Born in a suit?

[davestlouis]

I wear a suit at least 6 days a week, sometimes seven. I feel most comfortable in a suit, and my darling wife had to nag me the other evening to leave my jacket in the car when we went to my son's baseball game. On my days off, I have taken to wearing wool trousers instead of cotton khakis, because they feel more like my suit pants.

I get so many more "yes sir" "no sir", uber polite responses from people of all ages when I'm properly dressed. I also find that lots of women smile at me when I'm in a suit, dunno what to make of that, don't really care to find out.

It's all about looking comfortable, and not fidgeting and fussing with the clothes.

 

[Widebrim]

I wear a suit at least 6 days a week, sometimes seven. I feel most comfortable in a suit, and my darling wife had to nag me the other evening to leave my jacket in the car when we went to my son's baseball game. On my days off, I have taken to wearing wool trousers instead of cotton khakis, because they feel more like my suit pants.

I get so many more "yes sir" "no sir", uber polite responses from people of all ages when I'm properly dressed. I also find that lots of women smile at me when I'm in a suit, dunno what to make of that, don't really care to find out.

It's all about looking comfortable, and not fidgeting and fussing with the clothes.

I get the "sir" and the smiles a lot, too, when I'm in a suit or sport coat (which, during the school year, I also wear about 6 days a week). This is especially so when I'm in dowtown L.A., where I will even get the "How ya doin', officer?" from time to time.

 

[davestlouis]

I went in a gun store the other day, with a co-worker, to windowshop. The clerk looked us up and down and said "you fellas are either police officers or funeral directors"...we are funeral guys, so he was right.

 

[Undertow]

I went in a gun store the other day, with a co-worker, to windowshop. The clerk looked us up and down and said "you fellas are either police officers or funeral directors"...we are funeral guys, so he was right.

lol

 

[Undertow]

I'm surprised about Penny's. The one a couple of miles from here has quite a few cotton dress shirts, and carries "complete" suits. Sears, Roebuck actually had a decent suit available a few months ago, one of the few pieces of men's clothing that didn't look as cheap as all get out...

I've been wondering about this situation for some time.

The only local shop I can find decent, well-made clothing is a place called Von Maur (they're regional only, I believe). On the other hand, places like Sears, Younkers and JC are pitiful and bland. In fact, all of my local Sears stores have very little to do with men's dress clothing anymore and only offer a limited selection of poor options.

I truly don't know if this is a regional/local thing (Iowans are hicks I guess?), but I believe it's safe to assume so seeing as that's how most stores run. About five years ago, we had a Younkers downtown that offered suits, ties, shoes and decent shirts, accessories, etc. They closed and sold all of their stuff for a song (which I nabbed a beautiful midnight blue 2pc). After that, the remainder of our stores seem to be catering to 16yr old grocery store sack boys - no offense to those hard working young men. You can find khakis and white cotton blend shirts, cheap ties, and little more.

 

[Tomasso]

I truly don't know if this is a regional/local thing (Iowans are hicks I guess?), but I believe it's safe to assume so seeing as that's how most stores run.

Yeah, these days most big chains will modify their inventory to local tastes. The Sears on State St. in Chicago will have a notably different inventory than the one on Main St. in Iowa.

 

[Undertow]

Yeah, these days most big chains will modify their inventory to local tastes. The Sears on State St. in Chicago will have a notably different inventory than the one on Main St. in Iowa.

:eusa_doh:
I was afraid of that. When I was visiting Chicago for a week about 4 years ago, I wanted to stop into a Younkers, Sears or Macy's. Oh, we went shopping, but the gal I had with me would not step foot into a store we already had in IA. Although I appreciated her perspective, I sorely wish I had!

 

[Lone_Ranger]

Other than having a basic grasp of colour, proportion and co-ordination of accessories …

… It's about the fit of the suit, plain and simple. Most are horrifically fitted.

bk

Ditto!!! I would add material, too.

If you consider uniforms. My girlfriend's father was in WWII. Some of his pink & greens, are in the attic. I compared them to the green "pickle" suit, that I was issued. There's really no comparison.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

Yeah, these days most big chains will modify their inventory to local tastes. The Sears on State St. in Chicago will have a notably different inventory than the one on Main St. in Iowa.

Still, since the Sears - Kmart merger the Sears inventory has been looking more and more like Kmart. Sears and JC Penny are both heavily targeting younger demographics now and suits aren't part of that target.

