Fresco Suit Battle: "Tobacco" Brown vs. "Wheat" Tan

[J. Cogburn]



While I generally agree that tan is better left to cotton and linen, I think the wheat colour suit in question can work as long as it doesn't pretend to be a casual suit. IMO patch pockets with this colour fresco don't work, but if dressed up with flap pockets and worn with a more formal shirt and tie can work quite well.

This is a gaberdine suit but the colour is very similar:

Agree completely. The tan suit I sport is a classic wool gabardine. I love it. Looks awesome with a white shirt and black tie (knit is best), white shirt and burgundy dot tie, a white or blue shirt with regimental striped tie, or a white shirt with tight blue stripes and foulard tie. Can dress it up or down. Incredibly versatile.

 

[J. Cogburn]

I should clarify why I employ this middling brown suit / navy blazer strategy. I frequently travel on business and have meetings with people I've never met. I don't know what the hell they're going to wear. Sometimes they go conservative business dress. More often, however, they leave their coat hanging and wear a dress shirt and business slacks and half the time, no tie. Almost as often, I'lll run into high level guy (sometimes even the CEO) and he's wearing a polo shirt and chinos. You just never know.

Wear a severe suit in full conservative business dress rig and you're usually overdressed - sometimes terribly so. Wear a standard issue sport coat and you might find yourself underdressed at the exact worst time. So I look for a middle ground that's will be appropriate more often than anything else. Hence, the brown suit or navy blazer / grey trouser strategy.