My New Suit: is it a City or Country Suit?

[Dick Ireland]

Gents,

I recently purchased a suit on ebay, because I wanted something single-breasted with peak lapels (not the skinny kinds that are all the rage now).

I don't have a photo of it, but in B&W it would have an uncanny similarity to this suit worn by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.

What you wouldn't see in B&W is that the prince of wales check on my suit includes four different colors (white, grey, black, and pale blue) and it has a pale yellow overcheck.

From a distance or in low lighting it looks almost solid, light grey, but up close its pretty ostentatious.

So in which category does it fit better? It's a bit loud for the city but largely gray-tone which I never associated with countrywear.

Thanks. The average American may not care but I'm old school and only want to wear it where it belongs.

-Dick

 

[DamianM]

City suit, no doubt
Do you have that silhouette ?

 

[Dick Ireland]

City suit, no doubt
Do you have that silhouette ?

Even with the bold coloring?

Haha, I wouldn't say I have his looks, but actually our frames are not so different so I plan on having my tailor suppress the waist like above.

 

[mimesis2nemesis]

If I understand correctly, gray is a city color, regardless of pattern... And I'm sure your suit will look great after having the waist supressed!

 

[Feraud]

It's a city suit. Is it a vintage or new made garment?

 

[Stanley Doble]

There are city suits and city suits. A suit that would be appropriate to someone in show business or bookmaking might be too gaudy for a lawyer or undertaker. A doctor might or might not wear such a suit. The higher the doctor stood in the profession, the more he could afford some eccentricity in dress.

Discretion is advised, that suit might be perfect in advertizing or some fashion conscious setting but too loud elsewhere.

 

[DamianM]

I would wear that suit everywhere. no big deal

 

[Dick Ireland]

@Feraud: Some of its details just scream 1970s (I can remove these), so I highly suspect that's its vintage. It's certainly not new.

I work in publishing/marketing so maybe I could pull it off. Certainly Baltimore is not London.

Sounds like it's no country suit. Would any of you not wear it in the city Mon-Fri? I suppose it could be a weekend-in-town suit.

 

[Albert.Tatlock]

If its Green with Breeks I would say "Country"

 

[cpdv]

I wear 3 piece suits while working at Old Navy so i'm not one to give good advice on "appropriate" settings for suits because lets get serious all of us are out of time and place.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I have a hard time thinking of a glen check as a city fabric in the strictest sense of the term. To me, a city suit equates to suit which can be worn for business engagements. In the 30s, however, the clear delineation between city and country became less strict. For example, "city" and "country" became less of a geographic demarcation and more about a state of mind (read: the weekend versus the workweek). As this happened, it gave rise to a class of fabric called semi-sports, which is where glen checks fit:

 

[Dick Ireland]

Guttersnipe, thanks for explaining the meaning of "semi-sport." I'd seen that before but wasn't sure what it meant in detail.

Even though I'm sure its a '70s piece, I think this suit would have fit in well in the 1930s (that decade is the gravitational center of my wardrobe, so to speak). I guess it would have been a bit of a novelty then, though.

My gut tells me it isn't conservative enough for work, and I have five understated 3PC or DB navy/charcoal suits for that anyway.

Reading between the lines, it sounds like this would be a good suit for a Saturday in the city visiting museums or even traveling in foreign cities. I'll save it for things like that then.

Maybe Pitti Uomo. No. Justing kidding.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Could you wear it on a Friday or do they do casual Fridays where you are?

 

[Dick Ireland]

Could you wear it on a Friday or do they do casual Fridays where you are?

I'm afraid any suit would not be casual enough for our casual Fridays -- I wear a navy odd jacket and flannels those days and some people still call it a "suit."

But I like the way you think. Is that the kind of thing you wear on your office's casual days? Lucky you.