or so you'll pay with a 40% off code, and even at the full price of $350 or so, it's still a steal considering that something of comparable quality from SuitSupply or Brooks Bros will go for $500+ easy. Material feels great, the individual pieces are wildly versatile, and the full suit (the gray, anyway) can range from boardroom to barroom (hiyo!!) without a hiccup.

[Idlehands]

Idlehands is going to be so excited.

Ask him to post the linen jacket/unicorn combo.

YOU DONT KNOW ME.



I lied I totally went “whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!” When I saw this thread and even kiddo was like “what”


Last Tuesday steak in the city with co workers.

Linen Jacket. Linen pants that made it look like a suit. Pink polo and broad streets.

Coworkers were like “damm you pull that off awesom. “ shoes were a big hit too.


Then I ordered. Dirty martini and they were like “who is this guy ?”

It was hot as hell Tuesday. But I needed pockets so I wore the jacket. Chargers and batteries etc. goddamned iPhone won’t last the day and I use it for train tickets.

Black or charcoal for memorial Saturday ?

[stuffedsuperdud]

I personally avoid black at memorials unless the host specifically requests it, because the deceased's family tends to want to promote a "celebration of life" kind of mood, but to keep the somber tone, I'll stick with charcoal or navy and avoid anything light-colored, patterned, or not wool.

But from a more general standpoint, memorials don't really have hard and fast rules the way funerals do. Rather, the prime directive is to make sure it's about the deceased and not about you, so ultimately, aside from any specific requests from the organizers, anything muted and reserved "works" in my book. Hell, my grandfather, the superdapperdandy guy in my family who probably gave me the sartorial gene, lived to be like 95, and for the last 10 years or so was constantly attending these shindigs for his friends. He wore everything from gray suits to blue blazers + gray pants to black trousers + burgundy cardigans and everything in between to these things. For one, he even just threw a black Harrington jacket over a dress shirt with black pants and black bit loafers because "I'm 90 and he's dead and I've known his family for 75 years so who even cares?" That's my long way of saying your party, your rules.

More seriously, sorry you have the horrible misfortune of MC'ing this ceremony, BTW. Are things stabilizing a bit now that it's been a few weeks?

[Idlehands]

I personally avoid black at memorials unless the host specifically requests it, because the deceased's family tends to want to promote a "celebration of life" kind of mood, but to keep the somber tone, I'll stick with charcoal or navy and avoid anything light-colored, patterned, or not wool.

But from a more general standpoint, memorials don't really have hard and fast rules the way funerals do. Rather, the prime directive is to make sure it's about the deceased and not about you, so ultimately, aside from any specific requests from the organizers, anything muted and reserved "works" in my book. Hell, my grandfather, the superdapperdandy guy in my family who probably gave me the sartorial gene, lived to be like 95, and for the last 10 years or so was constantly attending these shindigs for his friends. He wore everything from gray suits to blue blazers + gray pants to black trousers + burgundy cardigans and everything in between to these things. For one, he even just threw a black Harrington jacket over a dress shirt with black pants and black bit loafers because "I'm 90 and he's dead and I've known his family for 75 years so who even cares?" That's my long way of saying your party, your rules.

More seriously, sorry you have the horrible misfortune of MC'ing this ceremony, BTW. Are things stabilizing a bit now that it's been a few weeks?

My take away, is wear whichever fits better then navy or the charcoal herringbone and do whatever shoes match. Now hopefully i have a clean dress shirt that matches. I have a stack of dry cleaning and now not enough time.

Stabilize? Fuck man I dunno. I'm lifting, and doing cardio and feeling healthier, and not drinking every night. Emotionally? Who the fuck knows. Least I'll look sweet.

[stuffedsuperdud]

Yah. Call it a gametime decision? For your shirt, note that if you're out of white, light blue, light pink, and light purple work with navy/charcoal suits too. For shoes, black, dark brown, dark blue, and burgundy shoes work with both. Light brown ones like your Washington Squares work okay with the navy but I tend to avoid combining light colors with charcoal. Your Broadstreets are probably too fun/casual, but hey, again, you're the boss: If you like it, or if it's something your wife might have gotten a kick out of, go nuts.

I'm actually going to a memorial tomorrow. It's not a very joyous affair, as the deceased was only 30 years old, so more somber than celebratory, kind of a funeral-lite, mostly so that his immediate family is reminded that people cared about him. So navy suit instead of black, but otherwise, white shirt, black tie, black Washington Squares.

