Trends in suits

[thedonger]

Hey, put aside your thoughts on t-shirts, sneakers, and selvage for the moment and talk about some grown man sh*t! I know you fashionable mofos rock suits once in awhile..

What are your thoughts on American vs. European cut suits?

Double vents vs. Single vents vs. no vents?

Cuffs vs. No Cuffs?

Pleats vs. No Pleats?

Pinstripes vs. None

Favorite brands/Affordable yet stylish brands

I'm particular interested in suiting options for height challenged men (I'm 5'8"). Does the rule that the suit jacket fall below just the tip of the thumb apply? Should shorter dudes wear cuffs or no cuff slacks? Pleats or no pleats...

[knewnan]

It doesn't matter if you are short or tall cuffs and pleats are lame.... steer clear. I would stick with two or three button single breasted. I like pinstripes if they are thick and an interesting/contrasting color.

Canali and Ted Baker make nice affordable suits.

[themdouble]

Affordable:

Brooks Brothers

&:

Double vents with three buttons

Single vents with two buttons

No vents never (unless maybe a Winter wool?)

1 1/2 cuff with pleated pants

No cuff with flat front pants

A classic suit IMO would be dark & combine a three button two vented slightly taliored jacket

with a two pleat (one dominate) straight pant that has a 1 1/2 inch cuff.

throw in a spread coller french cuff shirt that is not a solid color with a tie bold enough to separate

itself from said amazing shirt & your as good as Derick Watkins or Alexander McQeen could ever dream!

-Dub

[themdouble]

^ knewman.... wrong!

True on the never do a double breasted jacket but don't be scared to do pleats & cuffs.

I was for 20 years & its just plain narrow minded!

-Dub

[darknworn]

personally, i like the euro style natural shouldered slim fit suite. i'm a slim guy so this works well for me.

double vents, high lapels, plain front trousers and no cuffs

wool fabrics, dark colors, no stripes (or very subtle ones)

the rule of thumb is, so to speak, for the jacket to fall enough to cover your bum. for me, this falls to about the middle knuckle of my thumb. there're no exact rules because everyone has a different body shape. stick to the bum rule and you'll be fine.

you should only get cuffs if your trousers are pleated. plain front, no cuffs. plain front gives the appearance of youth and modern. pleats give you more room to move, but i don't like the look. i like the minimalist approach to my clothing.

a classic book on suitings is: style and the man by alan flusser.

"God is Dead" - Neitzsche

"Neitzsche is Dead" - God

[darknworn]

if you're a bit on the short side, go with 2 buttons unless the jacket has a really high lapel.

"God is Dead" - Neitzsche

"Neitzsche is Dead" - God

[knewnan]

themdouble, if you have been thinking about cuffs for 20 years you are old enough to want them.

[emrinder]

Quote:

themdouble, if you have been thinking about cuffs for 20 years you are old enough to want them.

--- Original message by knewnan on Jul 20, 2005 03:48 PM

youre a witty bastard..

you know you have to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues

[Cue]

I'm 5'8", have two suits, one summer weight ted baker which is ace - highly recommended

no pleats, no cuffs, double vent, very fine pin stripe

and a ysl grey wool that is good for winter.

def go for a european slim cut

imo other cuts look way too 'boxy'

suits should look classic - it's the way to go

[Yakboy Equals Nurturer]

American cut suits seem more 'businesslike' to me these days, so that's what I go for for work (English cut business suits seem a little too dressy / old-fashioned and Italian business suits more suited to my dad). A bit boring I guess, but I work in finance so it's pretty much par for the course. I prefer European suits for non-work suit wearing thought. There's a lot to choose from, but I really like Dries Van Noten's stuff...kind of looks like a mix of English from the 20s with Italian 80s.

I generally go for three button single breasted. Preferably with a double vent but a single is OK. Flat front pants with no cuff and a long break by preference, have older suits with pleated pants that have a 1.5 inch cuff and a medium break though. Dark colours: solid black or charcoal, although dark navy or a subtle pinstripe works too. I can never bring myself to wear brown or beige, even in shitty NYC humidity.

Quote: Should shorter dudes wear cuffs or no cuff slacks? Pleats or no pleats..

No cuff and a medium break make you appear taller, and no cuffs works better with flat front pants.

