Piecemeal Three-piece?

[Not-Bogart13]

OK, I've always loved a three-piece suit, but tailor-made and vintage are (for the time being) out of reach. Also, I'm an odd size for off-the rack, forcing me to buy suit seperates. As it happens, I've put together a two-piece suit that closely matches a vest I already owned. Would it be a sin to wear this conglomeration as a three-piece? If not, what should I wear the vest with? What are your thoughts?

NB

By the By; the suit and vest in question are both black, no print.

 

[moustache]

No

According to the books i have been reading (Dressing the Man,etc),seperates are fine in this 21st century.As far as i can tell,as long as one matches the tie to something there.It might also depend on the colours present.
I have done the same thing as you NB.Not enough money for a vintage or bespoke suit but Goodwill helps in the "no-money"area.

JD

 

[jamespowers]

According to the books i have been reading (Dressing the Man,etc),seperates are fine in this 21st century.As far as i can tell,as long as one matches the tie to something there.It might also depend on the colours present.
I have done the same thing as you NB.Not enough money for a vintage or bespoke suit but Goodwill helps in the "no-money"area.

JD

if they are all black then there will likely not be much of a problem. It will blend in nicely.
Goodwill and thrift stores are the gifts that keep on giving for dollar amounts not higher than $10 you can get a suit that fits. :eusa_clap

Regards,

J

 

[Merlin]

if they are all black then there will likely not be much of a problem. It will blend in nicely.

I'd stay away from trying to match colors, especially blacks, because you'll find it nearly impossible to get the exact same shade. Even if you do find the same shade of whatever color you're looking for, variations in the weave and texture of the fabrics will make the different pieces look, well, different. My advice, unless you really do have all of the pieces from the same suit, would be to go for contrasts. For a really sharp look, try a black jacket, a pair of charcoal grey trousers, and a medium gray vest. Mixing and matching navies and grays works well, as do navies and browns.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

i've been very lucky *once* when i found two suits that were made of apparently EXACTLY the same fabric. Therefore they can be mixed and matched. I would avoid doing so if *anything* about the fabrics is different. Much as it may be hard to believe, difference in texture will be quite evident, even on cursory inspection.

I'm not saying it wouldn't work but there's a high likelihood it won't. I'd always go with contrast for the orphan piece.

bk

 

[Tomasso]

I'm with BK and Merlin. Even the same fabric from the same mill can differ, in shade, from run to run.

 

[Tumbleweed]

fearsome pocketsquare coordination!

You can always take the contrast approach.

Contrast, or shock value.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

Oh, My

lol Tumbleweed, I don't think that look is for me!

I guess the big pain in the neck with having to buy suit seperates to start with is that there can be a variation just with the peices that should go together. But perhaps you are right about the vest. It might be too different. I'll have to try the contrast route. The question is, if nothing matches, is it still a "suit"?

NB

 

[Feraud]

The question is, if nothing matches, is it still a "suit"?

NB

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose...."
Suit, suit separates, sportsjacket. Does it matter? I guess if it does not match you are wearing a sportsjacket with pants but I would not stress the terminology.
The bottom line is how it looks.

 

[Slicksuit]

My advice, unless you really do have all of the pieces from the same suit, would be to go for contrasts. For a really sharp look, try a black jacket, a pair of charcoal grey trousers, and a medium gray vest. Mixing and matching navies and grays works well, as do navies and browns.

I agree with Merlin. While matching 3-piece suits have their place, I sometimes like a little contrast in my ensemble. For certain vests, like plaid or herringbone, it looks nice if they don't match, but coordinate or tastfully contrast.

I found some nice articles over at Film Noir buff that propose the interesting idea that men's dress sometimes looks sharp with minor clashes, as it helps to differentiate it from femal modes of dress. Attached is an example of a coordinating vest/coat combination. Not a clash, but an example of coordination.

 

[Orgetorix]

The question is, if nothing matches, is it still a "suit"?

No. If the trousers and jacket don't match, it's not a suit. The term comes from the French suivre ("to follow"), and indicates that the trousers follow, or match, the jacket in color and pattern.

If the trousers, jacket, and vest all match, it's a three-piece suit.

You can wear a two-piece suit with a vest that doesn't match. It's called an odd vest, and it can look quite good. I often in the spring and summer, for example, wear a navy blue suit with a cream-colored linen vest.

If the jacket and vest match, but the trousers don't, you probably picked up two pieces of what was once a three-piece suit. Happens at thrift stores all the time.

Pieces that don't match are referred to as "odd." Odd jacket, odd trousers, odd vest. You can wear all three together, as long as the colors and patterns coordinate and don't clash. It's a more casual look than a suit, though.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I wear mixed parts all the time. comes from not ownoing any three piece suits with all three pieces fitting.

I'll post pics in a bit.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

.

In the 19th C. is was very common for the waistcoat and the trousers to match. The jacket was often a different color. I am an enthusiast for this look.

In 21st C. the pieces may all be different and compliment each other; they may look quite marvelous; but I wouldn't necessarily call it a "suit," though neither would I correct someone else who did. One definition for "Suit" in one of my dictionaries says, "a set of clothes to be worn together. A man's suit consists of a coat, trousers, and sometimes a vest." This is a rather expansive definition and in a dress-down world, I welcome it.

 

[Matt Deckard]

For our purposes a suit is a jacket and trousers and or jacket vest and trousers that match in material.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I have always believed it could be either the waistcoat and pants that match, while the coat does not, or the coat and pants to match, while the waistcoat does not too. Both I have done and they don't look at all bad. If you take a pair of pants, one color, a coat, another color, and a waistcoat in yet another color, they ought to all match somehow, even strangely