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Newbie questions

alan

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Do excuse my ignorance please
smile.gif


Im 21, and not looking for suit and tie but for a dressy casual look. Was wondering if you could help out.

Im relatively short (5"8), i have a big chest from workin out but slightly wide hip bones. Tops tend to fit me nicely, but i sometimes get told when i try jackets that blazers are bit long for me.

Im looking to get a casual blazer thatd go with jeans. Whats the suitable length for it? And what else should i ask about? (total newbie)

Also looking to buy some pants (sick of jeans). for someone with my length and wide hips, what should i look for?

And finally, when you want to wear a suit but without a tie, are there specific ones you ask for?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 

cpac

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Originally Posted by alan
Im relatively short (5"8), i have a big chest from workin out but slightly wide hip bones. Tops tend to fit me nicely, but i sometimes get told when i try jackets that blazers are bit long for me.

Im looking to get a casual blazer thatd go with jeans. Whats the suitable length for it? And what else should i ask about? (total newbie)


The most important part of the jacket is the shoulders. Get those right first, and then try regular or short lengths of the jacket and see what fits. The traditional length for jackets are long enough to cover your rear (don't believe advice based on arm length as that's not terribly reliable). Current fashion has coats a bit shorter than traditional length prooving fairly popular as well.

Depending on what you're looking to buy, there may be some questions you should ask. On one end of the spectrum, if you're looking to invest in a traditional, versatile, navy blazer, I'd spend as much as you can afford and go for quality (fully canvassed construction, handwork if possible) over a name. If you're just looking for a casual corduroy blazer (as seems to be all the rage this season) I wouldn't worry quite as much about buying the best you can afford, but instead would go for fit, and style.


Also looking to buy some pants (sick of jeans). for someone with my length and wide hips, what should i look for?
I'm not sure there's a good answer to this question. If you find that ready-to-wear pants never fit correctly, you should consider having some made for you. Made-to-measure pants can start around $200 or so a pair, but in my experience are well worth it. It just depends on how frustrated you are with the RTW options out there.

And finally, when you want to wear a suit but without a tie, are there specific ones you ask for?
I'm not sure I understand the question completely, but I think you're asking whether particular suits are better for wearing without a tie. The answer is that certainly a casual corduroy or tweed suit might appear more normal without a tie, but these days, pretty much anything goes.
 

mensimageconsultant

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Double-breasted without a tie can look rather strange.

The jacket's chest needs to be big enough, also, because you cannot expect to be able to increase it later.
 

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