When is a suit appropriate?

[5paz]

As the title says, I am wondering when it is appropriate to wear non SP suits out on the town? The reason I ask is I have been thinking about picking one up, but it will be my first because I have always had my Navy dress uniform to wear should a event require fancy dressing.

[akumabito]

Appropriate: Always. Except when doing manual labor, doing sports, etc.

[frances]

In England we do not call it 'fancy dressing'  We call it 'clothes'.

[The Squire]

I think the full-blown 'suit and tie' is considered appropriate for most events or even daily wear if your work allows it. It is, however, rather too formal for some occasions. I have taken to wearing a sport coat (tweed, herringbone, or houndstooth) almost every day, sometimes with a tie, sometimes without, sometimes with jeans, sometimes slacks. My work is very casual, so I am almost always the most dressed-up person there. It makes me feel good to look good and I have been told by others that they enjoy seeing me dressed (I regularly mix in a vest and/or a bowtie, and now and again, the kilt). I have never worn my suit to work, but think it would be appropriate for a special day.

A website I have been enjoying as regards men's fashion is The Dandy Portraits.

[J. Wilhelm]

As stated, it is always appropriate and never out of place, barring of course activities which demand other attire, like exercise, bicycling, mowing the lawn, swimming, etc.

It's also a matter of age and type of work performed.  An adult working in the white collar force or higher will always be expected to dress as formally as it is acceptable by company policy, with the notable exceptions that in hot weather months (main difference between the US and the UK), wearing a coat may become totally impractical for obvious reasons.  American colonists solve the problem by wearing short sleeve shirts along with a tie.

In some cases, like engineering companies the attire may turn even more causal with the so-called "polo shirts and khaki pants" , but that is usually reserved for staff working in closed offices and who are not facing customers, since for any time for presentation or meeting purposes you will always be expected to wear a suit and tie.

The rules for blue collar workers is completely different, because the attire depends on the line of work.  While an electronics repair man may look good in a white Oxford shirt and tie, the plumber, the hamburger shop clerk, or the supermarket bag carrier would look silly wearing a suit and tie.

Probably foreign to the UK/Europe (correct me if I'm wrong), but many tech companies (i.e. Apple, phone carriers like AT&T, IBM, NASA and such) have chosen the "Polo/Khaki" attire by default to convey a sense of "youth" in their staff.  In my mind that is wrong (polo shirts belong to the late 1970's early 1980's IMHO, and I hate by the way, as it's a pathetic nerdy fashion trend).

During the late 1990's / 2000's decades, with the retro-1970's fashion permeating global culture, there was at least ONE casual dress trend which I thought actually looked good for tech companies (of which I saw a lot in our tech oriented City of Austin): Casual pants, typically black/dark brown/dark grey, and formal shoes paired with retro-toned and yet dark coloured long sleeve shirts, sport coat if needed and no tie.  The look was fashionable at the time (harking back to 70's), but in a good way, and at the same time it was just only one step from being formalised by the addition of a tie.  To date, I prefer coloured dress shirts with my suits (e.g. dark striped brown with a nice contrasting tie), instead of the regulation Oxford white shirt, which in my mind can look very boring (and yes "old").

[Argus Fairbrass]

Hmm, yes well it indeed depends what you are doing, but also what you are trying to put across. I wear suits quite a lot in a casual sense. But what kind and how casual exactly depends on where I'm going. I seem to have reached an age where once again I've fallen back into the old ways which were in many cases that of the working classes.

I don't have to wear a suit everyday, I've rarely had a job where I do. So if I'm out of an evening to a restaurant or on rare occasions even a club, I will normally wear one. If doing so in a casual sense, I do wear a shirt not a tie, don't wear a hat and often not a waistcoat either (and my suits are mostly black).

I often find myself surrounded by folks who do have to wear suits everyday, so needless to say in their free time they like to dress down (in that smart but casual way) and that's fair enough. It was often the tradition way back in the day, that the working class lads who often did manual labour or factory work for a living, would dress very smartly for the weekends. Partly I assume because not only does it (theoretically) impress the ladies, but because many of the venues they wished to frequent wouldn't admit you if you looked like a scruffball. And obviously this was a good excuse to wear the nice flashy clothes that they didn't get the chance to the rest of the time.

This is apparently where the phrase "the full Monty" originates. Monty being a reference to Montague Maurice Burton who founded the famous clothes store chain that still provides affordable off the peg suits to us dress for less types. So doing the full Monty simply meant suited and booted for the weekend.

The infamous no jeans rule actually only got dropped from many of the clubs around my way about fifteen or so years ago. And that was only because designer jeans came into their own, and the club owners finally twigged that refusing admission to folks who could afford £800 + for a pair of jeans was in fact a bit dumb.

I sometimes find the downside is, out of context wearing a suit can look a bit, well big shot if you know what I mean. I've certainly been mistaken for a doorman before haha. But yes I don't like folks assuming that I'm overly wealthy (or a gangster )  but it can happen, so perhaps something to take on board.