[darkanimal]

I'm about to have a suit custom tailored, and I am going for that slim look. My question is, if I go for the short blazer look, will it make me look shorter? I am about 5'8 like some of guys here who posted. I'm talking about those blazers where the tail just ends a tad below the belt line. Any opinions much appreciated.

[benhundreds]

i like...

3 button suits (2 button is weak and 4 or more buttons is fuckin wack!)

no pleats with no cuffs for my slacks.

one or two vent in the back...it doesnt really matter.

pinstripes are cool...but you've got to have a few solids in your suit collection also.

euro cut suits are better...i just wish they would fit boys with bellys

www.thehundreds.com

Edited by benhundreds on Jul 20, 2005 at 09:36 PM

[darknworn]

if you get a jacket that's too short, it'll cut your body in half. looks kinda funny in my opinion.

"God is Dead" - Neitzsche

"Neitzsche is Dead" - God

[jaku]

my thing is where the lapel notch is. If too low, doesnt looks 90's (Bill Clinton's presidential suits). notch should be very high meeting up with shirt collar.

[Fuuma]

Saying that's innapropriate for a business environment is an understatement. I dunno what you'll use it for but aside from going out (and looking like you bought a kid's suit) this won't get much use....

[wild_whiskey]

There's nothing wrong with a slim, short-cut suit jacket, but it's gotta work for you. If you have to ask, it probably won't work for you. You can't look uneasy in your clothing.

[leviathan]

Keep it classic, and English.

Basically:-

Single breasted

Two vents

One or two button

Flat front rousers with no belt loops (tab adjusters sides is better)

Jacket should fall at side to rest exactly on your cupped hands

Charcoal or navy or navy pisntripe.

Can't go wrong!

[fredfred]

hear, hear Leviathan...

When the world zigs, zag!

[kiteless]

if we're talking broader terms, double vent, single or two buttoned, no pleats, thin lapels and shorter jackets (ending just above your knuckles or crotch) have been the rules of the game i suppose for the past two seasons. folded/cuffed legs have been out for the last ten years or so.

as long as we are talking about serious craftsmen, and not some sports brand or a franchise chunking out a matching jacket and a trouser, you'll find little difference between US and Europe. few minor variations as american men tend to prefer shorter sleeves (up to an inch of the shirt showing) while classic savile row says 3/8 in. something about wall street people showing off their ego on their left wrist.

i'm something of a shortie myself (5'10") and i always make sure to have a jacket that's not too long or too much room around its waist. having a couple of pinstripes (fine and no wide patterns) will also help you look taller by tromp l'oeil. also, remember that a double breasted will make you look 'square' and compact - though, they're really coming back.

if you're new to buying suits (hey, we all need to learn to walk before running) ask yourself for how many years you want to be wearing it - if you plan to wear it for more than a year, go for a black/grey/darkblue single breasted with a decent fit. look at the material - safe bets like super 100 wool will last the years to come. i'd say you need 3-4 suits to make a decent wardrobe in the beginning - formal/casual for each season, or think one dark summer formal in light material, one black or pinstripe and one casual. oh and don't forget, nobody under the age of 35 should wear a seersucker. whatever the guy in the brooks brother store is telling you.

without sounding too patronising, i suggest you wear off the peg suits for a few years to figure out and learn how you'd like the suits to fit before you get yourself a tailor and go for bespoke. it's a whole new chapter and a realm of its own for you to discover. to be frank, going to a savile row tailor paying 1500 USD for a suit before your know your proportions and understand the options at hand is a waste. However, there are other alternatives. some designers and houses offer made to measure (from mainstream traditionalists like gieves & hawkes in the UK, Paul Smith at Westbourne House or the edgier Seize Sur Vingt in NY) which will give you a suit made from ten or so different measurements or pre-set fabrics rather than the fully tailor-made bespoke options.

as for names, every suits i've bought for the last two years all come from jil sander (who have a tailor made collection sewn by hand with fantastic fits) except from a helmut lang pinstripe - the best bargain i ever done in my life, from bloomingdales' sale last xmas. i suspect though i won't be buying from either of them again as they probably won't make the transition of the designer walking out of her/his own firm. Very unfortunate.

Edited by kiteless on Jul 21, 2005 at 04:02 PM