SO glad I found this place, need help finding a suit...please.

[Rookie]

Hi, I am spending a week at Del Mar racetrack soon and would like to do so in style. The look I'm going for is pretty specific and I am having no luck in finding it. Here is the Del Mar website. Their color scheme is what I am after.

I went as far as Hong Kong to find those colors, to no avail. I am in LA now, and have to think I can find a custom suit-maker that can do this but again, having no luck. This is the exact look I'm going for:

LINK

I know that is 70's, not 40's (Bing Crosby/Del Mar), but having seen all the photos here from that era, I just think any double-breasted or 3-piece suit, along with a tie, is going to be too hot for August in Socal. So, the colors are what are most important to me. Along with the hat!


***Yeah, the HAT . . . VERY important. I would like a Fedora in that Del Mar blue/turquoise. Ideally, with a yellow band, too. Is that possible?***


And if plan A (above) does not work out, then I have decided I will find a white blazer, yellow dress shirt, and blueish hat. Possibly a blueish tie as well. Heck, if I could find a checkered blue/yellow tie, like the starting gate (or jockey's silks) you see on the Del Mar website, that would be AMAZING. By the way, what color pants would I wear with a white jacket? Maybe blue, like the hat?

Sorry for the long first post, thanks for your time. Cool messageboard...

 

[rmrdaddy]

Rookie,
Welcome aboard

I will try to do this gently, the outfit you are planning seems very costumey. You will probably note as you continue to view the forum and peruse threads and photos, that most Loungers pull off vintage looks with comfort and ease, not necessarily with an over-the-top or garish combo.

I'd personally have you go your second route, with a sportscoat/blazer and slacks. If it's warm, go with a Panama, white bucs, some funky socks (you may find socks in the racecourse colors?), tie and pocket square, and pull off a bona fide vintage look.

Good luck!

 

[Rookie]

Rookie,
Welcome aboard

I will try to do this gently, the outfit you are planning seems very costumey. You will probably note as you continue to view the forum and peruse threads and photos, that most Loungers pull off vintage looks with comfort and ease, not necessarily with an over-the-top or garish combo.

I'd personally have you go your second route, with a sportscoat/blazer and slacks. If it's warm, go with a Panama, white bucs, some funky socks (you may find socks in the racecourse colors?), tie and pocket square, and pull off a bona fide vintage look.

Good luck!

Fair enough, rmr, that's why they (me) call me "Rookie", haha. I know it's over the top -- that's kind of the point of all this. I want people to get a kick out of it more than anything. It's all in fun.

I realize this isn't the place for a Halloween costume, but I figured I could get some guidance on something in between. I mean, I definitely am willing to spend some dough so it doesn't look too cheesy, but make no mistake, this is to get noticed and to have fun, period. At the same time, I want to respect the tradition with the right colors -- a tip of the hat if you will. Speaking of which, a Panama sounds great, I'm all for it. Sold on the white bucs as well.

Anyway, I guess what it's going to come down to, is finding the right fabric/color and the right (custom) tailor, correct?

If that's the case, can someone here refer a shop in LA to get this done? There must be one, no? At the very least someone must know where I can get a nice white blazer (single-breasted) and a custom yellow shirt made.

Oh, and turquoise pants, too. Where would I find those? Probably the hardest part, haha. Along with matching the pants to the hat!


Thanks a ton for the feedback, appreciate it. Same goes for the guys in the hat forum! Great messageboard all around.

 

[WolfeMan]

If price is not terribly important you could check out the local fabric shops, and if you find something you like you could take it to a tailor and have the suit made out of it.
Wolfe
Edit- heres a turquoise linen for 5.75 a yard. You could look around on google more if its not the right shade. http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=PP665

 

[Tone]

Rookie,

Linked below is a place that might have a pretty good combination for a suit that has that "over-the-top" fun vibe without the costumey vinyl/plastic costume shop feel you see on the Halloween stuff.

I know the color scheme is key for the purpose and there seem to be a few options here that might work for what you're after.


http://www.zootsuitstore.com/Shopping/Catalog/multi_category.asp?s=sa&cat=Suits-sa

Other than that, the only thing that comes to mind are those 70's leisure suits, which ::shudder:: - well, let's say the zootsuits have an edge here.

Might have a hat and suit combo all in one, fell swoop.

 

[AcridSaint]

Indy will tailor his suits out of a fabric of your choice, you could pick one of his cuts and ask that it be made in a different color. There are several online tailors that will tailor a suit cut of your choice. I think that linen or silk are going to give you the best color options.

If you go with your own design, that cartoon isn't going to be enough to go by though, I would think. Maybe find a suit in a movie or photographs (the more detail you can give them the better) that you like the cut of and then change the color.

This way you could get the color you want and also have a nice looking suit. If you were to consider a linen 1 button suit of a more classic cut then you could have daring and pull off the color.

