More on wearing button-downs with DB suits

[GoldenTribe]

Originally Posted by Manton

BDs with DB can look very good, but mostly don't, and so should not be encouraged. FC on BD looks bad on everyone, even Cary Grant.
I was following this thread perfectly until your post. What's "FC"? (It's probably obvious but all I can think of for the life of me right now is "first-class"...)

It follows logically it would be a kind of collar (to contrast with button-down) but "spread collar," "point collar," ... I can't think what the F would be

 

[Manton]

French cuff.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by edelaney

Wow, I cant believe this is a topic of conversation. No button downs with DBs. I rarely wear one period, never when I need to be taken seriously, and NEVER with a DB!!!! Please dont do it!

you want to put your money where your mouth is? We both post pics of a "serious" business outfit, me with my BD collar shirt. Put it up for a poll, see who the forum thinks looks worse?

 

[TheFoo]

Head size aside, does this really look bad?

 

[DocHolliday]

Originally Posted by J. Cogburn

Agreed Doc. But being better-dressed than 99% of the population is not a particularly high standard these days, now is it? Yeah, it could be spezzatura. But more often than not, it's probably ignorantura. If I saw a guy coming into my office for a meeting with a plain worsted DB and an oxford BD, I would think that he's a Goober and that his clueless wife or girlfriend is probably dressing him. He has enough money to afford the good-fitting DB but not enough sense to know how to dress. Then I would cold-cock him. But that's just me.
I understand what you're saying, but I think it's pretty easy to tell when a guy knows what he's doing. Conversely, it's pretty easy to tell when a guy doesn't know what he's doing. These days, the gulf between the two is so wide that those collar buttons are even tinier than they were before, if you take my meaning. If Vox, say, walked into your office wearing a DB with a BD and a bowtie, I imagine the fit of his suit, the quality of his shoes, and his choice of accessories would make a pretty compelling case that his collar selection was not at all ignorantura. I'd much rather see that sort of quirk and eccentricity than yet another fellow in a ghastly pastel point collar shirt and square-toed, corrected-grain Kenneth Cole frankenshoes.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Many correct things look a lot worse to my eye (fishtail trousers for one) than BD's with DB's or FC's on BD's, so I will continue wearing what I like, as incorrect as it is.

All the pics of you that I can recall seeing looked good to me, but I can't recall one with an FC/BD, which is my gain, I guess.

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by Manton

All the pics of you that I can recall seeing looked good to me, but I can't recall one with an FC/BD, which is my gain, I guess.

you're a lucky man

 

[TheFoo]

In practice, FC w/ BD w/ DB may not bother me much, but conceptually it hurts.

 

[J. Cogburn]

I understand what you're saying, but I think it's pretty easy to tell when a guy knows what he's doing. Conversely, it's pretty easy to tell when a guy doesn't know what he's doing. These days, the gulf between the two is so wide that those collar buttons are even tinier than they were before, if you take my meaning. If Vox, say, walked into your office wearing a DB with a BD and a bowtie, I imagine the fit of his suit, the quality of his shoes, and his choice of accessories would make a pretty compelling case that his collar selection was not at all ignorantura. I'd much rather see that sort of quirk and eccentricity than yet another fellow in a ghastly pastel point collar shirt and square-toed, corrected-grain Kenneth Cole frankenshoes.

Once again, I agree Doc. Spezzatura is knowing what the rules are and then purposefully breaking them for positive situational effect. So in this case, we can agree that a DB with a BD is generally "wrong." Break the rule for effect if you like. But don't argue that it's not agin' the rules to begin with. Because then you're Gomer. Exception - flannel as per my earlier point. A DB flannel suit is a possible sub-genre here. But I'm unsure ... need to think about it more. Foo, you certainly don't look bad. But I think you would look better in a spread-collar shirt.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

Head size aside, does this really look bad?

One of the rare exceptions -- an outlier than you don't want to generalize into a rule. There's a point about Kant in here somewhere ...

 

[BareSolid]

I think that wearing button-down collars with ties is an abomination.

 

[Thomas]

Originally Posted by Manton

One of the rare exceptions -- an outlier than you don't want to generalize into a rule. There's a point about Kant in here somewhere ...

That's what I was thinking as well, minus the whole Kant business.

FWIW, and I break rules myself from time to time, but I don't like to wear BD collars with DB suits. I have spread and cutaway collars for that.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Originally Posted by edmorel

Good luck finding 1,000 people that wear a suit.


It's just clothes, wear whatever you like. If you feel a need to be militant about what should or should not be worn, you will probably enjoy thelondonlounge.net or the tailor and cutter forum.

+1

 

[J. Cogburn]

By the way, those are some big-a**ed pant cuffs you've got there Foo. How many inches are we talking about?

 

[BareSolid]

Originally Posted by GoldenTribe

I was following this thread perfectly until your post. What's "FC"? (It's probably obvious but all I can think of for the life of me right now is "first-class"...)

It follows logically it would be a kind of collar (to contrast with button-down) but "spread collar," "point collar," ... I can't think what the F would be

I believe FC stands for 'double cuffs'.