Non-Rule "Rules"

[LeviMay]

I generally will wear only white shirts in the evening, although I'm trying to break the habit, and enjoy some pattern at night. I know that's a "Real Rule", but up in rural Canada, if you're wearing something other than a TapOut shirt, you're over-dressed anyhow.

Only double cuffs with DB suits, although, again, I'm trying to wean myself off of this one.

After getting called on not having any BD shirts in the Pattern mixing thread, I've ordered a couple, and I'll try them out, but, up until now, have never owned one.

Also, I agree with a tie being required with a suit, but (semi-) optional with an odd jacket.

 

[emptym]

Pants: flat or single forward pleat. Off-seam pockets. If there are belt loops then a center back loop is a must and five total loops.

Shirts: No collar stays. Ideally shirts have no slot for them either, so the collar can be flipped when it gets threadbare on top. Box pleat for BD collar, side pleats for spread. All shirts w/ barrel cuffs, single button and no gauntlet button. French cuff for tux only.

Shoes: no cap-toed bluchers. (OK on boots though.) No tassels of any kind.

Belts: 1 1/8" except 1" for plaque buckled belts. Anything 1 1/4 wide or larger is for jeans only. Never anything over or 1 1/2. Very plain buckles, no metal keepers.

I think I'm pretty open when it comes to ties and jackets, but I do have preferences.

I actually like black, wingtip gunboats with khakis

I wonder if this depends on one's hair/skin color. I wear black shoes w/ khakis and think it looks good in part bec. of my black hair and olive complexion.

Navy trousers are objectively wrong.
I don't own a navy shirt and don't think I ever would but I do have a navy sweater and a sort of cotton pullover that are OK.
re: suits without ties, the only time I do this is when I am travelling and I don't want to pack the suit and I don't want to bother with a tie. Makes me feel vaguely sketchy, like a pick up artist, mobster, or professional con man.

How about air force blue?

What if the belt is built into the trouser? Boom!

Interesting.

I know that this is anathema to you, but sometimes I like to look slightly sketchy - especially if I'm wearing a suit - like Tom Cruise's contract killer in Collateral...

Sometimes? Did you just say "sometimes"?

 

[Big Bird]

Navy socks with everything.
Never wear BDs with suits.
Never wear shirts with breast pockets with suits.
And I would never wear a tie with a BD.
I try to not complicate things; two solids and one pattern.

 

[DocHolliday]

^Good call on the BDs with suits. As much as I like BDs, wearing them with suits is a Tradly step too far for me.

 

[Manton]

I like BDs with tradly or casual suits, flannels and linens and such. I can't remember the last time I did it with worsted.

 

[SpooPoker]

Im trying to stick to only two patterns lately, though I have been giving thought that texture is actually a pattern.

Example :

Here, I wore only two patterns, the shirt and square, however I think the knit texture of the tie acted as a pattern and I felt a bit too busy with it.

 

[johanm]

gonna sound like a contrarian here but...

- only french cuff with dress shirts; I spec the cuffs to be slim with the hole closer to the edge, so they're not conspicuous / clunky
- no BD collar on dress shirts; only soft semi spread
- only black oxfords with suits
- no shoulder padding in jackets
- no striped ties
- no pocket squares

 

[hendrix]

only black or midnight blue shoes at night.

If i'm wearing a tie at night it is navy.

no belt ever. No loafers ever.

Oh, and the only shoes that ever get a spit shine are black. Brown spit polished shoes look weird to me, especially if they have some antiquing.

 

[hendrix]



I don't know why navy odd trousers are wrong. I just know that they are.
Without a jacket they are not terrible but with a jacket, noooo.

Tan linen jacket, white or light blue shirt, navy linen pants?

 

[Gruto]

Navy trousers and white jacket. I like.

 

[hendrix]

looks like a lab coat

 

[Gruto]

Too wrinkled for that.

 

[hendrix]

didn't mean it as a bad thing, i like it and have a similar margiela blazer, except it's a very very light blue. wrinkles like that and is a cotton/viscose/rayon blend. I mainly wear it over tshirts though (i shouldn't say that around here I know) as it's completely unstructured and unlined and feels more like a shirt than a blazer

 

[Calder]

Im trying to stick to only two patterns lately, though I have been giving thought that texture is actually a pattern.
Example :

Here, I wore only two patterns, the shirt and square, however I think the knit texture of the tie acted as a pattern and I felt a bit too busy with it.

Isn't this an example of the scale of the pattern/texture being too similar?

 

[Balfour]

Well, I suppose I should have added another personal rule.
5) A suit always requires a tie.
But I think that this is an actual rule even though it is regularly violated by style icons like Ahmadinejad.

Given my limited standing here, I wouldn't presume to promulgate my own non-rule rules. But I heartily agree with this. Unfortunately, this look is very common in the UK. It is the dress down option of choice for middle-management. Tie-less odd jacket, yes. Tie-less suit, not for me.