Morbid note: the intersection of a funeral and barbells is oddly/unfortunately where I really fell down the menswear rabbithole. I had always been vaguely interested, but never took the time to really go into detail (nor did I have any $$ to do it myself, even on the cheap). Well, there was an unexpected death in my family a few years ago (go way back in my log), and I had to fly out immediately. At the time, I did not own a charcoal or a navy suit. I did have a black one, but it was a terrible 3-button affair from Men's Wearhouse that I got in 2004; I last used it in 2008 for my grandfather's funeral, when I weighed 180lbs and pressed 65lb for 3x5. I grabbed that and the only white dress shirt I had and caught the first flight I could get. I knew it wasn't going to fit but the days before the funeral were completely chaotic and I did not have time to buy anything. Well, the day of the funeral came and I could barely squeeze into the pants, and the suit jacket buttoned funny. The back was strained and I could not move my arms much. I also couldn't button the top button of the shirt, and had to cinch it down as best I could with a safety pin and then cover it with the tie knot. All day, I felt incredibly disrespectful and embarrassed; I don't embarrass easily but that did it. I was also constantly nervous I would split the pants and make a mockery of the whole thing. When the evening mercifully ended and I was able to peel that mess off, everyone went to bed exhausted but I stayed up googling about suits and etiquette, and that's where all this comes from. Ugh, amirite?

Geez this thread sure is a lot darker than the other waywt....

[Idlehands]

I have the first ave dress boots in black. Paired w charcoal should be good. Might even be a good temp for the flannel fabric. Which is nice to touch.

I still haven’t went through shirts. I’ve saw Harry suits has custom shirts. I really want a stack. Shirts always fit me for shit. Probably gonna be worse if I keep playing w oly lifts. Those blow up traps right?


In laws showing up today. Anyone want the over under if mother in law a) gives me some cash for the memeorial. That she said she would a month ago?
Or even come over after she arrives to see her grandson? Same one she didn’t call to wish a happy birthday a month ago?

[tersh]

Mini-review:
I shelled out for this during the 40% off sale: Men's Tailored Fit Wool Flannel Sport Coat and can't say enough good things about it. The material isn't advertised as coming from any famous mill, e.g. Fox Flannel, but it feels plenty nice with a very satisfying heft to it that screams fall/winter, and quite a bit of texture to it due to the nature of the flannel as well as the herringbone weave. Think of it as tweed-lite that feels as soft as any merino sweater. The patch pockets are also a nice touch in further making this more friendly/casual than a stern gray suit. It also comes with various features characteristic of more expensive suits: a half-canvas chestpiece, Bemberg lining, and little details such as a business card pocket inside the right breast. One concern re: the fabric: I've had many pairs of Lands' End wool flannel trousers and they all started showing their wear relatively quickly: the parts that rub up against the world the most, i.e. where my phone and wallet bulge out, the seat, and the tops of the thighs, lost their texture and became a bit smoother and shinier than the rest of the pants, and holes showed up in the crotch that I had to have patched. No one sees that part, at least. This fabric is significantly more substantial, but only time will tell how it holds up.

They call the fit "tailored" and it is certainly less boxy than what we are used to from the super frumpy folks at Lands' End, but it's still not as sleek as a suit jacket needs to be, and I had to have the sides taken in a bit. I'm guessing this is particularly true for most folks here, who have more v-shaped torsos than most and find that jacket shoulders and waists don't align off the rack.

Hmm. Interesting. Not that I have even that much budget, but not a source I'd thought about.
Given my fondness for texture, might be a good choice over something from SuitSupply, and the pants aren't cut ungodly slim like everything else these days.

I have to say the jacket looks cut a little long (like the waist is too long?), at least on that model. How did you find the length?

[stuffedsuperdud]

Mini-review:
Men's Tailored Fit Wool Flannel Sport Coat

Hmm. Interesting. Not that I have even that much budget, but not a source I'd thought about.
Given my fondness for texture, might be a good choice over something from SuitSupply, and the pants aren't cut ungodly slim like everything else these days.

I have to say the jacket looks cut a little long (like the waist is too long?), at least on that model. How did you find the length?

The quality of the workmanship is comparable to SuitSupply, and yea, if you want the matching pants, the "traditional fit" is very lifter friendly and available as separates, whereas with SuSu doesn't seem separates and there's no way I can fit into 36/38 pants that come with 44 jackets. They also avoid the functional buttonholes that SuSu insists on including, which can greatly complicate a sleeve length adjustment. If you're all about texture, then yea SuitSupply's fall/winter collection will have has many exotic fabrics to choose from (wool-silk-linen-cashmere blends and such) whereas this is just an old-school hard-wearing wool, but I'm more than satisfied.

As for length, instead of the more common "cup your hands around the jacket hem" rule, or the almost as common "jacket needs to cover your butt" rule, I try to get it such that a jacket covers exactly half the distance between my neck and my feet. At my towering 5'9", this puts me right in between a 44R and 44S. The S tends to be an inch or so too short, while the R is anywhere from just right to 1.5" too long. I do prefer to err on the side of too-short, but unfortunately most brands stop making Short sizes at 40 or 42, and LE is no exception, so I went with the R and it looks fine on me. Maaaybe it could b 0.5" shorter but I'm not going to lose any sleep over that.

