NEW MEMBER INQUIRIES & QUICK QUESTIONS- CLASSIC MENSWEAR: WK OF MAR 9, 2015

Murlsquirl · Mar 9, 2015

New SF member and not sure where to find the answer you're looking for? Have a quick question that doesn't belong in a current thread? Welcome, you found the right place.

This is a new weekly thread where new and old users alike can ask a quick question and get a solid answer. If a thread already exists that would be more helpful, we will point you in the right direction. The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked.....so ask away!

canali · Mar 9, 2015

hi there

mid aged guy here.

trying to get back into wearing my nice
threads once more after losing 50 lbs.

here is the gig;
i have some nice threads
from about 7-8 yrs ago: canali, zegna vestimenta
all from reputable places ie harry rosen, in short versions
since i'm 5'6''.
...the styles were still tapered nicely...but nothing like today's lines
which higher and slimmer cuts

the jackets i have, for example, are longer by a good 2-3 inches vs today's styles.

i went to see a very reputable 'oakridge tailors' here in vancouver bc
(so far have only brought in my sport jackets)
and after trying them on, the only thing he recommended was slimming
the arms a bit, since he felt that the body fit very well....and you can't really
shorten them as the pockets will sit weirdly.

haven't brought in my handful of suits yet.

keeping up with styles can sure be $$$$ if you are not careful.

...so toss 'em or buy new and /or have 'made to measure' done
by a popular blair shapera here in vancouver bc
but again that is the much more $$$ way
thanks for any helpful feedback

Imtiaze Shamim · Mar 9, 2015

Dear Friends,

Is it wise to use leather conditioner in shoe sole? Can natural wax polish can be applied in the sole?

Murlsquirl · Mar 9, 2015

canali said:
hi there mid aged guy here. trying to get back into wearing my nice threads once more after losing 50 lbs. here is the gig; i have some nice threads from about 7-8 yrs ago: canali, zegna vestimenta all from reputable places ie harry rosen, in short versions since i'm 5'6''. ...the styles were still tapered nicely...but nothing like today's lines which higher and slimmer cuts the jackets i have, for example, are longer by a good 2-3 inches vs today's styles . i went to see a very reputable 'oakridge tailors' here in vancouver bc (so far have only brought in my sport jackets) and after trying them on, the only thing he recommended was slimming the arms a bit, since he felt that the body fit very well....and you can't really shorten them as the pockets will sit weirdly. haven't brought in my handful of suits yet. keeping up with styles can sure be $$$$ if you are not careful. ...so toss 'em or buy new and /or have 'made to measure' done by a popular blair shapera here in vancouver bc but again that is the much more $$$ way thanks for any helpful feedback

Hey Canali, would love to help but we need some pictures! I wouldn't feel comforabtle saying toss or keep without seeing them first.

Imtiaze Shamim said:
Dear Friends, Is it wise to use leather conditioner in shoe sole? Can natural wax polish can be applied in the sole?

You can use Saphir Renovateur. It works great. Hundreds of pages of shoe care techniques and discussion can be found here: http://www.styleforum.net/t/228153/the-official-shoe-care-thread-tutorials-photos-etc

zsmith95 · Mar 9, 2015

Though I am in college, I will be going to prom with my girlfriend this year, and decided to try to assemble my own tuxedo for around the price of renting. I ordered a Brooks Brothers shawl collar tux off the 'Bay for $26 shipped (I really would've preferred peak lapels, but oh well). The jacket fits and looks great, but the pants were just plain black trousers with a strange weave that didn't come close to matching. the seller gave me a $10 refund, so I paid $16 for a dinner jacket. The only thing now is finding pants that match. BB wants $300 for a pair of tux pants, which definitely isn't happening. Would most any pair of black wool tuxedo pants match well enough, or am I screwed? Also, I would like a few opinions on the jacket. The pockets have flaps, which I was just gonna tuck in, but would it be better to have them taken off? There are no buttons on the sleeves, and the button on the front is just an ugly plastic thing, should I have satin covered buttons added to the sleeve and replace the main button with one as well? It also has a center vent, should I have it sewn closed or leave it? And finally, I thought about having a boutonniere hole put in the lapel, but I know its not as common on shawl collars, but I don't know if there is a general consensus on how acceptable it is. As far as the rest of the ensemble, I plan on getting a Marcella shirt from TM Lewin, cheap studs and cuff links from eBay, a cummerbund from eBay (went with the cheapest non-polyester one I could find), a silk white paisley pocket square, some cool black silk suspenders with white dots, and I'm contemplating a black velvet bow tie, but I may just stick with a classic satin one. Sadly for shoes I cannot afford any new shoes right now so I'll have to stick with my horrendous black loafers that I've owned forever. Its a shame, but I doubt any the hicks at prom will notice that I don't have patent oxfords or formal pumps, so I can live with it. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I will end up with a decent base to build off of, and replace pieces with ones of higher quality as I can afford it.

