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

[papado]

Hey all,

I'm looking to get a suit for my new job in Finance this summer. Will mostly be stationed in Asia, but with occasional travel to London and New York. Do you think this style is conservative enough, or will I stand out in a bad way?

What about this style do you think is not conservative? Perhaps the only item which may 'stand out' is the besom pockets but most people don't focus that much there especially in a solid dark grey suit like this. You should be fine with this look across most major metros.

 

[BB_Adept]

How do I take care of clothes without an advice tag?
I have a pair of wool blend trousers and a pair of curdoroy trousers. Both of which I would like to wear at work more often.

Since I work as a physician in a hospital, it is more hygienic to have some sort of cleaning every now and then. I am aware that these trousers cannot be washed at 90° c or anything but I would certainly fell better if it were possible to wash them cold with some detergent.

Also I am planning to get more wool clothes, I have always found it very difficult to clean these.

Looking for more of a general advice on how to take care of this issue (or do I have to figure out a plan for every piece I wear?).

 

[ThomGault]

Also I am planning to get more wool clothes, I have always found it very difficult to clean these.

Looking for more of a general advice on how to take care of this issue

I'm not a professional cleaner, but I would never pull wool into a washing machine; I'd hand wash with woolite as necessary.

Honestly, in your position as a physician, I wouldn't wear wool to work at a hospital; instead I'd invest in durable man-made fabrics that can be scalded clean.

 

[breakaway01]

How do I take care of clothes without an advice tag?
I have a pair of wool blend trousers and a pair of curdoroy trousers. Both of which I would like to wear at work more often.

Since I work as a physician in a hospital, it is more hygienic to have some sort of cleaning every now and then. I am aware that these trousers cannot be washed at 90° c or anything but I would certainly fell better if it were possible to wash them cold with some detergent.

Also I am planning to get more wool clothes, I have always found it very difficult to clean these.

Looking for more of a general advice on how to take care of this issue (or do I have to figure out a plan for every piece I wear?).

Since there are no care tags, I assume you had these trousers custom made. Did you ask the maker how they recommend washing them??

 

[BB_Adept]

They were custom made and I did not ask yet.
I work in psychiatry and we are not supposed to wear white clothes. My leading physician wears a suit. Therefore there is not as much contact with infectious liquids/things as in other departments. If I were to work in surgery I would not even think about wearing wool clothes to work.
Nevertheless you might be right and wool might not be the cloth of choice for work.

 

[apShepard]

What's the second best choice of colour for trousers after grey? I'm getting tired of grey. I'm thinking of trying dark green but don't know if they would be too anachronistic for everyday use.

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

What's the second best choice of colour for trousers after grey? I'm getting tired of grey. I'm thinking of trying dark green but don't know if they would be too anachronistic for everyday use.

With odd jackets, probably tan or fawn or taupe. Then either mid-brown, or olive cotton, green corduroy, and green flannel.

 

[Mannion]

What factors make bespoke suits worth the premium over MTM? Is it dependent on my body shape?

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

What factors make bespoke suits worth the premium over MTM? Is it dependent on my body shape?

Depends what "bespoke" and "MTM" mean. Mostly, SF uses "bespoke coat" to mean "a coat cut from a pattern struck to your own measurements, with at least one fitting of the half-made coat." "MTM coat" usually means "a coat cut from a block pattern that has been altered to your measurements." Usually, MTM has no fitting--they send you the finished garment, and you can alter it if there are problems. There is some high-end MTM that does have a real half-way fitting. And there is traveling-tailor "bespoke" that strikes your own individual pattern but skips the fitting. Anyway, point is that your own pattern and one or more half-way fittings allow better fit. Doesn't mean it always happens: sometimes with MTM, you get a fitter who really knows how the block patterns can be adapted to you, and sometimes a bespoke cutter makes mistakes in striking or cutting, or his notion of fit doesn't jibe with yours, or he's just not that good at fitting, or his tailors make construction mistakes.

There is also high-end Made To Order, like Kent Wang. They send you a trial suit, and you can then request changes to its measurements, in consultation with them. Many members have gotten better-fitting results with this than with a lot of MTM (certainly better than online MTM--I'd avoid that.) But you are constrained by the number of silhouettes MTO offers--Kent Wang only offers one. MTM usually gives you several silhouette options.

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

So with trial and error, MTM or high-end MTO can definitely deliver good-looking, well-fitting clothes. Check the MTM thread for examples. Where bespoke definitely beats them is on movement and individualizability. Unless you get really lucky with the patterns and the fitter, bespoke can always work to get you a coat that offers more movement, and feels more like it moves with you, instead of constraining you. And of course it offers far more individualizability: it can cater better to whatever whims you might have.

 

[Oadway]

Long time lurker here, first post. Not sure if this is the right place to post this question. A my frist pair of Loake shoes just arrived, they are the Strand (size 8,5) and they are too narrow for me. The length seems perfect though. I am really bummed out about this. Is there any point to try to go up a size or two? Someone told me I had been thinking about shoe sizing all wrong. That I should not worry about the length of the shoe and instead focus on the width of the shoe. Is there a size chart I could use from Loake? Just not sure where to go from here.

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

The British makers aren't very good about offering different widths. You have to play around with different lasts to discover which ones work for your width. Allen Edmonds and Alden do offer different widths. Here is a post I wrote that should help you in figuring out lasts and widths.

 

[Philby]

What sort of coat has the menswear appeal of a Barbour but more functionality for travelling (lighter, more waterproof)? Bit stuck between the impracticality of waxed coats and the ugliness of much hiking gear.

 

[breakaway01]

Long time lurker here, first post. Not sure if this is the right place to post this question. A my frist pair of Loake shoes just arrived, they are the Strand (size 8,5) and they are too narrow for me. The length seems perfect though. I am really bummed out about this. Is there any point to try to go up a size or two? Someone told me I had been thinking about shoe sizing all wrong. That I should not worry about the length of the shoe and instead focus on the width of the shoe. Is there a size chart I could use from Loake? Just not sure where to go from here.

You should pay attention to length and width. Sizing up for compensate for a narrow shoe leads to the ball of the foot sitting back too far for the shoes’ design. Unfortunately I don’t know whether Loake offers a wide fit (“G” width in their system) for this particular model. If it’s just a little narrow, some people have had success with having the shoe stretched a bit. But I wouldn’t try to stretch the shoe more than a millimeter or two. If it’s clearly too narrow, return the shoes and see if you can find a shoe in a wider width for your feet.

 

[Philip_85]

Will shell cordovan shoes stretch at all or not?
say I buy a pair of penny loafers and it's tight around the mid foot. Heal and toe box feel comfortable but they feel moderately tight with respect to the width across the penny-retaining strap.
Some salespeople say that shell is like iron and will never stretch. Others say if you're patient they will break-in to feel like a pair of slippers.