Business Formal wardrobes - How many suits do you have?

[SkinnyGoomba]

For those of you who wear business formal or coat and tie. How many suits do you have in your wardrobe.

If you could:

How many year-round and how many seasonal. Split into summer/winter.

Right now I have:

Year round:

Navy Pinstripe suit
Charcoal Chalk stripe suit
Navy sportcoat

Spring/Summer Seasonal:

Navy Linen suit - Split and wear with stone chinos
Olive Linen suit (on the way)
Plaid Linen/silk/wool suit

Fall/Winter Seasonal:

Olive windowpane cashmere sportcoat
heavy Brown Herringbone Sportcoat
Navy Cashmere sportcoat
2 pair mid gray flannel slacks
1 pair charcoal flannel slacks

I feel like its lacking a bit and I could use a solid Navy and solid Charcoal as well as a Solid light gray year-round weight.

My issue right now is that I usually wear wool in the summer, but this summer has been hotter than usual with temps typically 10 degrees over average highs everyday. So I've been reluctant to wear anything other than linen.

FYI, I'm working 5-7 days a week depending on the time of year and everyday is business formal except friday. Which i usually wear a suit anyways in case I end up dealing with a high end client.

 

[globetrotter]

4 each - winter summer and year rond

 

[OttoSkadelig]

ugh... i can't bring myself to give an honest answer... too embarrasing. let's just say -- comfortably into the double digits... i'm an unapologetic suit-a-holic.

i own very little summer-specific stuff other than a cotton-wool blend suit and a couple of light blazers; the year-round stuff does double-duty. i just don't like the look and behavior of linen.

i do think you should get yourself a year-round navy and a charcoal. a lot more versatile than stripes of any sort... it's a semi-blank canvas on which you can go crazy on with shirts and ties, without the suit getting "remembered".

 

[Don Carlos]

I recently underwent a great purge of my suit wardrobe and need to rebuild it. That said, I'm aiming for 3 to 4 suits for each season plus about 2 or 3 year-round weights. Such a wardrobe would give me about 14 to 20 suits in all. This is probably a lot more than your average person needs, but I wear suits to work, so for me it's somewhat warranted.

I'd also say that the mix really depends on your climate and its variability/seasonality. If I were back in LA right now, I'd probably scrap the winter stuff altogether and maybe move the mix more heavily in the direction of year-round or spring weights with some summer items for when it's boiling hot.

 

[WRAdvisor]

I wear suits 5-6 days a week, sometimes 14-16 hours a day if I head out straight from work for dinner or cocktails. That being said, here is what I own:

8 Year Rounds

4 Summer/Spring (Linens and such)

4 Winter/Fall

My main rotation consists of the 8 year rounds. I only wear the Summer suits very sparingly and the Winter/Fall collection gets a little more wear, but not much.

As far as colors and patterns: Navy, Black, Khaki, Charcoal and all dark colors in pinstripe as well.

 

[sellahi22]

I don't know if your job is conventional business formal (e.g. finance), but if it is, your wardrobe is far too heavy on seasonal stuff and too light on workhorse suits. I'd add some navy, charcoal, mid-grey basics in worsted wool, at the very least.

 

[OttoSkadelig]

Originally Posted by sellahi22

I don't know if your job is conventional business formal (e.g. finance), but if it is, your wardrobe is far too heavy on seasonal stuff and too light on workhorse suits. I'd add some navy, charcoal, mid-grey basics in worsted wool, at the very least.

+1 on mid grey -- my personal favorite -- a tie or close second with navy for versatility, and "different" without screaming "DIFFERENT"...

 

[sellahi22]

Originally Posted by OttoSkadelig

+1 on mid grey -- my personal favorite -- a tie or close second with navy for versatility, and "different" without screaming "DIFFERENT"...

agreed, my favorite color as well. works with any shirt color, and very stealthy; if you're going to wear any suit color more than 1x a week, it should be mid grey. navy is a little intense for my taste.

 

[scurvyfreedman]

I'm in an office that is more shirt and tie than formal business. I generally wear a sport jacket 2-3 days a week, but I go to meetings more frequently than most, so I mix suits in 2-3 days a week to make up the difference and rarely go jacketless. It's been averaging over 90' F for the past month in DC, so jackets are optional in nearly every office.

I have mostly year round suits:
navy with light blue/green pinstripes, light grey check w/ brown undertones, black w thin gold pinstripe, charcoal check (needs to be replaced)
fall/winter - grey flannel chalkstripe (my favorite suit)
summer- light blue seersucker

sport jackets-
navy cashmere (light weight), camel hair cashmere, heavy wool charcoal, heather green tweed

I've got a Norfolk tweed on the way.

My next purchases are going to be solid charcoal and Prince of Wales year round suits, although there is an Oxxford blue pinstripe on ebay in my size that I'll buy if it's still around in the fall. It's been calling my name, but I thought the Gieves and Hawkes Norfolk in my size was more interesting, even if less useful.

 

[JayJay]

I haven't counted but I have several for each season (i.e., summer, winter, and year round). I wear suits mostly and have very few blazers and odd jackets for each season.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Originally Posted by OttoSkadelig

+1 on mid grey -- my personal favorite -- a tie or close second with navy for versatility, and "different" without screaming "DIFFERENT"...

I agree. Missed out on a mid gray flannel about 2 years ago and I've been kicking myself. I think I'm stocked up pretty well on seasonals and need more work horses.

Plan to do Navy and Charcoal solids, one of each and probably 1-2 year round gray suits, mid gray or light gray. I like the mad-men look.

I agree I dont like being too noticed, I dont mind once in a while but it gets annoying. For shirts I mostly wear white with french cuffs, or just plan white OCBDs for work. I do wear my fall seasonal shirts (off white with gray tattersal patterns). I plan to add light blue OCBDs and bengal stripes. All of which are pretty subtle.

 

[BBC]

I only wear suits about 8-10 times a month, but like to have a healthy selection: 11 suits altogether

Year-Rounders
navy
charcoal
dark gray glen plaid
brownish-gray stripe

3-season
gray herringbone
navy herringbone

Summer
dark forest green tropical wool
pincord

Winter
dark gray/white tweed herringbone
brown herringbone with pinstripe
charcoal flannel

Still need/want: tan wool in 4-season fabric, mid-gray PoW in 4 season, gray/white seersucker

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by SkinnyGoomba

For shirts I mostly wear white with french cuffs, or just plan white OCBDs for work. I do wear my fall seasonal shirts (off white with gray tattersal patterns). I plan to add light blue OCBDs and bengal stripes. All of which are pretty subtle.
My dress shirts are either white, light blue, or blue/white striped, but I wear my white shirts mostly.

 

[Harold falcon]

6 year round. 2 summer and 3 winter. Always looking to add more.