Is the suit relevant in your life?

[randooch]

I'm your basic shiftless hippie, working at whatever my aging body will handle with aplomb, which rarely calls for any presentable clothing. I just think it's fun and interesting to have a few clothing options in the closet. These days, if I show up at some casual group gathering sort of dressed up, people's heads turn, and it starts good conversations. I also find that older folks are more apt to approach you and start talking. That always surprises, too, so i'm into it. As for the younger folks who are dressed in a slovenly way, well, they can look at me at see how it's done right.

 

[filfoster]

Suit yourself

I work at a regional Midwestern bank. (Yes, they are still open and solvent for the moment). Suits are required except for the corporate practical joke of casual Friday. The conservative culture eschews vintage double breasted suits or even fifties narrower lapel suits. We serve an affluent (well they were about twice as affluent a year ago, weren't they?) clientele, so we must look like them without their means. It can be done. Bespoke suits are not necessary and I am blessed with a build that easily accomodates 'off the rack' at Brooks Brothers with very little alteration save the waist taken in.

 

[Dr Doran]

When I first started at this radio station I was a "jeans and t-shirt" kind of guy, sometimes with a denim jacket because they keep it freezing there.
Overall it was a very casual atmposphere.

Thanks to the influence of the Fedora Lounge and my new obsession with Thrift Stores I have slowly begun to phase in fedoras, blazers, dress pants, neckties and now suits into my daily wear. I get tons of favorable comments about my appearance from co-workers and clients everyday. I now get introduced as "the best dressed buy in Radio".

Now I've noticed the Sales Crew is starting to dress up more as well. We've begun sharing fashion tips, accessories and info on sales at local men's stores. I'm seeing more tweed blazers, more pocket squares and believe it or not, a handful of the men are starting to wear straw and felt dress hats.

Cheers to you for fighting the good fight!

I think that I could have some positive effect on campus if I toned my style down a bit ... in other words, if, instead of DB suit and tie and pocket square and fedora, I simply wore pressed slacks and a jacket and no hat and a tie only occasionally. The full regalia can intimidate people and make them think "I could never do all that," but a jacket might make them think "Oh, that's pretty cool, I could work that into my usual attire." The eventual goal, of course, is to get them to stop wearing tie-dyes, ripped clothing, and other completely horrible wear and influencing the undergraduates in such a negative fashion.

 

[vitanola]

Well, I live in a very large early Victorian home, which quite expensive to heat here in the frigid wilds of Michigan. A couple of years ago, I began wearing my old work clothes (heavy on the tweeds) as a practical means of keeping warm.

I find that a traditional vested suit allows one to be comfortable in a room heated to but 61 or 62 degrees. So, in the winter the suit serves a practical purpose in my life.

In the summer, I've found that a light cotton suit is often cooler than a shirt alone, rather like the Bedouin who wears a sirwal and throb as underclothing, covered with a Throbe and finally a Bisht. the alyering of this light cotton helps to insulate one from the hot sun.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I believe Obama is the first president that could have actually taken the oath of office without wearing a tie and gotten away with it. Luckily he did.

 

[univibe88]

At least he wore a suit. But either way it's not relevant to my life.

 

[RedPop4]

Must we inject Obama into everything (on a forum that prohibits political talk?)

 

[Matt Deckard]

That's not politics, that's government and the presidency.

 

[Dr Doran]

A vest is a very smart thing to do in a cold place. I've been wearing sweater vests a lot this winter at home.

(Although clearly not in this photo.)

 

[John in Covina]

As cold as it was in DC for the inaugral, I would not doubt a number of people had long underwear on under their suits. I just can't imagine those Super count wools giving much warmth.

I recall as a youngster, wearing long underwear under my suit on really cold winter Sundays for church.

 

[CopperNY]

ah, the first post...

i work in state law enforcement (plain clothes) and have to have a suit handy. any day may involve going from a 'tactical' atmosphere, to an executive office or courtroom, and back again. every time i leave the house there is a suit and toiletry kit bag in the car.

one of the primary reasons i'm here is that i really prefer vintage styles and quality in menswear. i also don't mind standing out. with more formal dress becoming a requirement for me, i decided to stop lurking. incredible resources in FD.

 

[ortega76]

ah, the first post...

i work in state law enforcement (plain clothes) and have to have a suit handy. any day may involve going from a 'tactical' atmosphere, to an executive office or courtroom, and back again. every time i leave the house there is a suit and toiletry kit bag in the car.

one of the primary reasons i'm here is that i really prefer vintage styles and quality in menswear. i also don't mind standing out. with more formal dress becoming a requirement for me, i decided to stop lurking. incredible resources in FD.

Pardon a silly question, but do you default to one or the other when you are in the office. Tactical/uniform or a suit? Is the choice dictated by regulations?

 

[CopperNY]

Pardon a silly question, but do you default to one or the other when you are in the office. Tactical/uniform or a suit? Is the choice dictated by regulations?

my division doesn't have uniforms. official functions only specify "dark suit". office attire is all over the spectrum. default seems to be cargo khakis and polo shirts with tshirt underneath. but, if someone is spending the day 'on the carpet' a suit is usually worn. i'm currently going for a vintage workwear look for everyday. just wearing a tie on duty will put me into the 'prissy' category. i already wear a leather car coat and 8/4 cap. shopping for a fedora. one of the older/senior officers has given me the number of his "little old Italian tailor". should be interesting as time goes on.

