One suit man. What color?

[doublemazaa]

I'm a guy who owns one suit. I wear it whenever needed, probably 2-3 times a year. But the impetus for buying a new suit is that I'm getting married in July and will wear this for the big day.

Curious what the consensus is for the best color. Initially I was thinking charcoal, but I feel like that's a little boring. Navy too.

I'm thinking of getting this. Blue with a subtle herringbone. Thoughts?

My style is pretty informal most of the time, so I'm willing to have a suit that's not 100% conservative, but I also don't want my one suit to be off target for the few times I wear it (weddings, funerals, job interviews, etc). I live in Seattle. Even formal events tend to be pretty relaxed as far as attire goes. People commonly wear khakis and OCBP to weddings here. I work in advertising. I could wear a bathrobe to work and people wouldn't mind. (kidding. kind of)

Otherwise, I'm thinking standard bb 1818 saxxon herringbone in charcoal or navy:

or

 

[Nicola]

Originally Posted by doublemazaa

, but I also don't want my one suit to be off target for the few times I wear it (weddings, funerals, job interviews, etc).

Charcoal

 

[6stringsakc]

Originally Posted by Nicola

Charcoal

Yup, charcoal 2-button will do you good. Maybe go for a subtle glen plaid or birdseye fabric to add interest, solid can get boring.

 

[Liquidus]

I agree that herringbone could be a good way to add visual interest to your suit. I'm not sure how people feel about herringbone for interviews though.

 

[timotune]

navy blue all the way.

 

[landshark]

Charcoal or navy will both serve you well. I would prefer charcoal myself.

 

[MyOtherLife]

Charcoal

 

[12345Michael54321]

Originally Posted by doublemazaa

Otherwise, I'm thinking standard bb 1818 saxxon herringbone in charcoal or navy

I purchased a BB 1818 Saxxon herringbone (albeit, a Madison), in navy, quite recently. Very nice suit. I think you'll find that the herringbone pattern is extremely subtle. So much so that the suit could readily substitute for a solid navy in virtually all circumstances, up to and including interviews with even very conservative potential employers.

Of course, this cuts both ways - if you find solid navy suits to be boring, you may well find this suit to be boring, as well.

As for the navy vs. charcoal question, there is no absolute answer. Both are fine choices. Personally, I think the (again, quite subtle) herringbone pattern works a little better with navy, than with grey, but that's just my opinion. Either one would be an extremely versatile suit.

FWIW, until around 5 years ago, most of my suits were grey - usually charcoal grey. That had always been my preferred suit color. I owned a solid blue suit, and a blue pinstripe, but probably 6-8 dark charcoal suits.

Thing is, one of the virtues of a charcoal suit is that it can add a certain gravitas. No, not invariably, but it often will. Which was a plus, when I was 25 years old and engaged in professional negotiations with colleagues twice my age. But by my 40s, I no longer needed every little advantage in portraying myself as a serious, no nonsense professional. I was no longer an inexperienced kid fresh out of school; I was an experienced professional with a substantial and impressive professional history to my credit.

So the charcoal suits actually worked against me at this point. The dark grey suit, combined with the fact that I'm quite a large man, with a deep voice, could in some instances actually make me come off as unnecessarily intimidating or threatening. (Just for the record, I'm actually a sensitive, gentle man. But people don't form their initial impressions based on one's character; they form them to a significant degree on one's appearance.)

Now, I still had to wear suits (for professional reasons), and they still had to be conservative (in cut and color, and worn with conservative shirts, ties, etc.). But apparently navy is a little less off-putting to many people than is charcoal. So these days, more than half of my suits are blue. Moreover, I'll wear blue for social gatherings (as opposed to professional wear) far more often than I'll wear medium or dark grey.

Admittedly, the difference is often slight, or at least so I think. (Difficult to be sure, since it's not as if a few minutes after meeting someone, I invariably have the person fill out a questionnaire regarding his initial reactions to me.) And I don't mean to exaggerate the impact of color choice, either. But based on some things friends and colleagues have mentioned, I'm convinced that at least at this stage of my life, navy is more often a better choice for me than is grey.

So, having rambled on like this, let me ask you - what do you want your suit to help you do? Do you want it to make you seem older or more serious? Or do you want it to make you seem friendlier than more approachable? I mean, based on your age, your profession, your geographic location, your personality, etc., which set of traits do you think could use just a little added emphasis?

Or, if you're convinced that the above is pretty much pure b.s. - what color shoes do you currently own? (I often wear black shoes with my grey suits, but seldom with my navy ones.) What's your coloring like? Is your jewelry (wedding ring, wristwatch, whatever) a white metal, or a yellow metal? Choose a suit color based on these minor considerations, if you like.

Me? I wore a tan suit yesterday.

--
Michael

 

[bluesman528]

You have the choice for your one suit, charcoal or navy. The difference is: If you buy charcoal, you will wear the suit only if you must. If you buy navy, it might be that one day you see the good-looking man in the mirror and think, hey, I have to suit up more, that's fun.

Navy is by far the livelier color and as classic as charcoal. Just try to get a really dark navy blue for remaining versatile for all occasions. Many fashionable suits have a strong blue with a touch of purple, a bit lighter than navy. Looks good but it's not as classic as it should be if it's your only suit.

 

[gwolf]

charcoal vote as well. maybe something woolier(?) dunno what the term is but with more texture than a smooth worsted.

 

[Wayward]

My personal opinion is on charcoal. This is coming from the guy with 3 navy suits. Don't get me wrong, as I love them all. However, one unfortunate aspect of navy is that it doesn't complement well with certain colours, such as purple. I tend to wear purple quite a bit, and unfortunately I now have to pair them with my black suit only.

My $0.02.

 

[jonuiuc]

I'd go Charcoal, or even a dark Grey. Navy if your coloration prefers it. Those are the most versatile colors, any lighter and you may be limited on what occasions you can wear it. If you want some texture, my favorite is Herringone. Subtle though (small, non-contrast, solid), I'd stick with worsted in any case though, just for comfort.