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

[BiKi Orleans]

Bought a Gianni Versace Couture blazer at a steal...but i'd still love to know if it's authentic...

here's the label (inner, right side - no inner pocket though)




and here's the composition tag/care label - by alias (80s? 90s?)




the lining has versace's signature medusa head all over, it is a single button blazer and the button's made of plastic with versace engraved on it

is it authentic or is it fake?

 

[razl]



Absolutely. I did it on many less expensive pants when I lost some weight.

Is it realistic to alter the waist on a pair of jcrew cotton bowery pants? I have a pair that fits me perfectly except the waist is maybe 2-3 inches too big so a belt tightened to the right amount bunches up the fabric. I have cyclist sprinter legs so my thighs and calves are bigger in proportion to my waist.

2 inches, maybe. 3, probably not. Not because it can't be done - it can - but most of the time, the pockets on your rear end up being so close together it looks, well, wrong.

Of course, that's with the standard, easy "take in from the middle" strategy . If you absolutely love the pants, money to spare, and have a talented tailor - you could have them open the legs and narrow the pants at the waist from the sides. Success is dicey and, honestly, if you were going to go that route - why not get MTM?

 

[Van Veen]

Hindu wedding. Ceremony at 4pm. Reception immediately following. Per the website, "The dress code is formal attire." Would you wear black tie or a suit?

 

[Slickman]

Spoiler

Traditional answer - A gentleman doesn't remove his dinner jacket in public. Consequently, nobody but you, and perhaps your Significant Other, will see your braces. So they may be thought of, in a sense, as underwear. Consequently, wear whatever you like; worrying about color/metal combinations is about as meaningful as worrying about whether to wear white boxers, ivory briefs, or white boxer-briefs with pictures of cartoon characters on them.
However, let's assume you choose to ignore the traditional answer. Perhaps you see nothing wrong with removing your dinner jacket in public, or maybe you want to know that if you're in an automobile accident and are rushed to the hospital, the doctor seeing your braces will be impressed with how well they match your dinner jacket. (And, of course, you'll want to be wearing nice underwear, too.) Or maybe it's enough that you'll know which braces you'll be wearing, and dagnabbit you want them to optimally match your dinner jacket even if nobody else will know or care.
In that case, I'd vote for the ivory Barathea, with nickel. Simply because ivory and midnight blue is a splendid combination. Just as the midnight blue is a "better" black, so is ivory a "better" white. I mean, if you don't want to think of it in those terms, fine. And I admit that there's nothing wrong with the white braces. But hey, you wanted an opinion, so I've given you an opinion.
Also, I prefer nickel with the midnight blue, since with the possible exception of yellow gold, I prefer matching midnight blue with a white metal, and not a yellow metal. (Same answer if the dinner jacket were black, btw.)
So, which do you prefer, and why?
--
Michael

Thanks I was leaning towards the ivory barathea as well, get them from Albert Thurston direct or ASW?

 

[mymil]

Hindu wedding. Ceremony at 4pm. Reception immediately following. Per the website, "The dress code is formal attire." Would you wear black tie or a suit?

Call and ask.

 

[mymil]

+1... every one of my friends who has started a brand or clothing venture has used a survey such as this.

Speaking of... surveys are a really awful research methodology, the results of which are very unlikely to answer a given question. (Qualitative research is my job.) I'd want to have somebody interact with samples that are tagged exactly as they would be in the store, not force respondents to completely imagine a product.

Additionally, you would be lucky if 10% of people who ever say they "would buy" something actually make a purchase when it's time to put down the cash.

 

[onix]



Speaking of... surveys are a really awful research methodology, the results of which are very unlikely to answer a given question. (Qualitative research is my job.) I'd want to have somebody interact with samples that are tagged exactly as they would be in the store, not force respondents to completely imagine a product.

Additionally, you would be lucky if 10% of people who ever say they "would buy" something actually make a purchase when it's time to put down the cash.