IIRC you're much closer to textbook off-the-rack proportions than I am, right? Like 6' 180lbs? I'm guessing the 38R or 40R will be fine for you. Now I do know that recently the fast-fashion guys that push trends, e.g. Express, Zara, and H&M, have been leaning towards especially short jackets, e.g. Modern Producer End-On-End Gray Suit Jacket. I think that makes it look too much like a kid whose mom is trying to get one more year of a suit he has outgrown, but if that's your style then yea get the short.


Today:
At my buddy's memorial:
Navy linen suit
White Alfani shirt I got at Macy's two years ago. I got it because it said "Performance" material when what they really meant was that they diluted it out with 30% polyester whoops. Embarrassing, but it's the only white dress shirt I have ATM that fits....
Black Saturated Dot Silk Tie
Washington Squares
Navy over the calf wool socks
White silk pocket square, no fancy peacocky folding

lulz...looking at this list, I feel compelled to remind everyone that I don't actually work for Nordstrom. They're on the expensive side, but at the moment definitely boast the best quality:price ratio around, plus the customer service is by far the best of any retailer. Also, I am by no means wealthy; I'm just very patient about optimizing discounts.

The guy's family also specifically said "this is not a funeral so don't feel obligated to wear all black" but again, it was a generally unhappy affair so I kept it mostly funeral-y but broke things up with little details like the dark blue instead of black/charcoal, the pocket square, the slight pattern on the tie (which also makes it so that it can be worn on other occasions whereas a solid black tie is a one-trick pony), and the Washington Squares, which are technically a wingtip, not a captoe, but unlike most wingtips has no broguing. I did break a rule with the linen instead of wool but it was just too hot outside. Plus it doesn't really matter: navy linen is still pretty somber, no one's looking at anyone not at the podium, plus the audience members were all over the place anyway, as this guy had many clients in high places but his friends were mostly regular guys, so in the room was everything from very expensive custom suits to a guy who showed up in a dirty performance polo, stained cargo shorts, white socks, and New Balance sneakers. "I thought this was going to be more of a mixer than a ceremony!" And of course, the whole thing is for the guy's family, not for us, but see the above post about my personal issue re: funeral affairs specifically.

[Murelli]

Sooooo...

I'm wearing these pants, a shirt just like this and some boots. How sartorial is that?

[Idlehands]

Charcoal harry suits (wool flannnel. Wassup Cary grant)
Purple pocket square
Black ae belt
Black first ave dress boots
Lavender shirt (men’s warehouse)

Haircut from hipster barber shop. Only cash please. They use a straight razor for the edges and neck.

Upper cut hair product. Dunno. Barber said this is what you use.

After memorial

Yellow “love my cat shirt”
Shorts
Brown ae belt.
Ae boat shoes.

Question! Couldn’t find my invisible socks. Switched to baby powder in shoes and barefoot. Is this approved ?

[stuffedsuperdud]

Murelli: You do you, brah.

Idlehands: Charcoal flannel + boots is badass yo. How did the memorial go? In-laws behaving? RE: Socklessness: according to Dappered.com, it's doable: https://dappered.com/2013/06/how-to-avo ... -sockless/

Me today:
Navy linen blazer from the Nordy suit. It started looking a bit boxy as I was walking through some more fashion-forward places and I might have to drop it off with my tailor to have the sides taken it a bit. It currently has had no alterations except for a sleeve adjustment.
Orange-white check shirt, CT ESF
541s, the rich
AE Strands with red dainite soles

[Idlehands]

Murelli: You do you, brah.

Idlehands: Charcoal flannel + boots is badass yo. How did the memorial go? In-laws behaving? RE: Socklessness: according to Dappered.com, it's doable: https://dappered.com/2013/06/how-to-avo ... -sockless/

Me today:
Navy linen blazer from the Nordy suit. It started looking a bit boxy as I was walking through some more fashion-forward places and I might have to drop it off with my tailor to have the sides taken it a bit. It currently has had no alterations except for a sleeve adjustment.
Orange-white check shirt, CT ESF
541s, the rich
AE Strands with red dainite soles

In laws haven’t been around. And the ones that are are decent.

They want kiddo and me to go to some reunion in Arkansas next summer.


“Yah we’ll be there “
No. We will not be there. Not even if they paid us.

Ex coworker from,Australia showed up. I was blown away at how many faces showed up. He said my square was discheveld so I had to fix it. His opinion carries more weight w an accent for some reason.

Ex did one of the shares. Just vague enough.

[Idlehands]

Ssd
Dalton wingtips in reddish or fifth ave cap toe ?

Sales!

[DoctorWho]

SSD, Seeing you here convinced me to make the switch.

Have you ever addressed casual shoes or athletic shoes to wear with shorts?

For more specifics: (i) shoes for khaki shorts and a golf shirt at sorta professional functions and (ii) being in the midwest for a rough-around-the-edges crowd for wrestling tournaments (aka "my people").

[Root]

[simonrest]

White new balance sneakers, obviously