Timeless/old money Three Piece suit

[FVogt]

Dear community

Would you say that this grey suit is timeless and has an "old money" aesthetic?

Would it look like the picture above, but I tried a double breasted waistcoat on myself (I'm thinking of buying the grey one)

Or would the waistcoat not fit and a suit with peak lapels would be better?
best regards

 

[comrade]

Dear community

Would you say that this grey suit is timeless and has an "old money" aesthetic?

View attachment 2136183

Would it look like the picture above, but I tried a double breasted waistcoat on myself (I'm thinking of buying the grey one)


View attachment 2136185
Or would the waistcoat not fit and a suit with peak lapels would be better?
best regards

Looks more "old costumey" than old money.

 

[TheIronDandy]

My impression is that the old money aesthetic consists of wearing clothes that implies you don't have much money, because thinking of money was never a thing in your life (the clothes all the while being well made, well taken care of and preferably inherited). Wearing a double breasted waistcoat, or any waistcoat really, is more likely going to make you look like middle class trying to pass yourself off as fancy*.

* Disclaimer: I'm working class that lucked into upper middle class, and I spend most of my spare time trying to pass myself off as fancy. It's all good. But it's not fooling anyone.

 

[FVogt]

My impression is that the old money aesthetic consists of wearing clothes that implies you don't have much money, because thinking of money was never a thing in your life (the clothes all the while being well made, well taken care of and preferably inherited). Wearing a double breasted waistcoat, or any waistcoat really, is more likely going to make you look like middle class trying to pass yourself off as fancy*.

* Disclaimer: I'm working class that lucked into upper middle class, and I spend most of my spare time trying to pass myself off as fancy. It's all good. But it's not fooling anyone.

Thank you, but as for the timeless and classic style, would the db waistcoat fit or not?
ps. don't worry i won't get angry, i know the argument about socks

 

[jeremygo]

"Old money" - at least in the US - can be somewhat tricky to define. Are you trying to look like the old money of the Gilded Age? The 20s? The 60s? On the east coast or the west coast or Europe? Add that it only takes a generation or two to move from new money to old money (see: The Kennedys) only further confuses the label.

I would recommend trying to find people today who dress the way you aspire to look, and use that as a jumping off point. Consider: what do they wear and how? How does it fit? What makes it appeal to you?

Also, keep a clear head about how the aesthetic fits into your lifestyle. If you're a lawyer you may find lots of opportunities to wear three piece suits. If you're a college student, likely not.

 

[Frog in Suit]

My impression is that the old money aesthetic consists of wearing clothes that implies you don't have much money, because thinking of money was never a thing in your life (the clothes all the while being well made, well taken care of and preferably inherited). Wearing a double breasted waistcoat, or any waistcoat really, is more likely going to make you look like middle class trying to pass yourself off as fancy*.

* Disclaimer: I'm working class that lucked into upper middle class, and I spend most of my spare time trying to pass myself off as fancy. It's all good. But it's not fooling anyone.

Re: waistcoats: double-breasted does look excessive (showy, more like a "statement") but I find a single-breasted coat looks incomplete without a waistcoat (single-breasted). A double-breasted coat without a waistcoat, on the other hand, is fine.
I should add that I am probably considerably older than other contibutors...

 

[epsilon22]

Add that it only takes a generation or two to move from new money to old money (see: The Kennedys) only further confuses the label.

The horror of knowing that you may live long enough to see Elon Musk's clothes accepted as being old money aesthetics...

 

[pasadena man]

Thank you, but as for the timeless and classic style, would the db waistcoat fit or not?
ps. don't worry i won't get angry, i know the argument about socks

I would disaggregate “old money” and “timeless and classic stye”. The former can be a complex and murky rabbit hole, as others have noted.

I would not see the DB waistcoat as “timeless and classic style”. I worked in and at a number of very large corporate HQs, and can rarely remember having seen a DB waistcoat, even in the last millennium.

If in doubt, I would take a pass.

 

[TimothyF]

In today's casual climate, in 99% of circumstances a three-piece suit is overly formal or stylized costume. Full stop.

So my thinking (and advice to OP) is, if you will do 3-piece suit you must embrace it fully. No half measures. It needs to fit you near perfectly, otherwise it will be ridiculous. The DB waistcoat looks a bit big on you, sorry to say

 

[TheIronDandy]

Thank you, but as for the timeless and classic style, would the db waistcoat fit or not?
ps. don't worry i won't get angry, i know the argument about socks

Honestly, I can't see that it would. Anything which is excessively unusual and old fashioned would have a hard time registering as "timeless" in my book.

 

[FVogt]

I would disaggregate “old money” and “timeless and classic stye”. The former can be a complex and murky rabbit hole, as others have noted.

I would not see the DB waistcoat as “timeless and classic style”. I worked in and at a number of very large corporate HQs, and can rarely remember having seen a DB waistcoat, even in the last millennium.

If in doubt, I would take a pass.

thank you very much for your suggestion, i am thinking about the db waistocat because i dont think the suit would look very good with a SB waistcoat (a bit boring but it could also be the fit, i am still growing but love three piece suits) My style insperation is sometimes Sven Raphael Schneider with his 3pc suit i especially like these two. Would you say the DB waistcoat could do something similar?

 

[Frog in Suit]

You can make a single-breasted waistcoat more interesting by having lapels...

 

[dougc33]

thank you very much for your suggestion, i am thinking about the db waistocat because i dont think the suit would look very good with a SB waistcoat (a bit boring but it could also be the fit, i am still growing but love three piece suits) My style insperation is sometimes Sven Raphael Schneider with his 3pc suit i especially like these two. Would you say the DB waistcoat could do something similar?

I love SRS but I find he strays into the world of cosplay pretty frequently.

And has some strange ideas about the real world e.g. "gentlemen never wear a backpack with tailored clothing". Don't think he's ever sniffed the inside of the corporate world.

 

[TheIronDandy]

thank you very much for your suggestion, i am thinking about the db waistocat because i dont think the suit would look very good with a SB waistcoat (a bit boring but it could also be the fit, i am still growing but love three piece suits) My style insperation is sometimes Sven Raphael Schneider with his 3pc suit i especially like these two. Would you say the DB waistcoat could do something similar?

This style isn't timelss classical. It's a nostalgic for an age, a definition of "gentleman", and style that mostly never existed.

Don't get me wrong here, Sven is very knowledgable. And I have no arguments on his fits. He does this look pretty well, but the look it's essentially costume, outside of some very traditional weddings.

That said, if you really like double breasted, shawl collared waistcoats, get one. Wear it. Life is short, and there are worse things than looking like a dandy (no matter what the forums may claim). Make sure it fits, cause an ill-fitting one will make you look like you're wearing your uncles suit for prom. But if it fits, and you love it, wear it.

But it won't be classical, timeless or old money. It will be anachronistic and costumey. It's a hard look to pull off.

 

[Concordia]

Dear community

Would you say that this grey suit is timeless and has an "old money" aesthetic?

View attachment 2136183

Would it look like the picture above, but I tried a double breasted waistcoat on myself (I'm thinking of buying the grey one)


View attachment 2136185
Or would the waistcoat not fit and a suit with peak lapels would be better?
best regards

A SB waistcoat, higher cut would be appropriate. And the slanted pockets are a bit of an affectation unless you can make it part of your permanent look. I remain dubious.