Ask A Question, Get An Answer... - Post All Quick Questions Here (Classic menswear)

[ridethecliche]



Do you guys ever iron your own ties?

I have one that is in pretty tough shape, with a couple of thread pulls and some serious wrinkles that I found in a jacket pocket which was probably forgotten there after a night of drinking.

I am on the fence about sending it out as it is not particularly good (Jhane Barnes) but I like the color and texture.

Thinking about trying to save it myself, and if it doesn't come out ok, just manning up and pitching it.

J

I just did this to 2 silk ties with good results. I used a towel between the iron and towel. Be careful if you have a tail holder thingy as it'll show through after ironing.

 

[Kid Nickels]



Would you consider this to be too large of a fit?

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

better picture, yes it's still too large and what I'mTheGroom said.

 

[movoblast]

edit: sorry wrong forum

 

[Frist23]

For a business interview, it depends. The standard advice is to wear a suit. Also, I wouldn't wear a black tie because it is a bit too formal and stiff. I'd wear a blue tie to indicate trustworthiness so to speak; red is too dominating, unless it's a sales position or one where you need to be more assertive, in which case I'd use a reddish tie.

...anyway, I've spent a good amount of time thinking about the color of ties and what to wear where, so I might just be overthinking it!

 

[Commodore Mark]

What are these sock coverings?

 

[Parterre]

Spats.

I was looking for some advice in buying a basic suit- I have separate jackets but no coats except for a hideous thing I'd rather die than wear in public. So I'm looking for something... well, conservative obviously, no more than $750 hopefully, and leaning towards an English style if a little American, but certainly not Italian- moderately slim but not excessively so, I'm 185 on a good day with a 36 waist, 6'1'' and not yet 21. So something that doesn't betray the little stomach yet doesn't make me look like I'm wearing my grandfather's suit. (I'm open towards hearing the merits of the sack suit, however). Navy, I'd imagine.

I was thinking the BB Madison or Fitzgerald... not sure what else.

 

[Commodore Mark]

Thanks!

Spats.

 

[CheekyFireman]

Is buying a used (pre-owned!) suit on ebay a completely silly thing to do? While browsing I found someone selling 3 Hickey Freeman suits in my size, and am considering biting. So A. Is this a bad idea, B. what should I look out for, and C. what is a ballpark fair price. I'm assuming anything over $200 is bad, as they can commonly be had at NM Last Call for sub-$500.

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

 

[12345Michael54321]



 Navy, I'd imagine.

Grey is equally acceptable.

I was thinking the BB Madison or Fitzgerald...

A perfectly fine place to start, and probably within your budget when on sale.

I wear a Madison fit, myself. But the Fitzgerald isn't horrible. Now by the time we get down to the Milano fit...

Don't worry about sack suits. Sack suits are sufficiently rare these days that you have to actively seek them out, if you want to buy one. (None of my Brooks Madison fit suits are sack suits, btw.)

Whatever you buy, there is no substitute for proper fit. A $2500 suit that is just a little off in fit, will tend not to look as good on you as will a $500 suit that fits perfectly. (Minor alterations can work wonders here. Do not begrudge the expense.)

Nor for feeling comfortable wearing the suit. Many men rarely wear suits, and when they do wear them, they're clearly not at ease in them. The suit may fit perfectly on a physical level, but psychologically it leaves the wearer feeling uneasy. I don't know what to tell you regarding this point. Except that if you only wear a suit once every other year, you'll probably never feel natural wearing a suit. So find excuses to get dressed in a suit once in a while. There are tons of such opportunities, if you look for them. You may even find you enjoy wearing a nice suit. A conservatively tailored, properly fitting suit can be an extremely comfortable garment, and one which enhances your appearance in various ways. And once you get used to wearing it, putting it on will leave you feeling confident. And like a grown up. Not like someone wearing an unfamiliar costume, and afraid people will stare at him.

 

[DjangoV]

Now that I am reading up on matching and such, I wonder what to do with the solid white silk pocket square I have (atm I only wear silk ties).

In what kind of outfit/setup is a white silk PS preferable/usable?

