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Three piece suits

avedwards

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,425
Location
London and Midlands, UK
A number of my suits are three-piece and were originally bought in the 80's when I had to wear them for work.

It's a shame that in most workplaces (even ones with a suit and tie dress code) you can't wear a three piece suit anymore. Even in the House of Commons, three piece suits are non-existant now but were the norm in the 80s. But then nearly all of our politicians have appalling suits these days considering they are usually bespoke.
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
1934 Herringbone single breasted peak lapel. I wish I could have this suit in every color.
n630485908_1147580_7504.jpg


1940s
29495_406106150908_630485908_4212585_7344501_n.jpg


1950s
41264_433240415908_630485908_4867829_2246662_n.jpg
 

Fletch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,865
Location
Iowa - The Land That Stuff Forgot
3pcs are out there. They're beginning to infiltrate TV news, I notice.

There are affordable ones, but they lack good cut. They're the slim-cut imitation designer look, or the boxy, low-end Italian style that never seems to go away.

The hardest suit to find with a vest is a DB. Even in the 30s that look was beginning to phase out. The next hardest is a high-roll 3B. Hardest color: medium to light grey.

If you're on a budget, eBay has quite a few 80s 2Bs with vests. They're good if all you want is A Three Piece Suit, but they have no style. Stylish men had stopped wearing vests by then.
 
Last edited:

vintage68

Practically Family
Messages
959
Location
Nevada, The Redneck Riviera
I only wear vested suits. When I bought my first suits about 5 years ago the salesman tried to talk me out of buying them with vests, saying they were not in style. I said that's why I wanted them, and now I see vested suits all the time.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
You guys are funny.....and right......but then reality has its say.......:(
 

Matt_the_chap

One of the Regulars
Messages
129
Location
Sheffield, England
It's certainly true about the heating aspect - I have to take my jacket off in winter just to be comfortable whilst everybody complains about it being too cold. I dislike central heating with a passion - I can't wear my clothes and it makes me feel ill in the process.
 

Hal

Practically Family
Messages
590
Location
UK
Three piece suits are a "Green" solution to our dependence on oil. Save the Planet, Wear a Vest
Matt_the-chap said:
It's certainly true about the heating aspect - I have to take my jacket off in winter just to be comfortable whilst everybody complains about it being too cold. I dislike central heating with a passion - I can't wear my clothes and it makes me feel ill in the process.
Well said, both of you! If it's uncomfortably warm to wear a three-piece winter suit indoors, the heating is too high. Overheated interiors are a menace to rational dressing.
 

Fletch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,865
Location
Iowa - The Land That Stuff Forgot
Women in the workplace! That's the cause of it all. That and craven middle management. Time was, an overactive bladder in the morning meant a spot on the unemployment line by noon. Now everybody's humanity is catered to. Faugh! No wonder we don't Make Things in this country any more!
 

Lokar

A-List Customer
Messages
383
Location
Nowhere
Women in the workplace! That's the cause of it all. That and craven middle management. Time was, an overactive bladder in the morning meant a spot on the unemployment line by noon. Now everybody's humanity is catered to. Faugh! No wonder we don't Make Things in this country any more!

Actually, it's not the women! It's the damn californian pre-hippies that stopped wearing the waistcoat (before that, it was just "a suit", the waistcoat was part of it). As we all know regularly on this forum, the hippies ruined absolutely everything and that's why life isn't perfect today.

Hah.

But in all seriousness, it is a shame that in the middle of winter in Sweden when it's well below freezing, I see people throwing up the temperature so that they don't have to wear more than a t-shirt. That is extremely wasteful and we will run out of oil one day. Nothing we can do about it though - except lower your own thermostat and wear extra clothing at home!
 

avedwards

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,425
Location
London and Midlands, UK
But in all seriousness, it is a shame that in the middle of winter in Sweden when it's well below freezing, I see people throwing up the temperature so that they don't have to wear more than a t-shirt. That is extremely wasteful and we will run out of oil one day. Nothing we can do about it though - except lower your own thermostat and wear extra clothing at home!

I never understand the modern trend of having the air-conditioning so strong in summer that one has to put extra layers on to go indoors, and the heating so strong in winter that one can only wear a T-shirt. Aside from being wasteful I can't imagine it's particularly healthy for the body. Personally I like the heating on in winter just enough so that I am confortable without an overcoat on but can still comfortably wear a suit or smoking jacket indoors.
 

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