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

[arredondoae]

Anybody familiar with the quality of Adrienne Vittadini luggage? It's on Vent-Privee right now at deep discount.

 

[ellsbebc]

Attending a wedding this evening an my favorite blue suit requires braces. Is it considered ostentatious to wear this suit considering jackets normally come off at the reception?

I have no knowledge of the expected etiquette, level of dress, and venue. I will comment the wedding couple are in early 20's if that adds perspective.

 

[12345Michael54321]



Is it considered ostentatious to wear this suit considering jackets normally come off at the reception?

One could maintain that the larger issue is that your jacket should not be coming off at the reception.

 

[ellsbebc]



One could maintain that the larger issue is that your jacket should not be coming off at the reception.

I can subscribe to this. Doubtful any others abide by #meanswear so I foresee being harassed to remove jacket.

 

[12345Michael54321]



Doubtful any others abide by #meanswear so I foresee being harassed to remove jacket.

Is #meanswear like #menswear, just a little nastier?

More to the point, someone who harasses you in an effort to get you to remove items of clothing can typically be ignored. Or at the most, resort to a polite, "Thank you for taking such an acute interest in my comfort and my clothing. I assure you I'll give your advice all the consideration it deserves." Then walk away.

I would add that if the person harassing you at the wedding is an attractive woman, it's not suave and sophisticated, in a Jame Bondian sort of way, to ask her, "If I remove my jacket in order to make you happy, what will you take off for me?"

 

[docka]

How are the Thomas Mason shirts from Jcrew. They're probably not worth it for full price, but what about paying $65 dollars on sale? I believe it's 2-ply fabric with MOP buttons.

http://www.jcrew.com/mens_category/...4+20~15~~20+16+4294967106~15~~~~~~~/22286.jsp

 

[sean anon]

Is this fit of this sportcoat unbalanced? Is the (too) short look with the heavy lapels a poor look? And does the styling look dated?

 

[msulinski]



I can subscribe to this. Doubtful any others abide by #meanswear so I foresee being harassed to remove jacket.

I have never been asked to remove my jacket at a wedding. I doubt anyone gave any thought at all as to the fact that I had my jacket on. For outdoor receptions in warm weather, I could see someone saying something.

 

[Veremund]

No, braces are not ostentatious.

 

[12345Michael54321]



No, braces are not ostentatious.

Somewhat more to the point, braces are similar to underwear, in that they are not meant to be displayed in public. So just as one could wear purple and orange boxers with pictures of Taz, the Tazmanian Devil, on them, even at a very formal and conservative wedding, and not have to worry very much about being criticized for wearing inappropriate underwear (since who's going to be seeing them?), so is one free to wear ostentatious braces. That which goes unseen is unlikely to be criticized for its appearance - which is why it's possible to get hired by even a conservative law firm despite having one or more profane words tattooed on your butt.

Now, I fully appreciate that some men do display their braces in public, walking around at work, at a wedding, at wherever, with jacket removed, thus displaying their braces to the world. And a man who intends to ignore the traditional rule about keeping his jacket on and keeping his braces to himself, might understandably be concerned with how his braces will be judged by those around him.

Similarly, some men may finding "saggin'" to be a splendid sartorial practice. These men may choose to wear their pants down low, such that their underwear is clearly visible. And I imagine that such men might likewise be concerned with whether their Tazmanian Devil boxers would be overly ostentatious to wear to a wedding.

But I still maintain that in both cases, the issue isn't truly "Is this ostentatious?" Rather, the real issue is, "Should I be exposing these clothing items to public view?"

And if the answer is, "No, I should not be exposing these clothing items to public view," then that's the answer, even if you fear that someone might harass you for it.

 

[random-adam]



Somewhat more to the point, braces are similar to underwear, in that they are not meant to be displayed in public.

For my wedding a few years back, I had a 3-piece charcoal suit done up and found a pair of suspenders in burgundy with a whimsical navy pattern and black leather attachments. I'll be wearing that same suit (without the vest) to a funeral next week -- but just to be safe I'll be swapping out the burgundy/navy suspenders for a black satin set normally worn with the black tie rig.

Granted, it's best to avoid removing a jacket... but it can't hurt to plan for contingencies. OP: by the time in the reception that House of Pain's "Jump Around" is blaring and folks are drunk enough to be jacketless on the dance floor, nobody is likely to give you any grief about suspenders.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Oysters, do not engage.

