Wearing a Suit Jacket/Sport Jacket While Driving?

[JeffsWood]

Originally Posted by eHaberdasher

That IS pretty cool - where'd you get it (or did you make it yourself?)

Only problem for me is that whichever child of mine is sitting behind me would want to use my hanging jacket to clean the bottoms of their shoes!

It was one of those gifts for the "man who has everything" one christmas. Google headrest hanger and you'll see lots of options. In truth I have not had mine in my car for a while, I took it out for road trip 5 or 6 months ago and never got aroun to putting it back in. But it does work great (not that lying it on the seat doesn't)

 

[JayJay]

I drive with my jacket off most of the time.

 

[LabelKing]

What about a hat?

Do people drive with a hat on? I don't mean a baseball cap.

 

[Toiletduck]

Drive? Wha? so many nice suits and no driver?

 

[yachtie]

I almost always wear my jacket (and hat) while driving. Wrinkles are a part of life.

 

[FidelCashflow]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

With a properly fitting jacket, normal driving should be no problem.
OK. I don't get how this is possible. I've owned numerous jackets, some bespoke, so I'm sure they're at least reasonably fitting, and they ALL restrict motion in the arms. If I walk with my outstretched straight in front of me, shoulder height, I can feel the fabric pulling across my back. If I hold my arms straight out to the sides, shoulder height, the shoulders of the jacket lift up and sit somewhere around my ears. The arm shields prevent you from reaching sideways without interfering with them, and the shoulder pads prevent you from reaching up without interfering with them. I can't comfortably drive with 1 hand on the top of my steering wheel in a jacket, because the arm doesn't let me comfortably reach straight-out and up. I can't comfortably lean over and reach into the glove compartment and fish around for stuff because the arm shield will not comfortably let me reach straight out to the side.

Originally Posted by scruff

Please to explain how or why this makes any sense at all.
OK, you asked and I shall deliver. I had to dig up a GQ article for this one. Here it is, according to this, its like some kind of anti-status symbol, like a status symbol that will actually backfire on you if you use it. "(The style rules) NO-STATUS SYMBOLS: Think you look big patching through a conference call from Starbucks? Think again, bozo. The List: -Bluetooth -Premium economy -Rented supercar -Cuff links -Any non-disposable smoking accroutment -Snaffled loafers -Tie on after 7PM -Cigars -Golf clubs in the trunk -Hanging your suit jacket from thje plastic handrail in the back of your car" -Re-printed entirely without permission from anyone.

 

[lordofpi]

Originally Posted by yachtie

I almost always wear my jacket (and hat) while driving. Wrinkles are a part of life.

Here here. A big part of it is that I do not like getting out of my car with just shirt and tie; I'd rather look complete. I don't feel very strongly about it, but I just lean toward wearing them.

 

[True North]

Originally Posted by FidelCashflow

OK, you asked and I shall deliver. I had to dig up a GQ article for this one. Here it is, according to this, its like some kind of anti-status symbol, like a status symbol that will actually backfire on you if you use it.

"(The style rules) NO-STATUS SYMBOLS:
Think you look big patching through a conference call from Starbucks? Think again, bozo.

The List:
-Bluetooth
-Premium economy
-Rented supercar
-Cuff links
-Any non-disposable smoking accroutment
-Snaffled loafers
-Tie on after 7PM
-Cigars
-Golf clubs in the trunk
-Hanging your suit jacket from thje plastic handrail in the back of your car"

-Re-printed entirely without permission from anyone.

Ah, I get it now, but none of us do it for show, just for comfort/wrinkles.

 

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

What about a hat?

Do people drive with a hat on? I don't mean a baseball cap.
Yes.

 

[iron_ball]

That list also includes "cuff links" without any further explanation. Ignore it in its entirety.

 

[texas_jack]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

What about a hat?

Do people drive with a hat on? I don't mean a baseball cap.

I don't have enough headroom to wear my hat so I put in on the dash. With the slope of the dash if I face the hat towards the back of the car the slope fits the curve perfectly.

 

[bmulford]

I often wear my jacket while driving or sitting in my office. Usually because I forget I'm wearing it, or its cold.

I've had coworkers ask how I manage to *wear* my suits/jackets all day and not look wrinkled. I believe its because I use the news anchor trick of tucking my jacket tails under my rear (at least when I'm in a seat that doesn't have an open backing). More likely, its because the peices are fitted and have less fabric to bunch up.

For driving, Im not racing, so I'm content to have a relaxed arm position on the wheel. No need to hold "10 and 2" with a death grip, 9-ish with my elbow on the armrest works quite well.

Then again, when I drive the porsche, I take the jacket off.

 

[gian]

Comfort wise, its a personal preference, do whatever makes you feel comfortable, being in the drivers seat is reasonably private, and no one will ever call you on a lack of style for not wearing your complete suit while driving.

I just prefer not wearing jackets of any type while driving unless of course it is extremely cold. My body just heats up too fast. Its a comfort thing over style.

Now in terms of creases, its really simple, if you're really concerned about them don't wear your jacket, better safe than sorry.

 

[Matt B]

Originally Posted by Phat Guido

- I quite like the "actually lived" in look.. I call it character.. Or is it that the fabrics I have do not crease so much & when they do, they fall out easily?

I agree. Clothes are made to be lived in. I leave it on unless it's uncomfortably hot.

M

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by FidelCashflow

OK. I don't get how this is possible. I've owned numerous jackets, some bespoke, so I'm sure they're at least reasonably fitting, and they ALL restrict motion in the arms.

If I walk with my outstretched straight in front of me, shoulder height, I can feel the fabric pulling across my back. If I hold my arms straight out to the sides, shoulder height, the shoulders of the jacket lift up and sit somewhere around my ears. The arm shields prevent you from reaching sideways without interfering with them, and the shoulder pads prevent you from reaching up without interfering with them.

I can't comfortably drive with 1 hand on the top of my steering wheel in a jacket, because the arm doesn't let me comfortably reach straight-out and up. I can't comfortably lean over and reach into the glove compartment and fish around for stuff because the arm shield will not comfortably let me reach straight out to the side.

Your response mystifies me. I don't get what you're driving at (pun semi-intentional). Just as an experiment, I tried just about every reaching, stretching and extension movement with my arms I could think of, and I found, with my jacket unbuttoned, as it would be were I seated and driving, the jacket posed no impediment at all. Anything I could do in my shirt sleeves, I could do in the jacket. And this is not even one of my best fitting jackets from my buddies in Kowloon--it is my old knock-around blazer (for casual Friday) that I bought at modest cost from Nordstrom back in 1992.

Men have, in fact, been driving cars while wearing overcoats, dusters, frock coats, suits coats and sport coats since the very introduction of the automobile, well over a century ago, without apparent problems. A number of other posters in this thread have mentioned doing so. So, I remain baffled how this causes such a problem for you in particular.