Suit Jacket & Shorts? No thanks!

Very amusing and funny story in the Wall Street Journal (starts on front page, human interest column) today and Andy Gilchrist is quoted.

It talks about how all the designers are trying to start a trend for suit/sports coats and matching shorts for a more dressier casual wear in the spring. Many designers have apparently shown this on the cat walk.

I have three conclusions:

1. Designers are out of touch with Main Street. What will work in Paris and New York won't fly in Dallas and Atlanta.

2. The fashion industry is increasingly desperate to invent things to make up for the shortfall in sales of tailored clothing.

3. My legs are not very pretty and I suspect I am not alone. Who wants to see that? This may work somewhat on the metrosexual body but what about the other 95% of us?

I smell a huge flop that gets laughed at in two years.

I agree with you. You'd think they would have learned by now that it doesn't work. Speaking of Prada on another thread, I remember them doing this in a techno-fabric suit in S/S 1999. It didnt' fly then, either, even though the shorts and suit were made by Belvest and fully canvassed.

John

I think it is ridiculous look. Thom Browne did this with his last collection. I distinctly remember seeing pictures of guys ice skating wearing suits with shorts. By the by, his "suit" shorts were about $800.

Look for the $89 suit clearance next year on STP...

Shoot, by all accounts I have great legs, and there's no way in hell I'd sport a suit coat and pair of matching shorts. I considered trying to put a sport coat on with a pair of khakis once...once.

Shorts then beg the question about socks and shoes - what do you wear then? Ankle socks and Sambas?

I can't make that many decisions in the morning!!!

1 - I dressed my sons in suits with shorts - when they were 3 and still looked good in Eton collars! I'm sure most of you sported that look at that age too, and looked pretty spiffy doing it. They wore high white knee socks with black and white saddle shoes, in case you are wondering! Most grown men don't aspire to mimic the fashion trends of toddlers!

2 - I attended a summer wedding in Bermuda in 1978 and all the men wore blazers, knee socks, dress shoes and, of course, Bermuda shorts. Even though every man there was dressed that way, I still thought it looked incredibly odd and really bad. If it were a good look, it wouldn't be confined to a tiny island!

Why couldn't they just push the blazer and jeans look?

Why couldn't they just push the blazer and jeans look?

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That's a very good question..maybe those shorts are more expensive/higher margin.

Hmmm, maybe this is why there are so many $300 jeans. I wore $27 Levis today and they were quite comfy.

If I were the clothing biz, I would promote more dressy clothing for more occasions but stay away from such fringe metrosexual type fashions. I think maybe you can do more sportcoat/no tie looks and be successful.

At a certain point, many high-end designers do not care what the mainstream wears. However, what they sell in the stores usually indicate the backers do.

Businessmen in Bermuda all wear that outfit.

Originally Posted by josepidal

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Why couldn't they just push the blazer and jeans look?

Because then the suit designers would have to design jeans.

In either case they would lose the revenues from the market segment that is crying out for the matching suit/short combo.

The other thing is that most designers utilize seasonal offerings to "experiment" with new ideas and styles. Some of them work, many don't. But, it doesn't mean that they shouldn't try. Quite frankly, even though I'd never wear it, I'm still glad that they're trying new things. Seeing the same five shirts, five jackets, five pants, five shoes from a designer year in, year out... perhaps a new fabric thrown in every two or three years, gets a little boring. Classic, timeless styles (or those that sell a lot) will be carried over and those ideas that don't work will be dropped.

For my earlier Prada example, s/s 1999's suits and shorts (I think they also offered a suit and capri pant) weren't carried over every other season. But, the classic 3 button navy in a slim cut techno fabric was.

Originally Posted by Chicago

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Shoot, by all accounts I have great legs, and there's no way in hell I'd sport a suit coat and pair of matching shorts. I considered trying to put a sport coat on with a pair of khakis once...once.
What's wrong with khakis? You mean khaki shorts?

It is a silly look, but i don't think it is new. I have a book from the president of Zegna that shows that look through out the years and looks dumb no matter whom is wearing it.