First corduroy suit, would brown or green be a better choice?

[Sirguywhosmiles]

Unless my eyes or screen are faulty, I see that as a barely green beige.

If you see both of those suits as beige, then yes your eyes or screen are faulty.

 

[JFWR]

If you see both of those suits as beige, then yes your eyes or screen are faulty.

No, I didn't mean the other: that is clearly brown.

This, however, I see not so much as a beige - that was a bad characterization, actually - but as a grey with a very small amount of green in it.

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Almost same colour here.

 

[DorianGreen]

Another great combination of green and blue.

 

[Sirguywhosmiles]

Imo, I think that darker browns look too saturated as a suit and it completely overpowers the outfit, as my suspicions were confirmed looking at the grey fox blog post. It appears too visually overwhelming to me. It may also be the looser cut of his suit, but his shirt and tie are drowning in the cord and it creates an imbalance. Maybe a trimmer fit would allow the shirt/tie to come forward better but I think a lighter color would be much more versatile and visually appealing, as a suit.*

I can kind of see what you mean, but I think it is fine with an unusual suit like that one to have the shirt and tie stand out a bit less. For a mid-gray worsted suit you would want either or both to be more interesting.

I think a darker brown is better for jackets and a lighter brown better for trousers. For a suit I'd want it between them but closer to the ideal jacket shade.
I think the gray fox suit might limit your choice of shoe to the darker shades of brown; that would put me off it more than worrying about the shirt and tie.

 

[classicalthunde]

The jacket is actually quite a great look for an academic or country/rustic look. Or just because it looks really good.

Peter O'Toole agrees:

And Arnold Schwarzenegger:

The biggest concern I have here is only that the green is often out of place in many men's wardrobes due to the dominance of blue in menswear. "Green and blue should never be seen without a colour between" is the minimum amount of isolation, and honestly, if green is in the outfit then blue shouldn't and vice versa - except in specified cases (and Black Watch Tartan looks like pajamas, fight me). This is especially troublesome as you cannot pair green with blue shirts, which means you're stuck with white, pale yellow, pale pink, etc.

Brown doesn't pair well with black, but besides that, it's quite versatile.

I've often thought about getting a corduroy suit even if most of the time it would be broken up into separates. As a full suit, I think it would basically take the spot of a fall/winter version of a casual linen suit. I go back and forth between tan and olive for the ideal color where you could easily break the jacket and trousers into useful separates...here are some that I dig

Alex at The Armoury in Olive:

Robert Redford in tan:

Oscar Isaac in a mid-brown:

My favorite picture of a corduroy suit (color unknown), the results of a late 19th century 'snowball fight' among Princeton students:

 

[Sirguywhosmiles]

I've often thought about getting a corduroy suit even if most of the time it would be broken up into separates. As a full suit, I think it would basically take the spot of a fall/winter version of a casual linen suit. I go back and forth between tan and olive for the ideal color where you could easily break the jacket and trousers into useful separates...here are some that I dig

Alex at The Armoury in Olive:

View attachment 1988547

Robert Redford in tan:

View attachment 1988557

Oscar Isaac in a mid-brown:

View attachment 1988565



My favorite picture of a corduroy suit (color unknown), the results of a late 19th century 'snowball fight' among Princeton students:

View attachment 1988545

Almost exactly what i was thinking, except I prefer a darker brown than tan. Agree that a cord suit would be a seasonal alternative to linen, but I think linen is not as easy to break up. Corduroy suits seem easier to wear than tweed, and linen suits are more interesting than chino-like cotton suits.
I like that armory olive, but I love that princeton picture. The young rich at play, huh?😂

 

[gimpwiz]

Minor off-topic veering: Do you think a light (sand, etc) linen suit is hard to break up? I thought it would be easy enough but I don't own one and have not tried.

 

[Sirguywhosmiles]

Minor off-topic veering: Do you think a light (sand, etc) linen suit is hard to break up? I thought it would be easy enough but I don't own one and have not tried.

I had one years ago, I thought at the time the jacket looked good with jeans if it was sunny/bright but not too hot. Looking at pictures from then now the overall look was a bit too Jeremy Clarkson.

I am sure some of the more advanced dressers here hav done it succesfully. Maybe with white jeans, or brown lightweight wool?
The trousers would look good I think with a lightweight navy jacket.

 

[DorianGreen]

A chestnut colour is both attractive and versatile.

Cesare Attolini DB corduroy suit.

 

[classicalthunde]

Minor off-topic veering: Do you think a light (sand, etc) linen suit is hard to break up? I thought it would be easy enough but I don't own one and have not tried.

I have the DWW summer tweed (silk-linen mix) and I break it up with a pair of grey LP WSL 'summertime' trousers, which has the same kind of pseduo-slubby effect

I think the combo works fairly well, just a question of balancing the shades/tones of tan and grey

 

[Jamesbond1]

Black corduroy safari suit and now Dugdale corduroy suit in the making.

 

[Sirguywhosmiles]

Black corduroy safari suit and now Dugdale corduroy suit in the making. View attachment 1990983 View attachment 1990989

That is...an unusual version of the corduroy suit! Is the dugdale going to be a more conventional suit layout?

 

[Jamesbond1]

That is...an unusual version of the corduroy suit! Is the dugdale going to be a more conventional suit layout?

I prefer casual jackets over formal. The dugdale will be a full canvas jacket but on the casual side. Similiar to my Maison Hellard linen suit.

 

[Sirguywhosmiles]

I vote not getting a corduroy suit at all. A jacket, sure. Corduroy trousers, yes. But a suit? No. And I'm not all that sure about a jacket, frankly.

Why are you unsure about a jacket? Is it perhaps a little wintry a fabric for your neck of the woods?

 

[Jamesbond1]

I vote not getting a corduroy suit at all. A jacket, sure. Corduroy trousers, yes. But a suit? No. And I'm not all that sure about a jacket, frankly.

Why not? I can wear mine as separate so what difference does it make? I do that with my linen suits as well!
I’m a more casual and cold environment I think a cord suit works.