What's wrong with black?

Originally Posted by jyook

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I know the general consensus here at SF is against the black suit but why?

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You could wear it to a funeral with a solid black tie or you could be more festive just by changing the shirt or tie at other formal events...

Ask yourself this, do I go to a lot of funerals?

Originally Posted by Tarmac

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Ask yourself this, do I go to a lot of funerals?

Sadly, I've been to more funerals than weddings lately... I can honestly say 3 to 1 in favor of death... As a matter of fact, I was just in Atlanta to attend one just over 2 months ago... There are a lot of old people in my family and 7 that are very close to me that are now in there late 80's and mid 90's...

I do, however, like to go out at night for fine dining where the dress code requires it and most events that require dress I go to are at night...

I don't wear a suit that often at work since I mainly wear a lab coat... When there are seminars and meetings that require proper dress, I have decided to pick an inexpensive suit from Samuelsohn or Brant from STP or similar when the time comes...

I recently purchased an Isaia suit from STP that was charcoal with gray and brown stripes... The fit was great but it was a little too brown for me (kind of matched my skin color in a weird way)... I returned it...

I recently found a bespoke tailor and I'm now checking out fabrics... I figure black would be nice and still think it to be versatile but now I'm not so sure due to "the rules"... Sometimes, ignorance is bliss I guess...

Not classic: fashionable. A fashion dictated by Hugo Boss advertisements at the time. The fashion in New York is to look as European as possible, whether in Borrelli or Barbera, or in Armani and Boss. And you'll find that Hoboken is not the height of fashion, if you come back.

Originally Posted by Roland Loden of Germany

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In Germany wearing black is considered a classic American style originating in New York City. The last I was on holiday there the year being 1998 I went to a loft party in Hoboken (New Jersey) and 95% were wearing black so maybe it is a classic in other regions of the US that I have not yet visited. I did not find the people as elegantly dressed as they found each other and I felt a measure of prejudice to my own wardrobe by some attendants, as the only black item that I wear is bikini cut underpants. I would of done a striptease if I didn't feel a matter of my pale complexion to of also presented a social obstacle as the crowd had a uniformly orange glow I believe as a result of sunning salons.

It’s about pulling it off, either you can or you can’t. I have a MTM 3-piece SB 3-button, double vented, with ticket pocket that I purposely ordered in black for its versatility. I tend to wear boutonnières with my black suit, so I am hardly following the crowd.

At the same time I don’t ware my suits for business purposes (but rather for parties, funerals, weddings, other misc. gatherings), so ymmv.

Jon.

Wow, all these arguments over a color. I am new and whatnot, and probably don't know much but before ever coming here came to a couple conclusions:

1. Blues and greys are nice because they match black and brown allowing for a much larger choice of color pairings. That's why I just bought blue and grey suits. If I want to wear brown shoes or black shoes I can. Black matches black. Period. Black suit? Need a black jacket and black shoes. Period (haha, again, unless you're in Korea where a tan jacket, black suit and brown shoes match...but anyways enough with the mocking).

2. Black only looks great if it's in very good taste. Tom Cruise looks cool in his $3000 black leather jacket, shirt and pants or black bespoke suits. Johnny Cash looked awesome in black...he is the Man in Black. Their clothese fit great and were coordinated with the proper colors, and I'm sure the materials were not just cheap wools and cottons. Patterning helps a lot, right?

The guy who goes to Men's Wearhouse and picks up an OTR black suit or the kid wearing black jeans, black t-shirt, and black sneakers make the color look like crap.

Of course that's what I've noticed with the color black, so the only thing in that color I do own is a pair of black Cole Haan oxford laceups.

Well... I think I'm going to keep my old black Armani 3 button for somber events... I think there is one more alteration left in it... We'll see... I think it will still look okay today since being a 3 button, it doesn't have that low gorge... The notches are lower than I've seen lately but whatever...

There is another funeral thread floating around and after reading that, I've forgotten that paying attention to the way others dress is the last thing on the mind of a mourner... In trying to get an "everything suit", I've lost sight of that... Nobody cares if you look like an amjack or your suit is out of date... They're just glad you came to show respect...

My first bespoke suit is going to be another color for sure... Thanks for all of your help... The black suit debate has been very interesting...

Now, on to picking a fabric...

I always thought black had more options then blue. considering i have many black pieces of clothing and last time i checked you dont wear blue with black. So if you wanted to wear anything black you couldnt exactly wear them with certain blue coloured suits, correct? so i dont get how many posters are saying you can wear blue with black?

A quality black fabric made into a well fitting suit is just another option. However, black seems to make a great troll topic.

Originally Posted by West24

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I always thought black had more options then blue. considering i have many black pieces of clothing and last time i checked you dont wear blue with black.

That's a major problem with black: it's difficult to match with anything other than black.

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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That's a major problem with black: it's difficult to match with anything other than black.

I think black tends to match with everything especially bold basic colors--red, greens, yellows.

One time I sat down with (I think it was) the Lexis-Nexis newspaper database and did a search for "black suit." I had to weed out a lot of bridge articles, but in the end I found a lot of good reading--articles about waiters, formal events, the need for even the poor to buy their own tuxedo, orchestras, the rise of the black suit in the fashion world, for men and for women, in about the 1980s and 1990s, etc., as well as many off-hand comments about the black suit, its pariah status, and its unusual connotations peppered throughout the rest of the century. Someone should do some real research on this subject--I know the materials are out there. Surely there are black suits in Apparel Arts, too. Are they all for waiters, the orchestra, or men attending formal events? Etc. and so forth.

This again. A less than perfect black suit looks cheap to me - viz that picture posted a couple pages back - all I can notice about it are the wrinkles that need to be steamed out. Any damage that happens to the suit is more obvious than on another color.

A black suit also looks like a fake tuxedo in many contexts - at a wedding you may look like you were a snubbed potential member of the wedding party, or couldn't afford a tuxedo.

It's also generally sort of morose and makes the wearer look paler than necessary (for us pale types).

All that said, I have a black suit which once tailored, I will probably wear if I think it looks good.

Originally Posted by LabelKing

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I think black tends to match with everything especially bold basic colors--red, greens, yellows.

I'm of the opposite view. I find black and bold colors jarring. Too much contrast, too little nuance.

If I never see another guy who's paired a black suit or black trousers with a deep blue or bright red shirt, it will be too soon. It's like the uniform for guys who are frightened of matching colors.

It's weird, black suits can look great in the movies and advertisements---Reservoir Dogs springs to mind---but I can't even remember the last time I saw a good looking one in real life.

Originally Posted by letmebefell

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Not classic: fashionable. A fashion dictated by Hugo Boss advertisements at the time. The fashion in New York is to look as European as possible, whether in Borrelli or Barbera, or in Armani and Boss. And you'll find that Hoboken is not the height of fashion, if you come back.

I am sorry but I never saw as much black worn in Europe as the times I spend in New York City. What is strange also about Hugo Boss is that it is a German company in origin but is not considered here to be made to domestic standards, that is why I conclude it is sold mostly in America and Greece.