Welcome to Styleforum.

Dear Man of Lint,

Thank you, but what do you mean by "do not engage?"

It means do not buy them.

 

[donjuan17]



It means do not buy them.

+1

 

[mimo]

Is this fit of this sportcoat unbalanced? Is the (too) short look with the heavy lapels a poor look? And does the styling look dated?

It's certainly an old-fashioned look, but that in itself doesn't mean it isn't stylish. Personally, I like it. The problem is that the existing shape makes your hips look as wide as your shoulders. We're not all underwear models around here, but the cut of the jacket can be a lot more flattering: firstly, with such a heavy jacket, patch pockets will make you look wider. Not necessarily the optimum thing. Secondly, regardless of that, you want jacket that is both a touch longer and with a lower button stance. This will make the whole silhouette a little more stretched out and I think flatter you more. If this is off the peg, you might even get a long version of the same size (making the buttons lower), and take it up just a touch if you need to. Good luck.

It means do not buy them.

Indeed. Oyster, really, read a few threads about shoes on here. What you are considering buying is utter, meritless, irredeemable dogshit, for the following reasons:

1. They do have square toes. Square toes are bad, unless they are a "chiseled toe" or "soft square" which is more like a point that's been cut off. These are just square, and I repeat, square is indeed very bad.

2. They are cheap and nasty. The leather is plastic-coated shaved off dick skin and will never look nice whatever you do to it. Within a few short wears it will be covered in tiny wrinkles that cannot be removed, and eventually fall to pieces.

3. They have plastic soles. There are some synthetic soles that you will find to be "SF-approved", such as Dainite and Vibram. They are approved as practical wet weather alternatives to leather that will last a long time and are cut and shaped to fit under the welt of the shoe just like a leather one. Therefore they are always attached to properly-made shoes.

4. But what you have is a moulded piece of plastic like a sneaker sole, that is glued on to your plasticated "leather" uppper. It looks awful, and will eventually fall apart too.


Now, just because you looked at a pair of really awful shoes, doesn't make you a bad person. It just means you don't know much about shoes. Read this forum for a couple of weeks and your knowledge will increase exponentially. Also, maybe visit a quality American shoe store like Allen Edmonds, and ask the salesman why their shoes are better than J&M. Hopefully, even the greenest AE bottom-feeder will be able to give you "Shoes 1.1", while pointing out the different elements on the shoes themselves. This will help you a lot.

The other factor at play here is that you were looking for a $100 pair of shoes. I quite understand that not everyone can buy really expensive stuff. However, there are properly made, leather-soled shoes out there that look respectable and don't require the sale of any internal organs:

Firstly, check out barely-used or seconds from the likes of AE, Alden and any number of English makers, on eBay. Popular English makers, in rising order of price but all of reasonable quality are:

Loake, Barker, Grenson, Cheaney, Church's, Tricker's, Crockett & Jones, Edward Green, John Lobb.

You will find literally thousands of pairs on clearance from the first three, especially coming from their Indian-made ranges, for about $150. As most of those prices will include a UK sales tax (VAT), the shipping cost will only add up to about the same as the quoted price. Make sure they will ship by EMS (Post Office/USPS) - it will save you a lot of fees when you receive them in the US.

If you don't want to use eBay, then Allen Edmonds currently have a sale on (www.allenedmonds.com) and plenty of good things for about $250.

For new stuff at about $150, there are the Indian-made Loakes and Barkers, available from:

www.herringshoes.co.uk
www.pediwear.co.uk
www.theshoehealer.co.uk

Herring already have their summer sale on, too. Pediwear always ship by EMS (the others you have to ask, but will do it). All have great service.

And additionally, for a broader international selection of reasonably-priced shoes, try:

www.edetal.sg - highly rated small maker from Singapore with some really stylish stuff at crazy prices

www.shoepassion.de - German maker with a good range

www.meermin.es - good value Spanish maker, although some issues over delivery times (make sure what you order is in stock; email or call before ordering)


Finally, the bargain basement: www.samuelwindsor.co.uk This stuff's really cheap, and some of the leather looks it. But they're properly made, the service is good, and a suede pair I got my son for about $50 are the kind of value I just can't argue with.

Go read, and buy some decent shoes.

 

[Steve Smith]



The leather is plastic-coated shaved off dick skin and will never look nice whatever you do to it.

Classic!