 

[MrBern]

dress codes

have you seen this observation on the new WhiteHouse dress code?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

the president issued an informal edict for “business casual” on weekends — and set his own example. He showed up Saturday for a briefing with his chief economic adviser, Lawrence H. Summers, dressed in slacks and a gray sweater over a white buttoned-down shirt. Workers from the Bush White House are shocked.

 

[ortega76]

have you seen this observation on the new WhiteHouse dress code?

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html

It's the President's office and his call. I think his entire administration will see a relaxation of formality in general in an attempt to seem open.

 

[Lone_Ranger]

To each his own.

I remember a book written by a Secret Service agent, describing the transition from the Reagan, to the Clinton Administration. Reagan always wore a suit coat when he was in the Oval Office, while Clinton favored the same "relaxed" standards, as President Obama.

The agent said, the most noticeable difference, was in the White House Cafeteria. The agent commented that, the Regan staff always cleaned up after themselves, while from the first day, the Clinton staff left the cafeteria looking like the floor of a movie theater, or a NYC taxi.

It's the whole Mac vs. PC thing, where PC is supposed to represent the younger crowd, full of 'new ideas' as opposed to those 'old' closed minded suits. The one political party appeals to the younger crowd, while the other appeals to the more experienced.

Perhaps Churchill was on to something when he made the comment "if you're under 40 and aren't "progressive" then you have no heart, and if you're over 40 and aren't conservative.....

Ooops! I'm finished, lest this digress into a political discussion. Rather than, an observation that, there may be something to dressing appropriately for a situation, that may indeed, make you act accordingly.

Then again, in Obama's defense. The "business casual" seems to only apply on the weekend. Which may not be a bad idea, if the business week is kept formal, and the weekend is relaxed, he may be able to bring both philosophy's together.

 

[nickn5]

To answer the thread's question, 'is the suit relevant in your life?':

Unfortunately, no. I work full-time shifts for a rail company, which entails the wearing of uniform to company standards. I do however always wear a tie during work.

Outside work, well, yes, I could wear a suit while sitting at home browsing this forum, or going to the shops, but I don't.

So I have a few suits (and have recently added to the collection) but am waiting for a future day where I may have an 'office job' to wear them as intended. Other than that it's just the occasional formal event when they get used.

At least my hats get more use anyway...

N.

 

[carldelo]

Yep

Like Doran above, I'm in academia. I teach at an engineering school where the majority of students are in uniform, i.e. 'the regiment' which is required by the coast guard for maritime students. I started out fairly casual like the rest of the faculty. But it felt wrong to be dressed worse than the students. Now, 3.5 years in, I wear a suit or sport jacket every day, probably a 50-50 split. I don't wear a tie that often, but always for important meetings. Proper dress has a definite positive effect on student attitudes, not to mention the administration (an important consideration on the tenure track in this economy).

It's damn cold on the waterfront in NY in the winter, so vintage weight tweeds are particularly useful. I've had a hat since I was 16, but after finding the FL about a year ago, I'm up to 3 felts and 3 straws and wear a hat every day. I've already noticed that other more-junior faculty are starting to dress better, and I've had some questions about where one gets a hat. This weekend I'm trying to further the cause by cleaning out my closet and giving some too-small suits and dress shirts to a couple of younger, smaller, guys in my department. As noted above, I find that wearing just a suit (no tie) and hat daily makes both seem more accessible as opposed to the full suit, tie, square, etc. Also, my hats are more fifties style, moderate brim, moderate crown so that helps, probably.

Plus, being in NYC, I walk a lot and a suit, overcoat and hat is a great way to look good and keep warm. The city is full of busy grownups so it doesn't draw many negative comments. I guess whatever feckless youth I run across have other groups they'd prefer to ridicule. Or perhaps they imagine I have a big gat under my trenchcoat....

 

[avedwards]

In London where my brother works in an insurance company a suit and tie is compulsary, and a blazer would be considered too casual. However, waistcoats/vests and hats are considered old fashioned and anyone wearing them would probably be made fun of. But it is common policy for all businessmen to remove their jackets in meetings once they have introduced themselves.

So what should be a dress code is more of a uniform in the end, due to the restrictions like shirts not allowed to have pockets, sensible shirt and tie combinations, no bright suits, etc.

 

[FATS88]

It's sure nice to be able to decide what you want to wear

I did'nt always have the luxury of choosing to wear a suit
or sportcoat.
I hated to have to go into my closet and try to find something presentable
and clean! to wear to an event or some gathering that I was invited to.
I finally decided one day (1993) to buy a black double breasted suit For the simple reality of my Grandparents, and my parents for that matter, getting on in years.
I attended two of my Grandparent's funerals in my one and only second hand sportcoat, and did'nt ever want to feel the way again, like I wasn't paying them the respect that they deserved.
Now twenty five to thirty suits later, I don't have to think about
what to wear to weddings, court, Church, centenarian birthdays
etc. etc. So, relevant and necessary for me.
While I agree that Church should be a place of reverence, I feel it should not
be a place where anyone should feel uncomfortable
because they are not dressed in a suit or sportcoat.
Do you know that there are people out there who won't
attend because they feel embarassed to "come as they are"?
I asked my Church to have a "dressed down" Sabbath once or twice
a quarter for that very reason.
Haven't received an answer on that yet.

What do you Brothers and Sisters think?

Cheers!
Fats

PS
Bush was formal?
his first couple years in office I'm not
sure he knew what a comb was.
http://www.davidrisstrom.org/PhotoAlbum/CallingGeorgeBush.jpg