One doofus or an annoying trend in socks?

[HudsonHawk]

The ugly modern suits are far worse imo and they are evrywhere. Suits that are worn for fun instead of pressure to fit in ...this is what we need.

So you think we need more of this in business environments by people who are asking for $100MM of your money?

 

[Edward]

Pressed shirt and chinos but no dark suit and tie. [huh] It's very common and not all bad if you ask me.

Smart-casual varies enormously, but I'd say the baseline is 'no jeans, no gutties'. For me personally, smart-casual is anything Elvis might have worn in a certain era (think: how Elvis dressed for the Tupalo show in 56...). Back in the era of the Dot Com boom when all the City firms here in London were caught up in the trendy notion of Dress Down Friday, it got extremely prescriptive in some firms. One place whose regs I saw basically boiled down to "smart casual" being the same jacket/tie/shirt/shoes combo as the rest of the week, except with the obligation that the trousers and jacket not match. It was a short-lived fad, really (at least outside of some fringe media firms where it remains fashionable to underdress everyone else). Some firms felt it discouraged professionalism (the culturally engrained effects of end of school term days, when you could come in your own clothes and bring in a game...). Mostly, though, it seems that the workers didn't care for it. The men especially - so many of them had the suits for work, the jeans for home, and didn't care to buy a whole new wardrobe for what was, for them, an invented in-betweeny category.

I blame the shitty suits that are being made today. Not the people who feel unconfortable in them because I would too.

I equally blame the cultural hangover from a generation that demonised the clothes (rather than the evil lurking within), and programmed kids to think of suits as uncomfortable, restrictive, and unpleasant to wear. (All things I've heard said about suits by people citing these as reasons they have never even tried one on...). Same mix of quality problems and psychological programming I believe to be behind the several grown adult men one sees on the tube wearing training shoes with their suits, to and from the office. (I get what the ladies are doing, but ffs, what appalling kind of shoes do you have to be wearing as a man before you "have" to retreat to gutties for the commute?).

So you think we need more of this in business environments by people who are asking for $100MM of your money?

View attachment 4017

Has anybody ever actually worn that off the catwalk? I'd be surprised. There are some dreadful abominations put on the runway, but most of them I've never seen in a shop. [huh]

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

No, dude...

We have a sub forum in the FL where we write about the good kind of suits or spotcoat/ odd trouser combinations. Have a look there.
I didn't say they have to be outrageous to be "fun" and I also said we don't know what business he is in.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Has anybody ever actually worn that off the catwalk? I'd be surprised. There are some dreadful abominations put on the runway, but most of them I've never seen in a shop. [huh]

Also, check out http://www.opposuits.be

 

[HudsonHawk]

No, dude...

We have a sub forum in the FL where we write about the good kind of suits or spotcoat/ odd trouser combinations. Have a look there.
I didn't say they have to be outrageous to be "fun" and I also said we don't know what business he is in.

You said we needed fun rather than fitting in, ostensibly in defense of wearing loud, mis-matched sox with a traditional business suit. I can't imagine one would wear the above outrageous suit to try to fit in. Why does that not qualify as "for fun"?

And this gent was representing his company in a meeting with a very large international oil company, though I can't imagine it would make a difference if he were say an accountant.

 

[Edward]

View attachment 4020

Also, check out http://www.opposuits.be

Eee. Those are nasty. The Union Flag one is especially tacky. Sixty quid... that's about ninety US dollars currently. I should imagine these sell to the fancy dress and stag nights crowd. I have, now I think about it, seen a couple of what I assume are these in the Union flag design by a small handful of attention seekers at any of the big events around the Windors, or that sort of thing. I'd be highly surprised if I saw one of these being worn 'for real', though.

But we're getting away from the point... I interpreted the comment on wearing suits "for fun" as wearing a suit by choice, not because "the man" makes you do it, and you have to in order to "fit in"... You know, the "I'm a rebel because - just like almost everyone else - I never choose to wear a suit! Yeah!" crowd.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Sorry, it's the internet discussion trap again. There is not enough room for emphasis.I think Edward got my point though.

I am arguing that the concept "boring suit" versus "leisure wear" is fixed in the mind of the people. Because boring suits are all that is offered at the stores. And I really hate those suits more than I hate blue jeans. Of course other stuff can be found if you invest a certain amount of time and money (like some of us do). Apparently the mismatched socks guy is less subtle.

I am not saying that fitting in is bad per se. Rebellion isn't my high goal. But wearing suits for fun is an lost art form. This doesn't mean they have to look fugly. They can be very toned down or flamboyant like the shirt tie combos A.C. Lyles was showing a few pages back. I guess we agree he still doesn't look like the clowns in your examples, does he?

