What next? Help me build my small, versatile and functional suit wardrobe

[The Dirty Pigeon]

I need some help rounding out a small suit wardrobe, leaning more on the casual/cocktail side, less on the conservative/business side.

I currently own two suits:

1. Navy Suit: Navy two-piece with worsted medium weight wool, two button, notched lapel. It's a well fitting general purpose workhorse but feels a little formal/conservative in some settings. Sometimes I wish I got a hopsack or more open weave.
2. Tuxedo: Black classic peak lapel tuxedo for the occasional gala, black tie event. Perfecto.

I'm stuck on the idea that I am missing one or two key suits and I'm lacking in the cocktail/semi-formal/elevated casual realm. Khaki cotton? Linen? Mid-gray wool? Something with a pattern? Flannel?

I live in Southern California where it's 70-80º F almost every day. It rains occasionally. Professionally, I am in the creative arts and not a business man so I don't need suits for work. I like to wear suits for social events, weddings, shows, nice dinners, special events, etc. so I am leaning toward something on the more casual side. I am in my mid 40s, in great shape and live a pretty social and active lifestyle.

If you were me and didn't mind throwing a little money at the problem, how many additional suits would you get and which ones?

 

[Marko1001]

What do you think about gray three piece suit(suit and waistcoat)

and regular black suit(charcoal black suit)?

I think these suits are most common to use.


Now I'm not adult. I'm teenager,but if I am you I would definitely get one tuxedo for really formal events, three piece suit for some of events, navy and black regular suit too (maby with waistcoats if I need it).

 

[breakaway01]

A few possibilities, in no particular order
- solid navy seersucker -- traditional cotton seersucker wears warmer and is stiffer than you might think; there is a wool/silk Loro Piana seersucker fabric that people here have commented very favorably on (maybe @Andy57?) but I haven't seen myself in person.
- Prince of Wales
- a micro houndstooth pattern, looks great in black/white or brown/cream. A small/micro scale pattern would strike a nice balance as a suiting fabric IMO.
- linen is great for a casual suit. Go a little heavier in weight; the open weave will keep it breathable and the weight will mean that the linen will rumple instead of wrinkle.

 

[Andy57]

A few possibilities, in no particular order
- solid navy seersucker -- traditional cotton seersucker wears warmer and is stiffer than you might think; there is a wool/silk Loro Piana seersucker fabric that people here have commented very favorably on (maybe @Andy57?) but I haven't seen myself in person.
- Prince of Wales
- a micro houndstooth pattern, looks great in black/white or brown/cream. A small/micro scale pattern would strike a nice balance as a suiting fabric IMO.
- linen is great for a casual suit. Go a little heavier in weight; the open weave will keep it breathable and the weight will mean that the linen will rumple instead of wrinkle.

All good suggestions, I think.

The Loro Piana wool/silk seersucker is a superb fabric for a suit to be used in warmer climates. It also makes a good travel suit as it resists and sheds wrinkles. As you aren't looking for business wear, the suggestion of a small houndstooth pattern is a good one. Minnis used to make a medium weight flannel, numbered 0656, in a grey and white combination. I think Fox still does. From a distance it resolves as a mid grey, but up close the pattern becomes apparent. A glen check /prince of Wales check is another good suggestion. Linen is good, too, but a linen suit is quite a different animal than a wool suit.

Lastly, and especially in L.A., avoid black.

 

[TheIronDandy]

I think your navy worsted and tux will serve you well for the more formal side, so I would stay away from things like charcoal in worsted wool. Go for something more informal.

Considering where you live and what you work with, I would suggest a linen or basketweave suit. Like @breakaway01 mentioned, slightly heavier linen can be great: it doesn't need pressing as often, and is still quite cool to wear. I've been wearing 12/13oz linen trousers for the hottest days of the summer (around 30 C) and it has worked well for me. Tobacco linen is a trend that has been around so long it must almost be considered a staple - both the color and material makes it less formal than your navy suit. Cream linen is another classic, but can be harder to pull off, and stains obviously show up easier. A tobacco linen suit can also be used as a separate jacket or trousers if you want to, especially if you go for a softer structure on the jacket.

A fresco suit is another option, as is seersucker as previously mentioned.

But for me, the Irish linen suit is the top recommendation.

Remember when buying more casual suits to look for patterns and colors that work well to wear as separates. Unlike worsted wool, which tends to look like "half a suit" when worn separately, some linen, basketweave and seersucker can work as separates as well.

 

[dieworkwear]

I've been wearing a brown cotton suit a lot. I think cotton suits are too stuffy for temps above 80. But in the 70s, they're really nice and almost feel like casualwear.

I've also been wearing a tan wool gabardine suit. I feel like it makes more of a statement than brown cotton, but it's nice in the 60s and 70s. Plan to get an olive gab suit at some point.

A friend mentioned that Worsted Alsport does well for Bay Area weather. I ordered a swatch of this fabric recently. Fox Brothers has a similar weave.