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conservative business dress WAYWRN: An Experiment

ManofKent

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Originally Posted by Manton
Sigh.

I hate to explain jokes but ... the original conservative business dress threads were ... jokes! Everyone has forgottent the troll Kasper/Joseph K. Bank. But he was prolific at the time and the threads were inspired by his schtick.

This thread is not a joke, or at least not intented to be. I really did wear this to work. I work in a conservative place. Suit & tie every day. No casual Friday. My boss even wears his jacket in the office. I never see odd jackets on people on my floor. (People visiting are another story.)

So, yes, this about "conservative business dress" but it's also about what you can do to conservative business dress without straying from the straight and narrow.

Or, at least, it's about what I do.


Interesting thread - I like the concept, and a challenging first post. I confess I would never have considered brown pebble-grain with an office suit, only with a country suit. Brown oxfords, or black derbies I would have considered fair moves from the past conventions, but these surprised me.


Originally Posted by onix
I really want to hear what Manton has to say about the current submissions. I still only half understand his concept and perspective on conservative business dress.

+1

Checked suits, brown suits? I'm interested in where this thread goes.
 

maomao1980

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I can't be bothered taking a new photo yet, so here is an old photo once posted here. perhaps some old timers will recognize.

PC154087.jpg


LP wool/linen
Bespoke shirt
Forgotten brand tie

the non-conservative business dress element is a pair of shell loafers worn without socks.
 

fritzl

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Originally Posted by Manton
Shoes & socks:

p1030633.jpg


oops, i don't remember that i sent you a pair of shoes...
biggrin.gif
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by Slewfoot
I'll play...something I wore recently...the marks on the mirror are from that distressed "bistro style" type glass...critique away...already know Foo's feelings on the white linen square. :^)

IMG00018-20110119-1344.jpg

This is very good.

I have gotten DB shy lately. The two that I will wear are a gray flannel in about that shade and a navy. I actually have two of the latter, in different shades. I am the only person I have yet seen in my my entire office ever to wear DB. Yet I feel that those two are subdued enough that it's OK.

Originally Posted by mafoofan
Too many solids.
No, it looks good. Three solids is an enduring classic that is never wrong.

Originally Posted by mafoofan
Silk is rebellious? I almost exclusively wear silk squares.

Originally Posted by Eustace Tilley
You've probably discussed this elsewhere, but why no linen? I probably wear linen squares 8 out of 10 days.
I wear silk with a woolen tie always, and in fall winter, most of the time. Linen is more for spring summer for me. Foo's dislike of white linent makes no sense to me.

It looks like Slew tried to fold his in a puff, which I would not recommend.
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by MBreinin
This is the fit I caught flack for in terms of the cashmere tie not being conservative business dress.

SFApproved-1.JPG

SFApproved-3.JPG


That's a great tie. Fit of the coat looks a bit off.

I think the narrow guage of the stripes on the shirt and suit are too close. If you are going to shoot for three patterns, either one has to be almost imperceptible or else the scale of the two should be radically different.

For me, a two stripe ensemble almost demands a solid tie. This comes off as too many lines. When mixing three patterns, I would make the tie a dot or a neat of some kind.

Finally, if you are going to go more or less monochromatic with the main elements (nothing wrong with that), it's best to throw some color into the sqaure. Also, always silk with a woolen tie.
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by gdl203
conservative business dress when it got really
cold[1].gif


IMG01036-20110208-0945.jpg



Please do notice how the tie's background picks up the the color of the
cold[1].gif


teacha.gif


I have a vest a lot like that. I have not worn it to the office in a long time. Not sure why. I used to. Maybe it's because this year I got a heavy OC and that took care of the cold.

We'll see if I crack that out next year. For weekends with an odd jacket, a sweater vest in winter is something I wear a lot.
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by Mr. Moo
What does the thread think?

24wfwhy.jpg


Surprisingly good. I would fold the square to show more brown and less white, and also cram it down a bit more.
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by maomao1980
I can't be bothered taking a new photo yet, so here is an old photo once posted here. perhaps some old timers will recognize.

PC154087.jpg


LP wool/linen
Bespoke shirt
Forgotten brand tie

the non-conservative business dress element is a pair of shell loafers worn without socks.


This is great, but socks are required. Also, I have never gotten over, and probably never will, my phobia of loafers with suits.
 

Thanks SF (a new me)

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Kaplan

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Originally Posted by maomao1980
I can't be bothered taking a new photo yet, so here is an old photo once posted here. perhaps some old timers will recognize.

I think I remember this - did one of the accompanying shots feature a glass of champagne?

It looks good. I like the blue on blue on blue.
 

TheFoo

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Originally Posted by Manton
No, it looks good. Three solids is an enduring classic that is never wrong.
"Never" is a strong word. Even if it's possible for an all-solid outfit to look good, you still have to carefully coordinate the pieces so that they form a cohesive aesthetic whole. The particular outfit in question does not achieve that. Each solid is completely unrelated to the others.
Originally Posted by Manton
Foo's dislike of white linent makes no sense to me.
I'm next level. Actually, it's not white linen I dislike. I dislike non-white linen. I just think white linen is far less optimal than commonly accepted.
 

Manton

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Originally Posted by mafoofan
"Never" is a strong word. Even if is possible for an all-solid outfit to look good, you still have to carefully coordinate the pieces so that they form a cohesive aesthetic whole. The particular outfit in question does not achieve that. Each solid is completely unrelated to the others.
?

Gray suit + blue shirt is "unrelated" yet nice. Similarly, a maroon tie goes with both. I don't think that's really disputable.
 

maomao1980

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Originally Posted by Thanks SF (a new me)
...per maomao1980's pic for example, and replacing the shirt with something like this http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatP...=&sectionsize=
or should I stay with solid? Thanks..


for conservative business dress, the suit has enough surface interest (wool/linen blend, faint herringbone), a solid shirt would be more ideal.
 

james_timothy

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Originally Posted by Manton
The idea is to show what conservative business dress is, how it can be bent, and -- crucially -- what the old-timers, or at least me, mean by "classic style."

Originally Posted by gdl203
II thought the point of the thread was to show conservative business dress and ways one can deviate from the C part to a certain extent. I mean, the OP is quite indicative of this idea. Cashmere tie, pebblegrain bluchers.

I hope people remember this. I'm interested in what the long-termers gut feelings tell them they can and can't get away with. That has got to take a lot of repetitions, so I hope this thread has legs.

My favorite (besides MaoMao's, but that is almost cheating) is Slewfoot's, just because it seems so soporific but it is double breasted. Manton's reaction is great: "db-shy lately", which I read as: good but right at one edge.
 

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