Back when I was in graduate school, there was a whole course on survey design alone, a combination of psychology, statistics and game theory. The point is that survey can be a great tool to collect information if it's done right; unfortunately, most surveys out there are done incorrectly.

 

[12345Michael54321]



Hindu wedding. Ceremony at 4pm. Reception immediately following. Per the website, "The dress code is formal attire." Would you wear black tie or a suit?

Technically, "formal attire" means "black tie," and that means you're expected to wear a tuxedo.

Okay, there are exceptions. Very rarely, it might mean "white tie." If you're a military officer, it might mean mess uniform. For a Scot, I suppose it could mean dress kilt.

Maybe it means something different from "black tie," in the Hindu culture. I don't know. If you don't know either, well, since you've been invited to the wedding, you presumably know the bride, the groom, or a person closely related to them. Such being the case, call this person, and ask. Asking a legitimate question should not leave you feeling uncomfortable. Showing up improperly attired might leave you feeling uncomfortable.

The wedding's at 4PM. Traditionally, a tuxedo was an "after 6PM" item. But hey, these days lots of weddings held in the daytime are black tie, at least in the United States. And at least the wedding starts at 4PM; black tie at an 11am wedding really feels wrong to me.

And then there are those wedding invitations which specify "formal attire," because the bride simply doesn't want anyone showing up in jeans, and she thinks that "formal attire" means "suit." I'm not making this up; there absolutely are brides who think this. I was even invited to a wedding where the bride specified "black tie preferred," because she thought it meant "suit or sport coat preferred (but not required)."

mymil nailed it - Call and ask.
--
Michael

 

[12345Michael54321]



Thanks I was leaning towards the ivory barathea as well, get them from Albert Thurston direct or ASW?

Seems like it'd be hard to go wrong buying Albert Thurston braces from Albert Thurston. But I've got nothing against ASW, so if you feel like supporting it, go ahead.

Assuming the prices are comparable (including shipping, tax, whatever), and availability and return policy are about the same, you could just flip a coin. Unlikely to go wrong, either way.

Oh, and if shipping charges are the same for 2 sets of braces as for 1, you'd be foolish to only purchase a single set. It wouldn't be thrifty, you know?
--
Michael

 

[Slickman]

I would but I don't wear braces with suits as almost all of mine have belt loops with the exception of a DB and a 3-piece both of which I haven't received yet. Hypothetically if I were to get a 2nd which would you recommend as a classic equivalent of a navy suit

 

[12345Michael54321]



I don't wear braces with suits as almost all of mine have belt loops

It's perfectly acceptable to wear braces with belt loops, you know. Don't wear braces with a belt, of course. But belt loops? Not a problem.

Hypothetically if I were to get a 2nd which would you recommend as a classic equivalent of a navy suit

Something a bit more whimsical than your first set. Not that your first choice isn't a handsome set of braces, but there's nothing wrong with wearing something more lighthearted on occasion. Albert Thurston has a Jazz Collection of braces, and some of the choices do appeal to me - particularly the Green Brocade, the Sapphire Moire Braid End, and the St. George & The Dragon Ltd. Edition.

Usually, I go whimsical with a colorful pair of argyle socks. But doing it via braces works, too.
--
Michael

 

[Dinhilion]



Hindu wedding. Ceremony at 4pm. Reception immediately following. Per the website, "The dress code is formal attire." Would you wear black tie or a suit?

They probably mean suit. All of the women will be in Saris and men will most likely be in suits. But, would still call.

 

[16simon]

Do I need to use shoe trees in suede shoes or in leather boots (neither will have leather soles), or just in leather dress shoes with leather soles?

Thanks

 

[NORE]



Do I need to use shoe trees in suede shoes or in leather boots (neither will have leather soles), or just in leather dress shoes with leather soles?
Thanks

Use trees in any shoe/boot you wish to prolong life in.

 

[bourbonbasted]

Does anybody have a clue about the quality of Jay Kos tailored goods or knows who makes for them? I'm eying a SC right now and am trying to get a feel for what I am actually purchasing. Thx in advance