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One flannel suit - which color?

ezwicky

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Hi all,

I am thinking about having an English flannel suit made, one which I could split up as separates but maybe more often be worn as a suit. I don't wear suits for work, so this would get worn five times a year maybe, to concerts and nice dinners in the colder months.

What color would you all recommend? I'm open to all suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

Eric Zwicky
Richmond VA
 
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1st Navy> 2nd Charcoal>Medium Gray>Brown. I have an "off-navy" already but, I'm going to get a brown one this fall.
 

loarbmhs

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Hi all,

I am thinking about having an English flannel suit made, one which I could split up as separates but maybe more often be worn as a suit. I don't wear suits for work, so this would get worn five times a year maybe, to concerts and nice dinners in the colder months.

What color would you all recommend? I'm open to all suggestions.

Thanks in advance for your time and advice.

Eric Zwicky
Richmond VA
Navy. But don't break it up as a separate pseudo-sportcoat. It's likely going to look like an orphaned suit jacket.
 

mlstein

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Navy. But don't break it up as a separate pseudo-sportcoat. It's likely going to look like an orphaned suit jacket.
If you have it made with patch pockets it can definitely be separated and used on its own. Flannel is less formal to begin with and the patch pockets would allow it to work both ways.
 

loarbmhs

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I wouldn't do that. A flannel navy suit shouldn't have patch pockets. You seem to be suggesting that with patch pockets, it'll look more like a sports jacket. But the problem is, in doing so, it will also look less like a suit jacket. Don't try to skimp and have the jacket do double duty. Design the suit to look like a suit, not some hybrid thing to try to make it work two ways, because in trying to work two ways, you risk it working in "no" ways. Have it as a suit, worn only as a suit, with appropriate pockets, buttons, etc. to reflect that. Later on, after you've saved enough money, buy yourself a nice sports jacket to (you guessed it) only function as a sports jacket.
 

ezwicky

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Later on, after you've saved enough money, buy yourself a nice sports jacket to (you guessed it) only function as a sports jacket.

I should probably have mentioned that I have a navy blazer, a brown houndstooth woolen sports jacket, a charcoal fresco sports jacket and a blue textured linen-wool melange sports jacket (looks sort-of denim-ish).

Also lots of jeans and chinos but no woolen trousers.
 

loarbmhs

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You've made my point even easier to go with. Meaning, you already have several nice sports jackets—you have no reason to be tempted to have the navy suit I've recommended do double duty as a navy sports jacket when you already have a navy sports jacket. So again, at the risk of redundancy, buy a suit, and wear it only as a suit.
 

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