 

[davestlouis]

We're getting a Von Maur this fall, had never heard of them until this one started being built. It's in an upscale shopping center called the Meadows at Lake St Louis

www.themeadowsatlsl.com

Working in the funeral trade, I can spot a mile away, people who wear a suit daily, vs. people who wear suits for funerals and weddings. I can also spot nuns, even when they wear something other than their habits, they can go undercover but I can still pick them out.

 

[Picard1138]

My father has worn a suit pretty much every day for the last 50 years, and his father did the same for probably 80. His brother started in the early 20th century as a men's shoe salesman, and worked his way up to be the chairman of a line of department stores. He always wore the nicest clothes, and I have a few of his things after he died, since among other things, I was named after him.
I have always found I'm only comfortable in either a suit or in uniform; shorts and t-shirts don't cut it for me. I'll wear pants in any weather, and try to wear long sleeve collared shirts until it gets impossible to do so. If it's too hot, I'll switch to slacks and a nice 50s vintage shirt, usually 100% silk with Hawaiian styling, and one of my Panama hats the location warrants it. But during the work week I love wearing a suit.

When I was working at a radio station I was told that I was over dressed because my suits were nicer than the station owner's. I decided it would be best not to upstage my boss, so I downgraded a little and wore an older suit that didn't fit as well, and wore it without a tie. However, any time I was representing the station at live events or what have you, I went back to my normal attire and I felt much better.

This summer I've been working in a producer's office, who is adamant about "casual summer wear," so I've been more or less forced to wear jeans and a nice collared shirt for the past 2 months. At least no one is wearing sandals at the office, but I can't stand it when people just wear a t-shirt.

-Max

 

[Tomasso]

I can also spot nuns, even when they wear something other than their habits, they can go undercover but I can still pick them out.

How.... because your knuckles start hurting......

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I don't know if I look more comfortable in a jacket & slacks or a suit but I know I feel more so. Putting on a set of fine clothes relaxes me as if my blood pressure lowered and my mood and confidence improved. It's always been like that for me, since I was a little kid.

Trouble is, it's so damn hot here most of the year and it is such a casual place. My regular 'work' requires that I'm outside in the afternoon/evening peak temps. I, and all my contemporaries in the vending biz, simply must go with a single layer of threads that won't get damaged by a little activity as we set up and take down our concessions.

I push it a little though, with the vintage fedoras and wingtip shoes. Also, even though I wear shorts on weekends and at pool parties, etc., I just can't bring myself to conduct business in a pair of swim trunks.

 

[davestlouis]

tomasso, I could tell ya stories about Sister Consolata in 1st grade, Sister Bertil in 2nd grade, etc. Scary bunch of kid-hating old witches.

 

[Paisley]

fftopic:

FWIW, child-hating old bats taught in public schools, too. One of my father's teachers was so mean she was run out of town. My three fifth-grade teachers, one of whom was especially horrible, were mysteriously gone when I showed up for sixth grade. Quite the coup when there's a teachers' union.

 

[Widebrim]

How.... because your knuckles start hurting......

Good one...

 

[Marc Chevalier]

...we are funeral guys, so he was right.

Then you'll enjoy seeing this suit, davestlouis: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140441546123


.

 

[Richard Warren]

If only there were a way to spot a stripper even with her clothes on.

 

[BanjoMerlin]

For many years I worked at a company that instituted "casual Friday". My first "casual Friday" I wore a sport coat instead of a suit. Nope, not casual enough. The next Friday I wore a patterned "sport shirt" instead of a white shirt. Nope, not casual enough. The next Friday I didn't wear a tie. Nope, still not casual enough. The next Friday I wore a Tuxedo with tennis shoes.

My boss finally got the message that I was NOT going to wear jeans and a T-shirt to work. We agreed on no tie, which happened to be what all the senior executives wore on casual Friday.

Now I work as a consultant and I have to be very conscious about what I wear. If I'm too dressy my clients aren't comfortable. Since they pay me, and they can always hire someone else, that isn't a good thing. I've gotten pretty good at finding that one-step-up that doesn't make my clients uncomfortable. But I still don't wear jeans to work!

 

[JimWagner]

I really started this thread to be a discussion about the details that make someone look natural and sharp in a suit (like they'd been born in a suit) instead of a slob in a suit, but I see it has spun out of control into the usual how long I've worn a suit and why "I wear a suit when those about me don't" mess.