I would not match the hat to the colors, I would do the suit and then maybe something more subtle like a tie/hanky combination to pick up the yellow. If you match the hat to the outfit in this case I think that you will, at best, end up looking like you're trying to pull off something like "Dick Tracy" and at worst look like you're going to a cheesy costume party.

 

[Rookie]

If price is not terribly important you could check out the local fabric shops, and if you find something you like you could take it to a tailor and have the suit made out of it.
Wolfe
Edit- heres a turquoise linen for 5.75 a yard. You could look around on google more if its not the right shade. http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/catalog_itemdetail.aspx?ItmID=PP665

Thanks, did a little research on this and I just don't have time for it. I won't be around long enough to get it all done (leave LA tonight for 2 weeks).

Also, I just got off the phone with "Mr. Lee", a custom tailor whose name kept coming up in my search, and he wanted over a grand. This was after I bought the suit (and brought it into him), LOL.

Pretty funny guy though, that Mr. Lee!

 

[Rookie]

Rookie,

Linked below is a place that might have a pretty good combination for a suit that has that "over-the-top" fun vibe without the costumey vinyl/plastic costume shop feel you see on the Halloween stuff.

I know the color scheme is key for the purpose and there seem to be a few options here that might work for what you're after.


http://www.zootsuitstore.com/Shopping/Catalog/multi_category.asp?s=sa&cat=Suits-sa

Other than that, the only thing that comes to mind are those 70's leisure suits, which ::shudder:: - well, let's say the zootsuits have an edge here.

Might have a hat and suit combo all in one, fell swoop.

Thanks. Good solution. Fast and cheap. However, I am with the rest of you in thinking let's not go too over-the-top.

This will be my fall-back.

 

[Rookie]

Indy will tailor his suits out of a fabric of your choice, you could pick one of his cuts and ask that it be made in a different color. There are several online tailors that will tailor a suit cut of your choice. I think that linen or silk are going to give you the best color options.

If you go with your own design, that cartoon isn't going to be enough to go by though, I would think. Maybe find a suit in a movie or photographs (the more detail you can give them the better) that you like the cut of and then change the color.

This way you could get the color you want and also have a nice looking suit. If you were to consider a linen 1 button suit of a more classic cut then you could have daring and pull off the color.

I would not match the hat to the colors, I would do the suit and then maybe something more subtle like a tie/hanky combination to pick up the yellow. If you match the hat to the outfit in this case I think that you will, at best, end up looking like you're trying to pull off something like "Dick Tracy" and at worst look like you're going to a cheesy costume party.

Totally agree about going too far, I think a white blazer is what I'll do now, and build around that. And I can use the coat for other occasions as well, hopefully.

How would you build around that? Yellow shirt, or blue? Pant color?

And any idea where I could order online? That way I will have the items ready when I get into town and just have a custom tailor (read: NOT Mr. Lee, haha), do it in two days.

Oh, and white shoes, I am thinking.

Thanks!

 

[Rookie]

Okay, I found the look I am now goin' for!

Here is a great, old picture of Bing Crosby and Pat O-Brien, the founders. It's their friend on their right (left on your computer screen) whose look I want to emulate.

LINK. Looks like a white single-button blazer, with some white wingtips. I also like the guy's hat. I don't like the flat, rigid hat (and brim) Bing's got going, sorry -- probably not that comfortable, either.

 

[AcridSaint]

Totally agree about going too far, I think a white blazer is what I'll do now, and build around that. And I can use the coat for other occasions as well, hopefully.

How would you build around that? Yellow shirt, or blue? Pant color?

And any idea where I could order online? That way I will have the items ready when I get into town and just have a custom tailor (read: NOT Mr. Lee, haha), do it in two days.

Oh, and white shoes, I am thinking.

Thanks!

As far as where to build, I am completely out of my league. I am admittedly bad at matching jackets to other things. Perhaps go through the threads in the sticky above your post for inspiration on how to do the colors. My experience is that colored shirts can be a nice compliment or disastrous. I usually like to add my color with ties and accessories.

As far as ordering online and then having it tailored locally, I'm not sure. If you just want something off the rack to be altered, it may be better to search locally. Indy Magnoli and the others I mentioned are bespoke tailors, meaning your garments arrive tailored. That being said, you might not get it in such a short time frame. Even off-the-rack suits that I've bought take about a week to get alterations.

 

[WolfeMan]

I know you want to go with the blazer look, but i just thought of this. A blue seersucker suit with a big yellow bow tie and a boater (or your preference of hat) with a yellow ribbon.
Wolfe

 

[Undertow]

Okay, I found the look I am now goin' for!

Here is a great, old picture of Bing Crosby and Pat O-Brien, the founders. It's their friend on their

Bing is actually pretty classy here, and most likely comfortable.

Double Breasted seersucker with peak lapels (or quite possibly light summer wool with quarter lining), white boater, good neck tie, maybe some coordinated spectators and you would be looking real sharp. Drop a quarter and you'd draw blood!

Consider what you purchase to be an investment, in any case; you may choose to wear the outfit again to another summer event (e.g. weddings).