[Captain Lyerly]

5paz - you must be/have been an officer in the Navy, then.  Until Mess Dress was authorized for enlisted wear, there was no formal uniform for the enlisted man. 

Some towns, and some parts of town, are more suitable (pardon the pun) than others.

J. - the polo/khaki, usually polo/khaki cargoes, came about as a result of certain overseas conflicts.  The professional operators over there began using that as a sort of unofficial uniform, and it got picked up by a lot of corporations for a professional look with implications of competence and lethality (in certain situations).  It is definitely a practical outfit; I have worn it over there in professional capacity, and over here as well - as a matter of fact I am wearing it now.

Though I do still own a polo mallet.


Cheers!

Chas.

[Athanor]

Sorry all you dandies out there, but I have to say that I'm almost always very wary of anyone wearing a suit, except at weddings, funerals, job interviews and suchlike occasions. If anyone comes to my door wearing a suit and tie, it seems almost a sure bet that they're either;

a) from the local municipality to tell me I'm in violation of some bylaw or other,
b) wanting to sell me something I don't need, or
c) wanting to convert me to their religion.

I own one fairly good suit, which I bought for my wedding from our local Women's Shelter store more than 20 years ago; it cost me $25 and it fits perfectly, but I've rarely had occasion to wear it since. I prefer a more casual look no matter where I am, and as I'm retired I don't have to fit in with anyone else's dress code. I can usually be found wearing cargo pants or jeans, button-up collared shirt, and fleecy vest with capacious pockets and/or leather jacket ($15 from Value Village) or parka-type winter jacket, depending on the weather.

 The only job I've ever had where a suit and tie was mandatory was my two insane weeks as a hypnotist's assistant; in most of the other job's I've had - engineering apprentice, sailing instructor, geologist, woodworking shop manager - a suit would definitely have been out of place, and when I worked as a security guard I was issued a uniform but not required to wear a tie. I always feel like I'm being strangled if I have to wear a tie, but it looks kind of sloppy if worn too loosely, so.....

Athanor. 

[Royston Vasey]

I think it depends on the suit - get it wrong and one can resemble a mobile-phone salesman or estate agent. Get it right and it can look fantastic.

[J. Wilhelm]

As much as we malign the 1970's for their over the top, clownish fashions, people in the late 1970's (noting I was too young to participate in any "fashion trends" at the time) did manage to re-introduce some good manners and dress habits toward the end of the decade with "Disco" (wait, don't shoot me!  Just pay attention...).

Two things that came about with the "party/Disco"culture was that the use of casual sports coats increased dramatically at the time.  Causal suits made it's first appearance in the workplace, thus allowing you to "dress up" and "dress down" at the same time.  The second thing that happened (as told to me by a female professional dance instructor), was that the tradition of dancing with body contact - i.e. while holding your partner was reintroduced to the dance floor in the Disco, along with the fashion of wearing a suit while dancing.  Sounds very cheesy in light of the clownishness of the fashions at the time (Saturday Night Fever anyone? You can fly with those lapels.  Don't get me satrted on the Bozo-wide ties), but if you could remove the synthetic fabric and clownish silliness of it all, you’d see that the dance instructor was right; some sense of old fashioned civility managed to percolate into society and was made fashionable.  The retro 70's fashion of the 2000's effectively removed much of the original 70's clownishness with a different palette of darker colours, shorter hair, narrower ties and shorter collars.

I'm still hoping that resolving that contrast betrween being "dressed up" and "dressed down" may bring about a slightly better dressed society in the early 21st. C.  Perhaps this time while incorporating some 19th. C cues it may be possible to do the same all over again.  I mean, we have done the 1970's retro thing for almost two decades now -it's gotta go someday.  In America, we have done retro-1950's and 1960's during the 1980's decade already, and to be honest there isn't that much native to the 1980's other than Punk / New Wave silliness (unless you're into big hair and Martian makeup).  The only viable retro 1980's belongs to the "Emo" crowd in American 9-12th school grades -that's gotta go soon I think.  What are we missing?  Retro 1930's for the men? 1920's flapper fashion for the women?  I'm hoping that we see something new, and outside of the Jazz Era and the Victorian/Edwardian period I don't see much at the moment....

I think we've all seen this Fall 2012 Prada video in the anatomical section before:
http://www.mod-tv.com/news/prada-fall-2012-menswear-show/21555/

[5paz]

5paz - you must be/have been an officer in the Navy, then.  Until Mess Dress was authorized for enlisted wear, there was no formal uniform for the enlisted man.  

I was enlisted, but I was on the color guard and burial guard so every event I ever attended called for dress uniform.

In England we do not call it 'fancy dressing'  We call it 'clothes'.

I do apologize, my friends and I on the color guard referred to being in a suit/dress fancy dress when attending a ceremony. It has stuck over the years.

Thank you all for your insight.

[Gomez Darkholm]

Hmm, yes well it indeed depends what you are doing, but also what you are trying to put across. I wear suits quite a lot in a casual sense. But what kind and how casual exactly depends on where I'm going. I seem to have reached an age where once again I've fallen back into the old ways which were in many cases that of the working classes.... 

