What should a well dressed man have

[Tomasso]

You only really need one matching outfit that looks good to be well dressed - hat included. Anything after that is a discussion between you and your bank account. One suit. One hat. After all, three suits in the closet and two hats (or twenty) on the rack don't help you look better on the town. One hat will do. Might as well make the hat and suit black so that you don't draw attention to the lack of options in your closet.

So you are going to walk into the office day after day wearing the same suit............

 

[johnnycanuck]

To me "well dressed" does not mean quantity, not even quality. Its wearing something that looks good on you and complements you. You don't need twenty hats, fifteen jackets and twelve pairs of shoes. One of each that goes well together makes more of an impact.
Johnny.
P.S.
There is also something about someone with well maintained clothing. Jacket that is clean, shoes that are not scuffed, a dust free hat.

 

[Mobile Vulgus]

So you are going to walk into the office day after day wearing the same suit............

Me thinks the "all you need is one suit" line of reasoning comes from the modern sensibility that one dresses up but infrequently. If you wear jeans or khakis 99% of the time, that one time a year you wear a suit I guess it doesn't matter if it's always the same suit.

On the other hand, if you are in the professional classes you need several suits so that you don't look like a pauper that only owns one suit! And with several suits comes several hats... natch.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Even a factory workin' schmo like me's got 4 suits! One just won't do!

 

[monbla256]

Though I don't have to wear suits as much in my line of work these days, I still have (and wear) 3 suits, 3 sport jackets (1 blue blazer), 6 slacks and 6 pair of shoes and 4 pair of boots. I have 6 Fedora style of felts, 1 full on Western and 1 Aussie style of fure felt. Also 2 tweed caps, and now a Basque beret. But my main "uniform" these days is jeans, shirt and jacket/coat (in season) w/ a pair of boots and a felt ( or Panama when it is summer) most days with a pair of khakis thrown in the mix for "good" days. The number of fur felts I have is probably my max as I am not really a "collector", but really more of a wearing conoisseur

 

[Jedwbpm]

wearing connesuer

I like that.

Jeff

 

[monbla256]

My bad it should be connoisseur The more I use a 'puter and such, the sloppier my grammar and spelling get

 

[Jedwbpm]

I was not commenting on the spelling I like the phrase.

Jeff

 

[Pompidou]

So you are going to walk into the office day after day wearing the same suit............

If people like Steve Jobs, and jobs like Google continue to become some sort of new era of corporate culture, you might not even need one. Only time will tell. That said, my post was sort of a minimalist, bare bones "how to look good" for the person who has to, but can't afford the world. You're not going to look worse if you own a large variety - not even I would argue that, and I love to argue. I was posting the starting point. Get yourself one suit and a matching hat, and go from there. Thinking about it more though, the ribbing that followed on saying black was right. I'm thinking the guy who can only afford one suit should go grey, and get a similarly conservatively colored fedora.

 

[Machine Ager]

Hi Jeff

A Central Texan has to reply.

My opinion

A Tuxedo for very formal...... I know supposed to be only for white tie BUT a top hat sometimes with it.

3 Gray business suits of varying shades from light to dark my preference all with blue window panes in pattern.

1 Dark Blue herringbone suit for very formal business or if needed funerals

3 Blue blazers from a light country club weight with bright brass to almost black muted brass - this takes you anywhere ....

Less formal 2-4 Sportjackets from blue windowpane light cotton to heavy wool herringbone etc..

Hats: Can you ever have enough still figuring this out.....

In summer here as hot as it gets ....I do like a Western straw or a stingy brim fedora straw

Colder months:
Business dress
Gray classic fedora with black band
Wool stingy brim Gray with blue windowpane pattern fedora

Casual or informal

I like the mix of western and classic styles the brown Indy Jones wide brimed fedora offers.

Someday I will find and buy a Mallory as my wife is from Danbury....

 

[Jedwbpm]

thanks for the reply Ager. My Mother-in-law is from Danbury and my Daughter goes to college there. Most of my Mother's-in-law family worked in the hat industry at one time or another. It is great fun when they get together talking about who had the worst job. "Oh I dream of making felt" and "you Straw people had it easy." My wife's Uncle says he has some hat bodies that he made stashed in his basement. I have to talk him out of those and have them make into hats. he work in hats back in the 40's so you know it has to be good felt if has held up.

Jeff