Break down of cost:
Jacket- $16
Pants- ?
Shirt- $75
Studs/cuff links- $5
Cummerbund- $15
Suspenders $15
Pocket square- $5
Bow tie- free if I have my mother make one for me
Tailoring- ~$60ish?

Feel free to offer any suggestions or tell me I'm wasting my money any should just rent until I can afford to do it right.

canali · Mar 9, 2015

thanks...once i pick 'em up, i'll take some pics
cheers

GBR · Mar 9, 2015

zsmith95 said:
Though I am in college, I will be going to prom with my girlfriend this year, and decided to try to assemble my own tuxedo for around the price of renting. I ordered a Brooks Brothers shawl collar tux off the 'Bay for $26 shipped (I really would've preferred peak lapels, but oh well). The jacket fits and looks great, but the pants were just plain black trousers with a strange weave that didn't come close to matching. the seller gave me a $10 refund, so I paid $16 for a dinner jacket. The only thing now is finding pants that match. BB wants $300 for a pair of tux pants, which definitely isn't happening. Would most any pair of black wool tuxedo pants match well enough, or am I screwed? Also, I would like a few opinions on the jacket. The pockets have flaps, which I was just gonna tuck in, but would it be better to have them taken off? There are no buttons on the sleeves, and the button on the front is just an ugly plastic thing, should I have satin covered buttons added to the sleeve and replace the main button with one as well? It also has a center vent, should I have it sewn closed or leave it? And finally, I thought about having a boutonniere hole put in the lapel, but I know its not as common on shawl collars, but I don't know if there is a general consensus on how acceptable it is. As far as the rest of the ensemble, I plan on getting a Marcella shirt from TM Lewin, cheap studs and cuff links from eBay, a cummerbund from eBay (went with the cheapest non-polyester one I could find), a silk white paisley pocket square, some cool black silk suspenders with white dots, and I'm contemplating a black velvet bow tie, but I may just stick with a classic satin one. Sadly for shoes I cannot afford any new shoes right now so I'll have to stick with my horrendous black loafers that I've owned forever. Its a shame, but I doubt any the hicks at prom will notice that I don't have patent oxfords or formal pumps, so I can live with it. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I will end up with a decent base to build off of, and replace pieces with ones of higher quality as I can afford it.

Break down of cost:
Jacket- $16
Pants- ?
Shirt- $75
Studs/cuff links- $5
Cummerbund- $15
Suspenders $15
Pocket square- $5
Bow tie- free if I have my mother make one for me
Tailoring- ~$60ish?

Feel free to offer any suggestions or tell me I'm wasting my money any should just rent until I can afford to do it right.

You need to get the basics right: There are so many shades of back that getting a match is night impossible unless a bolt of the original cloth is to be found. Wearing ill-matched trousers and coat is a huge no. You would be better to hire than go to this event looking like a scare crow.

zsmith95 · Mar 9, 2015

So would I just be better off returning it and getting a full refund and keep looking?

Murlsquirl · Mar 9, 2015

zsmith95 said:
So would I just be better off returning it and getting a full refund and keep looking?