This is an issue that I've been giving plenty of thought,   As I am currently training as a make up artist, but would like to dress a little more "steamy".

[zilegil]

Someone was saying people are more likely to mistrust you if you are wearing a suit. Things are quite a lot different over here in England. I think the line is more the material of the suit. If you see someone in a polyester suit at the door it's obvious he's only wearing it for ettiquette or he's a bit of a stylistic charlatan. Whereas I suppose you don't see people in bespoke suits at your door as often people only wear this in the evening or during white collar work. Quality suits are normally accociated with either the very rich or the eccentric, like me.

It mainly depends where you are in England. I was speaking for London and other major cities in the above but it's a lot different in the countryside. Richer folk, who can afford by ettiquette to wear whatever they want ordinerally just wear second hand and often rather old clothes.

[5paz]

Forgot to ask, is there a certain style/fit suit I should get, because I am 5'11" and 140 pounds.

[Argus Fairbrass]

So at that height and weight I'm guessing you have a pretty slim build. If that's the case the world (of suits) is your oyster really. Double breasted suits can have a widening effect, so sometimes best avoided on shorter or more stoutly built body types, but not a problem for you I would imagine. I'm still unsure about this as I've read things that state both. But I believe the double breasted style was originally military in origin, starting off as the reefer jacket, evolving into the casual stroller, and later becoming more formalized as essentially a civilian uniform as well. I have one and I like them a lot, essential for the 1920's gangster vibe, but they will probably always have that association in some peoples minds.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I tend to think 2 or 3 button single breasted jackets with notch lapels are the most adaptable for both casual and formal (although I do have a 4 button with peak lapels which also seems to work perfectly well). They pair well with jeans etc, whereas double breasted really look best as purely formal suits in my opinion.

I don't know what it's like fashion wise in the States at the moment, here we're going through one of those slim cut "Mod Style" periods, which means jacket lapels are getting thinner to the point of almost disappearing. They often seem to have fewer buttons and fasten lower as well. There's also this skinny fit craze, which again I can't confess to being too fond of. It certainly wouldn't suit my build, but no matter how slender the person, it just looks like someone is wearing a suit they grew out of to me.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Obviously having a fondness for more retro styles, I tend to like suits like this for their adaptability.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

These are both two button jackets, I tend to like at least three. Nevertheless, If you wish to go full three piece you'll have a smart but quite vintage look, (which I like for obvious reasons), but again the jacket having that sport coat vibe, could just as well be worn with a shirt and jeans and look perfectly acceptable.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[Palmyrin Rosette]

[quote
A website I have been enjoying as regards men's fashion is The Dandy Portraits.
[/quote]

Another interesting website is Dandyism, though it is not updated as much as it used to be.
http://www.dandyism.net/index.php

[Drew P]

Some of those vintage-type are very nice. Those could probably do me good.
Thanks for showing! I shall look into it .

Now that second 'skinny' suit= ! 
Pretty ick! and where's the flood?

[Argus Fairbrass]

Haha, well quite, but unfortunately it's a horrendously popular look with the youth. Oh well each to their own.

Obviously the cut and material of a suit make a lot of difference. I've actually never had one made bespoke, but it's always worth considering if you have the means. Just try and be aware of any fashion trends that may be suggested by the tailor, or indeed a feature of current off the peg examples. They will inevitably date the suit.

I've had the shoulders taken in on one of my jackets because obviously disproportionately broad shoulders were fashionable at the time I initially acquired it. Hence I tend to try and get average looking stuff these days that's hopefully a bit timeless. But different things can work depending on your build. I've definitely noticed closer fitting waists have made a comeback. I tend to prefer jackets that are a little more square cut and boxier myself, but that's just me. There are plenty of cuts and styles to choose from and if they work for you and you like 'em that's all good.

Personally I quite enjoy playing around with formal paired with casual styles. Obviously this is a different thing to what you are talking about. But I actually wore blue jeans with a frock coat ensemble last night. Got a lot of compliments from a young lady who was most taken with my hat. Actually just a standard black wool 8 panel flat cap, but looks quite striking with the shirt waistcoat and frockcoat combo. The jeans worked surprisingly well, and made the whole thing slightly more casual and slightly less erm... Yentl . 

[frances]

Personally I like a man in a fitted jacket so that you can see his body shape.  Much more exciting than hiding it, usually.

'Fraid that I am not into beer guts!

[Fairley B. Strange]

Gentlemen....

http://governor-andrew-neveu.site88.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/barney-stinson-suit-up.jpg

[Drew P]

Yessss...

The same with a lovely lady in a beautiful (white) dress.  *raises eyebrows*

[zilegil]

Fairbrass you were talking about slim fit being popular. I'm going to admit I'm quite fond of it. Although I can relate to the jacket problem, the neckline being too low; the lapels almost non existent. Also, trousers are quite often rather dead straight which I've never liked.

[Argus Fairbrass]

Well as I say, it's down to personal preference and what suits your build and indeed personality I think. I've never been particularly fond of stingy brim hats or skinny ties either, but I'll admit these guys carried it all off pretty well, so of course do as though wilt.