10 suit wardrobe - Page 6

I have been dumping my RTW and converting to bespoke over the past year or so , so the ten suit wardrobe has been on my mind. But rather than just a top ten, I plan on buying an average of 4 bespoke items per year for the next ten years or so (and I'm ahead of schedule). That's 40 items. Seems like a lot but it adds up quickly. Obviously, it won't all be suits but hopefully a well thought out, full service wardrobe that works in any situation that comes up. So, I won't hijack this thread but I will put down what I've done so far and ask for input on the next purchases.

Already have:

SB 3 roll 2 Navy blue pin dot that resolves to solid (and a softer blue) a few feet away - mid weight
SB 3 roll 2 Mid-gray sharkskin - mid weight
Sb 3 roll 2 Fresco (ish) - forget the actual cloth - blue blazer suit - mid wieght
DB Navy blue hopsack - mid weight

In the works:

SB 3 roll 2 light gray hopsack - mid weight
SB mid blue (with some gray in there) typical weave - mid weight
SB mid-night blue tux with vest
Carmel color db overcoat

Non suit stuff:

SB 3 roll 2 (3 patch pockets) brown (melange) flannel
mid-weight gray hopsack trousers
heavy weight pearl gray flannel trousers
heavy weight mid gray flannel trousers
light weight wool light gray trousers
light weight wool tannish trousers

I think the non-suit stuff comes into play to have a complete wardrobe but, that said, I will shortly have 6 suits in rotation, all med-weight. But, what do I buy next. Saw some of the London Lounge linens yesterday that looked really good and it would be fun to branch out from the mid-weights. Let me know your comments on what I have and what I should get.

Cheers,

Rob

I bought about 5 mid weight stuff and then started to go for more seasonal cloth for winter and summer. Mid weight suiting is ok for everything, but perfect for nothing, imo.

I find the mid-weights pretty versatile. I only have a short walk from house to garage and parking lot to office. Once there, it's comfortable. I might lean to adding some summer weight/fabrics since the muggy midwest summers are the thing I dread most. If I after time, I have 20 suite, perhaps half mid-weight, and the rest split between winter and summer weights.

Thanks.

I like about the really heavy stuff is that you don't really have to wear a coat on some days if you re not traveling around outside very far. Also, they look amazing.

This is exactly my approach and I live in NYC. Most of my suits are made from Harrisons 11-12 oz or Smith Woollens/Lesser 13 oz, but I do have 2 made from Minnis Fresco. I could easily wear the heavier ones year round and do wear them on some hot days. I don't really overheat that much, and just strongly prefer the look and feel of nice worsted cloth. Looks more modern and unfussy to me. Have thought about flannel but not really a fan of the rumpled appearance you get after a while, with creases/shaping falling out.

Also, it's incorrect to say that 11-13 oz worsted invariably looks autumnal. There is a wide range of surface finishes available for worsted cloth - hairy/fuzzy (some twills and hopsacks), tough/hard (sharkskin and other hopsacks), or smooth/light (plain weave).

I have never experienced a rumpled look with flannel, quite the contrary actually.

It was not my intention to seem determined, would you suggest continuing with navy and charcoal solids for a while longer?

I am thinking in terms of very basic. For example, if you were to go on a conservative job interview tomorrow what would you wear? I wouldn't wear anything from what you have listed there.

There's a navy solid on his list, that doesn't count?

Is there? Missed it. Still you need more than one basic, I say charcoal gab or serge for the 2nd interview.

Working off this list...second on the list is a navy solid. Mid-grey birdseye is close enough to solid to work for a second interview. Or just wear the navy again. Not that a charcoal would be a bad idea, but I don't think another solid is absolutely required.

I want to thank you both for discussing my situation. Patrick, I will definetly look into adding more solids- Unbel, what would you suggest?

You seem to have no flannel, which to me is an oversight. I'd suggest a mid-grey flannel for you. Or perhaps if you have occasion for a more countrified suit, a brown PoW.

Again, I am sorry for the incomplete information I have provided. In fact, five of my suits are flannel (both grey "solids", the herringbone and blue DBs and the black and white plaid), this is Norway after all!

How dark is the navy solid? Does it have peak lapels? Do your suit wearing situations allow or something more countrified like a donegal or big windowpane?