Is it a bad idea to wear a double-breasted suit coat as a sport coat?

[The Good]

Let's say I'm aware of one particular 1940s (supposedly) dated suit jacket. It is double-breasted, medium grey, and has white pinstripes. It would, most importantly, fit me if I bought it. There is no guarantee that I will buy it, however.

Would it be a bad idea, as in against certain sartorial rules, to wear it with similarly colored trousers (I have a pair of light charcoal slacks), or even chinos (khaki, charcoal grey, and dark brown)? I think I can recall seeing pictures of other lounge members wearing double-breasted suit jackets (as former suit pieces, or blazers) without the trousers they originally came with, and still looking fine while wearing it.

 

[Cobden]

I'd avoid grey or colours that make it look like you're trying to make it look like you're attempting to fake a suit. Medium grey is a bit difficult in this regar - brown and blue I'd wear with grey flannels. White flannels may work, but only really in summer.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

.
Sir Guy Standing, the Hollywood character actor, in 1935:

 

[Two Types]

From a British perspective, look at old photographs and you wil always see suit jackets (single and double breasted) mixed with non-suit trousers (we Brits never had much money to spend on clothes and trousers wear out so easily). So for anyone going for a truly authentic look, that would be completely accurate. Like the others have said - avoid closely matched materials. Dark jacket and pale trousers sounds an ideal mix.

 

[Gene]

Not sure if it works the other way, as I've seen it done before but not often...but how about say a light gray double breasted jacket with some brown trousers?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Like the others have said - avoid closely matched materials. Dark jacket and pale trousers sounds an ideal mix.

Yes. Don't make the same mistake that an inept costumer did for the upcoming "Great Gatsby" movie remake:

 

[Tomasso]

For some reason I like the look in flannel but not so much in worsted. And a chalk stripe over a pinstripe.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Some crazy pattern mixing in a german magzine from the 1930s

 

[Two Types]

Yes. Don't make the same mistake that an inept costumer did for the upcoming "Great Gatsby" movie remake:

Blimey. That looks appalling. I can't claim to have a great knowledge of 1920s fashion but somehow that looks completely wrong. The brown jacket on the right just looks like a cheap modern jacket.

 

[Shangas]

Yes. Don't make the same mistake that an inept costumer did for the upcoming "Great Gatsby" movie remake:

That looks...terrible.

I would never wear a pinstriped jacket with solid waistcoat and trousers if they were all the same colour. It breaks up the pattern (or lack of pattern, in this case).

The jacket on the right, I don't know why, just doesn't look right. I think it's something to do with the pockets. I hate patch pockets.

 

[Nick D]

The first thing I noticed was the poorly fitting boaters with the conically tapered crown.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The first thing I noticed was the poorly fitting boaters with the conically tapered crown.

Oh, but there's more. Much, much more. http://www.thefedoralounge.com/show...in-the-Works&p=1339742&viewfull=1#post1339742

 

[Yeps]

I routinely wear a gray flannel chalkstripe jacket with lighter gray wool trousers. As long as you are comfortable, and don't look like you are trying to fake a suit, I think you are golden.

 

[AntonAAK]

I wear the jacket of a navy db pinstripe flannel suit with cream trousers in the summer (when it's not too hot). Thinking about it I was probably influenced by that Guy Standing photo.

I say go for it.

 

[Oldsarge]

As I understand it, the original idea behind the odd jacket/sport coat was that a man's trousers had worn out but his coat was still serviceable so he went to his tailor and had another set of trousers made. And if the tailor didn't have any more of the original cloth left, the customer ended up with a coat that didn't match his trousers. No one thought anything of it back then and if you choose your trouser color/cloth reasonably, no one will think anything of it now. Go for it.

 

[GBR]

Without doubt.

 

[The Good]

Just for your information, I didn't end up getting the suit jacket, but thank you for the advice anyway. I'll certainly keep it in mind for future reference. Thank you for the historical references as well, it seems that it was done fairly often in these periods.

 

[scottyrocks]

Thre's no hard and fast rules, but to me it's the pinstripes that make it iffy. I have a pinstriped jacket from a suit that I've put on with different solid trousers, and the jacket looks like its from a suit. Of course, not having seen yours, its hard to make a judgment. There's a lot of subtlty in even the simplest of patterns.