I think I want to stop wearing sport coats

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by forex

Spoo,
you are a good sport so here goes. I'd get rid of all the sport coats and start from scratch. I'd also ditch most of the suits along the way. One of the main problems with your outfits is the fit and then the fact that you bargain hunt them and purchase because they are on sale rather than purchase because you actually need or want them. So,think about getting rid of all SCs and start getting something custom made,better fit and some fabrics that you actually want and like. Don't have 30 SCs,get 10 made up and wear them with more sedate shirts and ties. Same applies to your suits and shirts,I think you will improve significantly if you start getting something made custom,much better fit and pick the fabrics you want. You are in NY so you shouldn't have problems with access to good tailors and with the money you spend on clothing,you can afford to go custom.

Its great advice, really. Even if you are telling me to ditch my entire wardrobe

There are some that Im sure can be retired - no doubt. Mostly the older end of my rotation where I sought out color/pattern and didnt care about size/fit. Anything I have purchased in the past 6 months or so has been spot on and what I turn to most often. Shirts have all been mostly culled and the new ones I got are perfect. RTW Borrelli/Finamore/Barba fits me as good as RTW fits, and I am really happy with those.

The problem for me with bespoke/MTM is the time. I am in NY, but rarely have time to put up a post here in the workday, let alone go select fabrics and get fitted. The weekends I have my own business to tend to, and I watch my kid on top of that too. I keep saying one day Im going to go ballistic, tell my wife to hold **** down for like 9 hours and do it all in one shot, then just keep my measurements on file and call in future projects, but I keep procrastinating.

 

[LesterSnodgrass]

I'm with you Spoo. The only items on my next year's purchase list are new suits and replacement suits. No more SCs, PSs, or other items that tend to complicate my wardrobe. Of late I'm tending towards simple variations of navy/grey/charcoal suits + blue/white based shirts + soporific ties. Boring, but when properly executed is perfection.

 

[Klobber]

Originally Posted by LesterSnodgrass

I'm with you Spoo. The only items on my next year's purchase list are new suits and replacement suits. No more SCs, PSs, or other items that tend to complicate my wardrobe. Of late I'm tending towards simple variations of navy/grey/charcoal suits + blue/white based shirts + soporific ties. Boring, but when properly executed is perfection.

But we all like Spoo's sense of flair - he is like an artist in many a sense. Lets not try numb his sense of creativity. Nothing reeks of boredom more than wearing suits with the usual variation of charcoal, navy or gray, day in day out. The creative degrees of freedom here are quite small with only the pocket square and tie really shaking things up. I dont want to encourage Spoo to adopt a dress sense that standardises itself with the masses, or find himself in a situation analagous to Groundhog day (that film where the guy wakes up and the day just repeats itself).

Dont get me wrong I love suits, but have gone the other way around. The sport coat wardrobe is growing while the suit count is remaining steady. I like having a problem in selecting an outfit. With a navy suit, the only decisions I need to make are the tie and pocket square.

 

[PTWilliams]

Obviously, you want to divorce your sports coats so you can be full time with your suit. You tried seeing your suits on the side but that wasn't enough, the double life is stressful, and the guilt, suspicion, accusations, lies, late night arguments trying to convince your sports jackets there was nothing going on, while all the time wanting to be in suits. Truth is, your sports jackets were getting older, tired, been-there done-that. You could go through the motions with the help of those pills, but while slipping into your sports jacket you were really fantasizing about entering your suit like a wild animal, watching yourself and your suit in the mirror, from different angles, dimming the lights, and the those lapels, big suit lapels, lapels that stand up and say hello, not that sagging pair you’ve feign interest in. A nice trophy suit that everyone will notice and that says you made it, kind of suit that turns heads.
The sports jackets will say anything now, plead with you, they’ll say they’ve given you the best years of your life, but you’re through with that ****. You don’t want to go counseling. Even if you can have two sports coats at the same time you aren’t interested (maybe if they had thought of that earlier, but that’s past). You tell your sports coats to pick a busy corner and make a living, they’re strictly rental-by-the-hour material now.

 

[clintonf]

Originally Posted by PTWilliams

Obviously, you want to divorce your sports coats so you can be full time with your suit. You tried seeing your suits on the side but that wasn't enough, the double life is stressful, and the guilt, suspicion, accusations, lies, late night arguments trying to convince your sports jackets there was nothing going on, while all the time wanting to be in suits. Truth is, your sports jackets were getting older, tired, been-there done-that. You could go through the motions with the help of those pills, but while slipping into your sports jacket you were really fantasizing about entering your suit like a wild animal, watching yourself and your suit in the mirror, from different angles, dimming the lights, and the those lapels, big suit lapels, lapels that stand up and say hello, not that sagging pair you've feign interest in. A nice trophy suit that everyone will notice and that says you made it, kind of suit that turns heads.
The sports jackets will say anything now, plead with you, they'll say they've given you the best years of your life, but you're through with that ****. You don't want to go counseling. Even if you can have two sports coats at the same time you aren't interested (maybe if they had thought of that earlier, but that's past). You tell your sports coats to pick a busy corner and make a living, they're strictly rental-by-the-hour material now.

Quite Clever. Good play on a theme.

Clint

 

[PTWilliams]

Spoo,

Sports coats are like women–get them used, dicard them used, no damage done.
But if you were the first one, then you just got to lose a little sleep when you're done with them,
its only right.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by Klobber

But we all like Spoo's sense of flair - he is like an artist in many a sense. Lets not try numb his sense of creativity. Nothing reeks of boredom more than wearing suits with the usual variation of charcoal, navy or gray, day in day out. The creative degrees of freedom here are quite small with only the pocket square and tie really shaking things up. I dont want to encourage Spoo to adopt a dress sense that standardises itself with the masses, or find himself in a situation analagous to Groundhog day (that film where the guy wakes up and the day just repeats itself).

Dont get me wrong I love suits, but have gone the other way around. The sport coat wardrobe is growing while the suit count is remaining steady. I like having a problem in selecting an outfit. With a navy suit, the only decisions I need to make are the tie and pocket square.

Dont be so sure you all like my flair

But dont misunderstand - when I say suit, I mean my kind of suits, not just some standard blue and grey uniforms. I would never, ever want to become a totally soporific, repetitive kind of dresser.

Originally Posted by PTWilliams

...

You are certifiably nuts my man. I lol'ed.

 

[alliswell]

Originally Posted by aj_del

Please stop wearing bright red and green pants before you stop wearing SCs

Originally Posted by HomerJ

Not a problem with the sport coats, it's the fun trousers.

Originally Posted by aj_del

Pls cull immediately

Red pants
Green pants
Plaid pants
Peak lapel 3 patch SC

Originally Posted by Oleg

I quite like most of the SCs but not the garish strides. I know our Tally cousins wear them but I do wonder whether the Neopolitan sun has rendered them colourblind on occasion.

Originally Posted by Mac

I like your mad sport coats. Sometimes though, the top can look relatively conservative, while sporting it with green trousers etc, which doesn't really fit together.

Originally Posted by Redwoood

This is kind of an odd development as it seems to me that the usual transition is from suits -> SCs, just because putting together a tasteful SC combination requires more skill than putting together a suit.
But do whatever it is you deem necessary to find your stylistic equilibrium.

Originally Posted by Reevolving

Spoo,

I think if you go 100% suits, you're leaving a hell of a lot on the table, and taking a huge step backwards.
Again, a full suit is really noob territory. It's more a canned uniform than style. Level 1.

Anyone can put on a suit, and it's almost impossible to stand out.
(There is only so much one can do with navy suit)
For this reason, I think you're better served maybe just tweaking your SC strategy.

Easy solution to three problems.

Bespeak charcoal pants from Ambrosi. This will give you

a) something to do with your money
b) something to talk about for the next fourteen months
c) something to wear with your alumnus sweatshirt you'll substitute for your SCs

 

[acecow]

Don't do it. Sport coats are more casual than suits and that's their role. I'm not sure about your social circles or your natural habitat, but if I were to start wearing suits more often than sport coats the looks of mild amusement I get now would change to confusion: Why would a young fella like that wear a suit when he clearly doesn't have to?! Anyhow, my point is that by eliminating sport coats you won't just take away a part of yourself and make WAYWRN a little more boring (hooray for another conservative business dress victory right when I was cheerful of the unpinning), but most likely change into an older, more uptight and correct version of yourself, because hey, you know what, clothes change you. They really do.

Stop the madness.

 

[Loathing]

But there's nothing very formal, uptight, or boring about a windowpane suit, houndstooth, PdeG, &c., especially when you start playing with interesting colours and fabrics. I don't think mismatched jackets and trousers have anything to do with formality, e.g., a white dinner jacket is usually worn with black trousers, as are most coloured DJs, and this doesn't affect their formality.

So Mr. S. Poker's decision comes down to a stylistic/personality choice, rather than a formality choice, IMO.

 

[SpooPoker]

Originally Posted by Loathing

But there's nothing very formal, uptight, or boring about a windowpane suit, houndstooth, PdeG, &c., especially when you start playing with interesting colours and fabrics. I don't think mismatched jackets and trousers have anything to do with formality, e.g., a white dinner jacket is usually worn with black trousers, as are most coloured DJs, and this doesn't affect their formality.

So Mr. S. Poker's decision comes down to a stylistic/personality choice, rather than a formality choice, IMO.

You hit it on the head.

 

[Klobber]

Originally Posted by SpooPoker

Dont be so sure you all like my flair

But dont misunderstand - when I say suit, I mean my kind of suits, not just some standard blue and grey uniforms. I would never, ever want to become a totally soporific, repetitive kind of dresser.

I can see where you are going - a grey windowpane jacket on its own pairs up well with a range of pants, but the pants it looks best with are unsuprisingly grey windowpane pants (i.e. a suit). If that is your plan, then go for it. Dont know why I had in my head you were interested in becoming part of the blue suit brigade.

 

[acridsheep]

Originally Posted by forex

Spoo,
you are a good sport so here goes. I'd get rid of all the sport coats and start from scratch. I'd also ditch most of the suits along the way. One of the main problems with your outfits is the fit and then the fact that you bargain hunt them and purchase because they are on sale rather than purchase because you actually need or want them. So,think about getting rid of all SCs and start getting something custom made,better fit and some fabrics that you actually want and like. Don't have 30 SCs,get 10 made up and wear them with more sedate shirts and ties. Same applies to your suits and shirts,I think you will improve significantly if you start getting something made custom,much better fit and pick the fabrics you want. You are in NY so you shouldn't have problems with access to good tailors and with the money you spend on clothing,you can afford to go custom.

This is rich. One of the best dressed guys on the forum should start over.

 

[aj_del]

FWIW, I agree ith forex.

 

[rsuhandy]

I too am getting rid of all my sport coats.
I now only use one navy linen sport coat that I use with jeans.
I have found myself stocking up on outerwear though which
suit my style preferences a lot more. I just picked up a linen
khaki safari jacket that is just totally awesome as it looks sharp and fun; in a very
subdued way.