Ask A Question, Get An Answer... - Post All Quick Questions Here (Classic menswear)

[BigBrownBull]

Didn't post the first time! Thanks for pointing out.

 

[Ich_Dien]



Didn't post the first time!  Thanks for pointing out.

White shirt, black silk knit and black shoes.

Light blue shirt, practically any colour tie and suede shoes / dark dark brown.

Basically just try stay formal enough not to have the "Our man in Havana" sort of louche look.

Remove the belt loops, you shouldn't wear a belt with a suit. Also don't match your pocket square to either your shirt or your tie!

 

[ImTheGroom]

White shirt, black silk knit and black shoes.

Light blue shirt, practically any colour tie and suede shoes / dark dark brown.

Basically just try stay formal enough not to have the "Our man in Havana" sort of louche look.

Remove the belt loops, you shouldn't wear a belt with a suit. Also don't match your pocket square to either your shirt or your tie!

I like the look of matching to the shirt - though a border on the pocket square makes it work better. But don't match it to the tie, I agree. I second the suggestions above, and would add that I think that might be one of the rare suits that would work with an OCBD. Can't say for sure from just the sleeve, but I really like the fabric; nice pick up! Wear it in good health.

 

[velomatt]

I don't wear suits very frequently and my casual footwear stable is looking like it needs a big time refresh. I'd like to hear what you all consider to be footwear staples outside of pure office/dress.

I've put together this graphic to show what I have in mind. Is there anything that I'm missing?

 

[bradp]

^loafers

 

[BigBrownBull]

Thanks for the tips guys. Few questions:
1. Remove the belt loops ... Really? What about a matching belt with the shoes. I've been wearing suits for 18 years and never removed the loops. But maybe this fabric might make it work
2. Does a black silk knot tie work in summer? Would a cotton tie not work better with black shoes?
3. Is it okay if the dark brown shoes are leather oxfords? Don't want to spend in suesse just now!
You're right about never matching the square to the tie, but maybe matching to the shirt if it's a lighter or darker shade may work right?
The suit that's leading to all these questions is an Armani Collezioni that Insaw at Saks for $1,800 but got on clearance at the outlet for $400! In my 42R size so quite stoked!
Thanks again.

 

[ImTheGroom]

Thanks for the tips guys. Few questions:
1. Remove the belt loops ... Really? What about a matching belt with the shoes. I've been wearing suits for 18 years and never removed the loops. But maybe this fabric might make it work
2. Does a black silk knot tie work in summer? Would a cotton tie not work better with black shoes?
3. Is it okay if the dark brown shoes are leather oxfords? Don't want to spend in suesse just now!
You're right about never matching the square to the tie, but maybe matching to the shirt if it's a lighter or darker shade may work right?
The suit that's leading to all these questions is an Armani Collezioni that Insaw at Saks for $1,800 but got on clearance at the outlet for $400! In my 42R size so quite stoked!
Thanks again.

Can't see a reason not to wear brown Oxfords with pretty much any suit. I think that suit lends itself to no belt loops, but I don't think a belt is wrong, at all. If you remove the belt loops, you either need to wear suspenders, or get side tabs put on, or have some other way to ensure a very snug fit at the waist, such as making the trousers quite tight at the waist. People wear belts with suits all the time (including many, many posters on this forum with better style than mine) so there is no rule against it. Do as you please in that regard.

 

[ter1413]

Don't remove the belt loops unless you have a perfect fit or plan to wear braces or get tabs on the side as stated above.
None of my suit pants have belt loops. All have side tabs. Personal preference. Matching belt to shoes is only relevant If you have belt loops.

 

[BD22]

Perc (AKA perchloroethylene, tetrachloroethene) is widely decried as the hallmark of a dry cleaner who neglects the health of his employees and environment. I've read enough to buy this general consensus and have chosen cleaners who use silicon-based solvents for the past two years.

However, I've recently moved and the most recommended (by local tailors, high-end retailers, and Yelpers) cleaner in the area uses perc. His argument, and the argument of other perc proponents is that the solvent, while admittedly bad for the environment and health, is the best option for mens wool tailoring because 1) it's the strongest solvent for hydrophobic stains and 2) it retains the "body" of the suit by leaving the fabric stiff.

I've read through the twenty or so posts available on SF w/r/t to dry cleaning, theposts Mr. Bloom (stubloom on SF) posts on his blog, and various mostly small-sample studies by consumer advocacy (e.g. Consumer Report 2003) andenvironmental protection agencies and have been able to collect six anecdotal accounts (i.e. descriptions of actual visits to the cleaner) of the difference between silicon-based and hydrocarbon-based solvents. In terms of the effect of the fabric (notwithstanding those on health or the environment) they don't point in favor of either. Some do indeed dislike the feel of fabrics after silicon treatments, but others notice excessive fraying after washing with perc. All of these observations, of course, may not be directly attributable to the solvents used.

High-end cleaners seem to disagree as well. Mr. Bloom of Rave Fabricare stands clearly against perc while services like Madam Paulette (not necessarily, I understand, the best that NYC has to offer in terms of cleaning) and reputable cleaners in my area have decided not to transition out of perc.

I understand that these two solvents do not exhaust the range of dry cleaning methods. I'm not considering the alternatives because wet-cleaning tends to distort the shape of wool items and there are no liquid CO2 (or any other type of fancy) cleaners in my area.

I'm hoping to gather some more testimonials from those who have consciously compared the effect of the two categories of solvents on their dry cleaning.

 

[eaglescream]

Please help me to decide whether I should pick the Ludlow 36s blazer or 38S. odd=36s, even=38s.
Please ignore the sleeve length. I need to shorten almost all sleeves of my jackets. Thank you!

 

[bradp]

Got this zegna sc from spoo on eBay recently. Just out of curiosity, is this a roped shoulder?

 

[cptjeff]



[COLOR=222222]Please help me to decide whether I should pick the Ludlow 36s blazer or 38S. odd=36s, even=38s. [/COLOR] [COLOR=222222] Please ignore the sleeve length. I need to shorten [COLOR=222222]almost all sleeves of my jackets. Thank you![/COLOR]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

[/COLOR]

The 38S looks like a better fit to me.

 

[rjonea]

I saw a pair of Florsheim Imperial gunboats with the V cleat today that i thought about picking up and was wondering how to tell if they were the older model. It had the Florsheim Imperial in an oval on the inside wall of the shoe, if that makes sense. Also, around how much do you think it would cost to have these re-soled?

 

[SartorialTaste]

Hello,

I designed/ bought these MTM shirts to be worn with odd trousers/ odd trousers+ odd jacket combo. Now I am worrying whether the choice of fabric is too formal for the button down collar (whether I mis-designed the shirts). I've been told by a member that these are made of broadcloth and I have seen companies make broadcloth button down collar shirt (Brooks for example). I have also seen striped button down collar shirt. The question is that whether I designed the shirts correctly and whether I can wear them with odd trousers/ odd jacket? Thank you for your time.

-ST

 

[Spurious]

No, those are perfectly fine for casual button down shirts, got plenty of striped shirts in all stripe widths as button downs. Plenty of people wear BD shirts with ties as well. You are absolutely fine mate.