 

[12345Michael54321]



Is buying a used (pre-owned!) suit on ebay a completely silly thing to do?

Not necessarily. If the listing includes a number of high quality pictures, and a good written description (complete with actual measurements), and all seems right, buying the suit might be an excellent idea.

A return privilege for poor fit - not just a mistake in the listing - can ease your fears, and greatly minimize risk.

As for what you should bid for the suit... search the Completed Auctions, for suits similar to the one in which you're interested, and see what final price they brought. Bearing in mind that sometimes a different size or color can greatly impact final value.

If you can buy the identical suit, brand new, for under $500, what do you think the previously owned suit is worth? I mean, nobody can really make this call for you, since so much of it comes down to personal preference and subjective bias.

Personally, I wouldn't go as high as $200, for a used suit off of eBay which can be had brand new at NM Last Call for under $500, unless it were in basically unworn condition - pants' bottoms unfinished, labels still attached, etc. But I'm a cheapskate.

 

[12345Michael54321]



Now that I am reading up on matching and such, I wonder what to do with the solid white silk pocket square I have (atm I only wear silk ties).

In what kind of outfit/setup is a white silk PS preferable/usable?

Wear it in a "puff" configuration, or sort of stuffed into your pocket, or folded with a flat top. Not sharply folded with points. Linen and cotton and various other materials have much more body than does silk, and are far better for wearing crisply folded with points sticking up. A silk pocket square's points are likely to droop. Which is seldom the look one wants.

Don't worry about wearing a silk pocket square with a silk tie. So, maybe the textures won't contrast (although silk can have all sorts of textures). So what? A white pocket square may not pick up any of the minor colors in your tie, or the pinstripe of your suit, or whatever. Again, so what?

A white silk square, particularly when worn with a dark suit or jacket, can work well, be a classic look, and prove appropriate in situations ranging from pretty casual to quite formal.

The white silk pocket square is like the white dress shirt. Not necessarily the most creative and imaginative pocket square of them all, but still one with a tremendous degree of utility.

 

[Steve Smith]



Quick shoe question: I'm wearing a suit to my company Christmas party which is an evening affair.  I realize that plain captoe bals are ideal, but my current options are a plain captoe blucher or dark brown AE Stands.

Which is the lesser of two evils, so to speak?

Either is fine. I would go with the Strands but only because I consider that to be a generally badass shoe.

Some will say that only a non brogued bal is acceptable. Don't worry about it. I would bet that you will see plenty of rubber soled and square toed shoes at the party. Most people will not notice your shoes but those who do will probably be impressed with the Strands.

 

[Steve Smith]



Is buying a used (pre-owned!) suit on ebay a completely silly thing to do? 

Do you know the measurements of a suit which fits you properly? Use this method: http://askandyaboutclothes.com/clothing/style-tips/how-to-measure-a-jacket

If so then give ebay a shot. You mentioned that someone is selling some HF suits in your size. I would suggest that you stop thinking of a certain number as your size. For example, let's say you bought a new unaltered Brooks Brothers made in USA 1818 Madison suit in 44R. It fits with only minimal alteration. Cool. You are a 44R, right?

Then you see a new unaltered Brooks Brothers 1818 Fitzgerald 44R on ebay. You snap that baby up, because it is a nice suit and it is your size. But when you try it on there is a bit of a problem. That Fitz is tight. It's tight everywhere; across the shoulder, at the upper arm, in the chest, everywhere. Guess what. You need a 46R in Fitz.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as examples of "knowing your size". BB suits which are manufactured in Italy are slimmer and smaller than the US made suit of the same size and cut, so not even every BB 1818 Madison will fit you.

And then you must consider that most used suits have been altered. You will see many suits on ebay which have a chest measurement which is actually smaller than the labeled size (it should be larger to allow for movement).


TLDR: Only buy a suit, blazer or sport coat on ebay if you know your measurements and measurements of the jacket are provided by the seller. Jacket "sizes" are not standardized and will often be misleading.

 

[MMoon24]

When buying a suit, what determines how much padding you need in your shoulders? Can it be tailored out?