But all in all I don't have a big problem with the unknown mismatched socks dude. There are worse things out there. On the other hand there are a few really interesting threads on the FL. It would be nice if we could direct our attention and energy towards them instead of bitching about random strangers. I can't believe this thread got 7 pages and I just added to them. :eusa_doh:

 

[HudsonHawk]

.
But we're getting away from the point... I interpreted the comment on wearing suits "for fun" as wearing a suit by choice, not because "the man" makes you do it, and you have to in order to "fit in"... You know, the "I'm a rebel because - just like almost everyone else - I never choose to wear a suit! Yeah!" crowd.

My point in bringing up the loud suits is that I think we all understand there *are* boundaries, depending on the situation. Furthermore, I ask are those boundaries not, at leas in part, drawn by others around us...our co-workers, clients, people with whom we are seeking to do business? Do we not consider what makes *them* comfortable or feel respect? Or is it only about our own sense of "fun", or how seriously we want to take our own profession? If wearing a conservative suit with dark socks is to be frowned up because that's what other expect us to wear, why is wearing a multi-colored suit any less appropriate than wearing one fluorescent lime-green and one bright pick sock with a navy suit?

 

[HudsonHawk]

I am not saying that fitting in is bad per se. Rebellion isn't my high goal. But wearing suits for fun is an lost art form. This doesn't mean they have to look fugly. They can be very toned down or flamboyant like the shirt tie combos A.C. Lyles was showing a few pages back. I guess we agree he still doesn't look like the clowns in your examples, does he?

So where is the line between a brightly colored tie and the fugly suit?

But all in all I don't have a big problem with the unknown mismatched socks dude. There are worse things out there. On the other hand there are a few really interesting threads on the FL. It would be nice if we could direct our attention and energy towards them instead of bitching about random strangers. I can't believe this thread got 7 pages and I just added to them. :eusa_doh:

Yes there are far worse things out there than a guy in multi-colored socks. There are murderers and child rapists. But this was a discussion about appropriate business attire, so I don't see why discussing it would be so offensive. If you don't want to participate in the discussion, then by all means don't. It's not hard for you to direct your attention elsewhere.

 

[Cobden]

I think there it is certainly possible to do some unusual, but still remain professional. However, the skill is in knowing where the line between merely unusual and unprofessional is. Mismatch socks are unprofessional, but perhaps socks in a sobre but uncommon colour (dark maroon, for example) would be slightly different, but still professional. A cream spearpoint shirt with a collar pin would break the monotony of current trends, a pink shirt with yellow polka dots would be about as professional as Mr Blobby...

 

[carldelo]

^^^ agreed, Argyle socks in a matching color pallet is about as unusual I get when wearing a suit. If I don't feel like being professional, I don't wear a suit.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

So where is the line between a brightly colored tie and the fugly suit?

In the words of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, "... But I know it when I see it."

 

[Jackanapes]

I think you've found the source of the trend, it seems to be a tech-nerd thing. It took a while to find the article about the trend of loud socks in Silicon Valley, but here it is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/fashion/in-silicon-valley-socks-make-the-tech-entrepreneur.html

Plus the slideshow: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/02/05/fashion/20210205-SOCKS.html

A revealing quote from the article: “I have been in meetings where people look down and notice my socks, and there is this universal sign, almost like a gang sign, where they nod and pull up their pant leg a little to show off their socks,” said Hunter Walk, 38, a director of product management at YouTube, whose favorite pair is yellow, aqua and orange striped.

Looks like the law and finance guys are also getting in on it...

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/fashion-week-wall-street-socks-ferragamo-tie-155920111.html

 

[casechopper]

Ex President George HW Bush at a wedding. Note the socks.

 

[jamespowers]

Ex President George HW Bush at a wedding. Note the socks.

His valet should be fired.

 

[Tommy]

I say to each his own, harmless enough, try anything you want, it just may not stand the test of time...

 

[Stearmen]

I say to each his own, harmless enough, try anything you want, it just may not stand the test of time...

Does any style of clothing, truly stand the test of time? what would these gentlemen have to say about a Fedora hat?

 

[dnjan]

His valet should be fired.

Perhaps it is just his commentary on the wedding he is attending?

 

[Boyo]

Ex President George HW Bush at a wedding. Note the socks.

One sock for the "Red States", one sock for the "Blue States"

 

[Rudie]

Am I the only only one who thinks the shoes are way uglier?