Welcome to the forum, Z. Please don't wear loafers with a tuxedo...I'm begging you. Is there any reason you have to wear a tuxedo? Could you just return what you have a find a nice midnight navy suit on eBay?

zsmith95 · Mar 9, 2015

Would it really be that horrible to wear them to prom? Considering most other kids will probably be at best in two button notch lapel jackets with bow ties and vests that match their date's dress or at worst a metallic silver "tux", it seems like wearing the wrong shoes would be the least of offenses. If it were any other formal event I would cringe at the idea of loafers with the tuxedo, but for this situation I feel like it's an acceptable compromise. And if you took a blurry picture of them and squinted so much that your eyes were almost closed they could almost pass for formal pumps. Honestly I'd rather wear a tux with everything correct except the shoes than wear a boring suit with the same ugly shoes.

Murlsquirl · Mar 9, 2015

zsmith95 said:
Would it really be that horrible to wear them to prom? Considering most other kids will probably be at best in two button notch lapel jackets with bow ties and vests that match their date's dress or at worst a metallic silver "tux", it seems like wearing the wrong shoes would be the least of offenses. If it were any other formal event I would cringe at the idea of loafers with the tuxedo, but for this situation I feel like it's an acceptable compromise. And if you took a blurry picture of them and squinted so much that your eyes were almost closed they could almost pass for formal pumps. Honestly I'd rather wear a tux with everything correct except the shoes than wear a boring suit with the same ugly shoes.

"My momma always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes" -Forrest Gump's Momma.

There is nothing boring about a midnight navy suit. Just my opinion....do what makes you happy.

nellyeastside · Mar 9, 2015

New to SF and in search of a sporty, yet stylish rain jacket. Does anyone have suggestions on where I can find one like this?

I looked into Filson and Orvis, but I couldn't find anything quite as similar and I'm unsure of any other companies that would have a coat like that.

If any of you watch The Walking Dead, you'll recognize new character Aaron and what I think is a ruggedly sharp raincoat of sorts. I saw that there was a Walking Dead thread, but it seemed like most of the talk was geared toward plot and less towards zombie apocalypse style, so I came here with my quick question. Any direction on finding that jacket is appreciated.

-n

Murlsquirl · Mar 9, 2015

nellyeastside said:
New to SF and in search of a sporty, yet stylish rain jacket. Does anyone have suggestions on where I can find one like this?

I looked into Filson and Orvis, but I couldn't find anything quite as similar and I'm unsure of any other companies that would have a coat like that.

If any of you watch The Walking Dead, you'll recognize new character Aaron and what I think is a ruggedly sharp raincoat of sorts. I saw that there was a Walking Dead thread, but it seemed like most of the talk was geared toward plot and less towards zombie apocalypse style, so I came here with my quick question. Any direction on finding that jacket is appreciated.

-n

Welcome the to the forum, nelly. This looks pretty similar...no hood though:

http://www.honourmark.com/products/the-honourmark-explorer-jacket-charcoal

Caustic Man · Mar 9, 2015

Does anyone know of any shirt maker that has a fat collar roll similar to Kamakura? I love my Kamakuras but they have been habitually out of my size lately. I need alternatives and Brooks Brothers has been disappointing in terms of collar roll.

Murlsquirl · Mar 9, 2015

Caustic Man said:
Does anyone know of any shirt maker that has a fat collar roll similar to Kamakura? I love my Kamakuras but they have been habitually out of my size lately. I need alternatives and Brooks Brothers has been disappointing in terms of collar roll.

Barba.

NEW MEMBER INQUIRIES & QUICK QUESTIONS- CLASSIC MENSWEAR: WK OF MAR 9, 2015

The Moral Squirrel

Member

Member

The Moral Squirrel

Member

Member

Distinguished Member

Member

The Moral Squirrel

Member

The Moral Squirrel

New Member

The Moral Squirrel

Stylish Dinosaur

The Moral Squirrel

Classic Menswear Featured products

Similar threads

Featured Sponsor

Definitely full canvas only

Half canvas is fine

Really don't care

Depends on fabric

Depends on price

Forum Sponsors

Forum statistics

FOLLOW STYLEFORUM ON: