Elegant or Clownish? You decide ...

[Marc Chevalier]

Some things in life straddle the border between elegant and foppish. Take a look at the finished eBay auction below. Was this suit a waste of the Savile Row tailor's art? Are we ready for yellow windowpane stripes on a grey background? When does Beau Brummel become Bozo? (Or is there really a difference between the two?)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8381294834

 

[scotrace]

This is easy

This one is elegant.

My wife never knows when I'm going to say something is "Car Salesman-y" or not. Isn't it easy to tell?

I'd wear it. Maybe not to a juke joint in Mississippi, but I'd wear it.

 

[jake_fink]

I'd say leaning toward elegant, definitely not clownish... so long as the big red shows and rainbow wig stay at home.

:cheers1:

 

[Wild Root]

Looks as something a jitterbug would have worn in the 30's! That suit is different but, yellow and gray seem more of a color suited for stock car racing I think.

It would take the right guy to pull it off and by that I mean the one guy who is brave enough. Now, if it were brown with yellow windowpane, that wouldn't be so harsh but, dark gray and yellow? Hmmm, I'm not sure.

=WR=

 

[Robert Conway]

I think it's a very, very fine line and depends on where you wear it.

If it misses you may come off looking like Gene Kelly in that vaudeville act from "Singing in the Rain"...

View attachment 1142

 

[Harry Lime]

I think I like it. I think I like it a lot. But not one myself. My coloring doesn't allow me to wear a whole lot of yellow. On the right guy I think that would look really great.

Harry Lime

 

[Wild Root]

You know, I have to agree with ya on that Harry. It would look good on some one with the right skin tone. I'm not one who could wear it, no, I'm to pale to pull of that combo but oh well.

=WR=

 

[Briscoeteque]

I like it, the cut is absolutely perfect, and the pattern is sort of funky. I'm not the biggest fan of loud windowpane, but if those were yellow pinstrips of the same color, it would be among my favorite suits. The vest is amazing, are the lapels peaked?

I agree with the right skintone, on someone pale like me, it would look used car-salesman-y, but put it on a more olive-skinned chap, and it would look nice and flashy.

 

[jbrown173]

Clowns can be elegant

I know I'm in the minority here, but I think the best clowns are quite elegant. I am a long time juggler and have hobnobbed with a number of professional clowns. There was one fellow who, in addition to being fairly dapper, had been enjoying a fair bit of success, having won the International Jugglers' Association Nationals when he said to me "back home in Ohio I'm just another oddball and no one gives me the time of day. Here at the juggling convention I have groupies." He could have carried off that suit very well.

I think the key is that you have to wear that suit rather than letting the suit wear you. As a newbie fedora wearer I think I have finally begun to master this concept. I no longer walk around like a guy wearing a fedora; I just walk around feeling good about my head for a change. It would take a strong man to put across a suit like the one pictured above but it could certainly be done (not by me I'm afraid).

The fellow below, Bobby May, though admittedly not a clown, was one of the best and most elegant of jugglers. I'm sure he'd have cut a clownish dash in a suite like the one in your picture:

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The vest is amazing, are the lapels peaked?

They are peaked.

 

[scotrace]

In fact

Marc, this would not be coming to you, would it? ?? ??? ????

 

[Wild Root]

No, I don't think it is one of Marc's suits... he sales from LA.

=WR=

 

[Senator Jack]

Everyone's probably heard my standard response to this sort of suit by now, and BRad and Briscoe aren't far off. "I love the southern black gentleman look - plaid suit and white bucks. Put it on a white guy and you got yourself a used car salesman."

But this one, I might have got to work. It has a Henry Hill sort of feel to it. (Ever heard of a fella by the name of Henry Hill? Hill? Hill? Sure, he's a music man, a music man...)

What do I care about being though of as a fop any more. After all, there are kids out there with neckties over their sweaters.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[MudInYerEye]

Something about that suit reminds of the movie TRON.

 

[Wild Root]

Something about that suit reminds of the movie TRON.

HAHAHA Tron; You mean like this...

I can see what you mean.

=WR=

 

[Lauren]

Some things in life straddle the border between elegant and foppish. Take a look at the finished eBay auction below. Was this suit a waste of the Savile Row tailor's art? Are we ready for yellow windowpane stripes on a grey background? When does Beau Brummel become Bozo? (Or is there really a difference between the two?)

It's Wretched. The vest is kinda cool, though.

 

[Wild Root]

Well, don't hold back Lauren.

=WR=

 

[Nick Charles]

I kinda like it. I'm into weird patterns that are had to coordinate. Hey Lauren I like your new signature. "Well you have to keep it, the man at the aquarium said he won't take it back, it already bit the tail off" and she interrupts.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Marc, this would not be coming to you, would it? ?? ??? ????

Nope ... I don't have the guts to wear a suit that wild. In any case, no one won it; none of the bids reached the seller's reserve.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Something about that suit reminds of the movie TRON.

:cheers1: