is it sinful to mix and match suits?

[DGP]

I wouldn't hesitate to mix/match solid suits with glenn plaid or micro checked suits (hounds tooth comes to mind). Pinstripes probably not, unless I was mixing the jacket with a seriously casual pair of pants, or wearing the pants solo/with a sweater.

 

[Butterfly]

"Never dare mix suit items," another mythical style rule.

Esquire's Encyclopedia of Men's Fashion in the 20th Century.

 

[Butterfly]

Because something is sometimes done ineptly, has nothing to do with whether it should ever be done at all.

Consider the classic, "safe" combinations like the blue jacket (blazer if it has metal buttons) with white trousers, or the tweed jacket with grey flannel trousers: combinations that are sanctioned by tradition. All four of those items can be made as odd items or as part of a suit, and all four of them are constructed the same regardless of whether they're made as a suit item. If they belong to a suit, it may make a novice feel guilty to play mix and match with them, and it may very well be better for the suit's longevity to not mix it with odd items, but that has absolutely piss-all to do with whether or not it's a stylistic blunder.

 

[Prince of Paisley]

No one's saying you absolutely cannot mix and match. However, there is certainly a lot of potential for sartorial disaster if you don't know what you're doing or you dress in autopilot.

I often see guys wearing two seperate pinstripes - e.g. navy blue jacket and charcoal pants - and it looks like they've tried to "match" the two. Just who they think they are fooling - or why they do it - is anybody's guess, but it looks awful.

From the tone of the original post, it didn't sound like that much thought had gone into the combination described (i.e. there was no glenn plaid and micro checks). Apologies if I'm wrong about that, but the mixed pinstripe description equated in my mind with some pretty nauseating real life mix'n'matches I've witnessed in this city.

 

[Butterfly]

Yeah I can't say I've ever seen pinstripe mixed with another suit item well, even with a solid... if I ever see a success I'll recant...

 

[Prince of Paisley]

It's an especially good look when the jacket is 2 sizes too big and is scrunched in place with a daggy backback... I've seen this and closely related variations far too often.

 

[mt_spiffy]

I will take the vest from one suit and wear it with another.

 

[Butterfly]

Originally Posted by mt_spiffy

I will take the vest from one suit and wear it with another.

Oh, no...

 

[kannoos]

^ What is wrong with that? If the colours go together, e.g. the waistcoat from a light grey suit worn with a navy suit, it could work.

 

[Butterfly]

^ What is wrong with that? If the colours go together, e.g. the waistcoat from a light grey suit worn with a navy suit, it could work.

Yes, I was just worried the discussion would get skewered because of poor Spiffy.

 

[MLIW]

Depending on how clued up you are it can be done but there are so many faux pas thats its probably not worth doing anything away from the norm!

 

[amplifiedheat]

There are a narrow handful of times when this can work, but realistically, if we sanction mixing and matching, we are not going to see more DB navy with white flannels--we are going to see more SB pinstripe jackets paired with jeans as an ersatz blazer.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

I regularly wear a navy suit jacket with odd trousers. I would avoid wearing a pin-stripe suit jacket without the matching trousers though, except for with jeans (most people here would hate on that but I think it can look okay).

I can't imagine any way in which the combination described in the OP won't look utterly terrible though, combining brown and black and both in pin-stripe...

 

[lasbar]

If the texture is the same ,the cut and the colour are the same ,it is possible to mix and match suits...
In that case ,why bother doing so ?

 

[square13]

i may be fairly new to all of this, but is mixing black and brown not a big nono?