Seersucker Suits -- When They Are Appropriate

3367Q. I would like to buy a lighter suit for the summer. Are those alternating light blue-and-white striped suits appropriate for work? I am the one lawyer in a small blue-collar company. Usually I wear traditional suits (not pinstripes, just solid gray or blue), but I don’t often need my jacket. 

A. You are referring to a seersucker suit. A welcome addition to a man’s closet filled with dark year-round suits, it can be a fine purchase for warm-weather wear. A striped seersucker in the most common blue-and-white version (or the less typical gray-and-white or beige-and-white) is a refreshing alternative.  

In answer to whether it is appropriate for work, it depends very much on the formality and overall tone of your office. In a sedate setting, it might be too casual. But, in the type of office you describe where you don’t often need to wear a jacket, it would be fine.

Still, I should mention one small note of warning. Even though it is informal and relatively inexpensive, a seersucker suit is a bit of an elitist, upper-class sort of garment. You mentioned that yours is a blue-collar company. I might suggest that a seersucker suit and even a seersucker sport jacket might be a bit too Ivy League, too country club for your colleagues’ comfort level.   

On the other hand, if you really like the style, you could buy one and wear it for social occasions. Then, once you do own it, you could try wearing it to work on a horribly hot day (especially if there is nothing very formal -- like a big meeting with an important client -- expected to happen that day at the office). See how your office mates respond. They may go out and buy one themselves!

Another factor to consider: How long have you worked in your office? If you are well established, it could be easier to break tradition. If you are new, you should be more cautious (always good advice).

To help you locate seersucker in the overall hierarchy of men’s attire, the range goes something like this:

DRESSY BUSINESS SUITS

            Dark blue or gray wool pinstripes: Most formal, very boardroom correct. Ideal for staid traditional business settings.

            Dark solid-color in navy or charcoal: Still rather formal, but not quite as dressy as pinstripes.

            Medium-dark solid or softly patterned: Subtle glen plaids, tick-weaves, herringbones, and quiet windowpanes are less dressy than darker solids. Perfect for less formal meetings and social wear.

MEDIUM DRESSY BUSINESS SUITS

            Khaki and olive suits: The most casual of all solid-color suits.     

LEAST DRESSY/MOST CASUAL SUITS

            Cotton striped seersucker suits: A great change-of-pace, they are the least formal of all suits, perfect for a summer party. They may be fine, but may very well not be appropriate in a traditional business setting.   

            

LESS FORMAL THAN MATCHED SUITS 

            Separate sport coats or blazers worn with unmatched dress pants.        

            Shirtsleeves (that is, a long-sleeved shirt without a jacket) and slacks.

                       

Some advantages of seersucker: It is the coolest fabric you can find for summer; its light color adds tremendous variety to a dark business wardrobe; its casual air fits dressed-down offices; it is less expensive than wool; the jacket can be worn alone as a sport jacket; and it doesn’t wrinkle. One of the fabric’s strongest points is that it is tastefully different, but not flauntingly different.

While a seersucker suit is not considered formal enough for a courtroom, Matlock never lost a case while dressed in his. 

Made-to-Measure Suits

Q. I don't live anywhere near a good men's store, but nevertheless I need a suit that fits. What do you think of ordering a Made-to-Measure Suit? I don't see how one could fit right even if I sent them my exact measurements. Don't you always need to tailor a suit, especially for the jacket? After all, some men -- including myself -- have a kind of extra "hump" at the upper part of their back, and jackets that don't fit right tend to lift up at the bottom.

A. I cannot imagine how you could determine your “exact measurements” accurately enough to have a suit made to your specifications from afar. You would be seriously looking for trouble. There are too many variables: the correct inseam measurement, the outseam, the back, the shoulder slope, etc., etc. Keep in mind that once a made-to-measure suit is cut, it is yours; no if’s, and’s, or but’s. It just would not work. 

It’s much easier – and your satisfaction is more assured  – if you travel some distance to a good men’s store than to attempt to order a made-to-measure suit from a distance.

                                     

If you do decide to travel to a top-notch store – one that you feel confident will supply you with an excellent fit – you can either order a made-to-measure suit from them or, perhaps better yet, buy two of their finest ready-made suits while you are there. Their tailors will make them fit. And these days, when current style dictates suit silhouettes that are a bit slimmer and trimmer, a good fit becomes even more important.                                       

  

I should preface this advice by saying that when looking for a new suit, it is wise to develop a well-thought-out shopping strategy. First step, before you accept the offer from a salesperson to help you, ask to speak to the Store Manager (or at least the Suit Department Manager). I am a firm believer in approaching the manager before you begin to shop. Explain your situation clearly and unmistakably. Tell the manager that you are “a difficult fit” and that you really need him to find you the salesperson who knows the most about fit, not just the one whose turn it is to wait on the next customer. My advice is to say – in the nicest, most polite terms you can muster – that fit is extremely important to you and that you will be returning the suit if it does not fit properly. That gets their attention! And will get you their most experienced salesperson. Then follow it up with a similar request for a knowledgeable tailor. You cannot imagine how much anxiety this removes from the entire shopping experience.    

                                                          

As an alternative, if you are unwilling to travel some distance to find an outstanding men’s clothing store, your path is less clear and the outcome is more questionable. 

                                              

While I may be speculating here, I’ll bet there is at least a decent men’s shop (even if not what you consider to be “a good men’s store”) not too far away. The store probably has a qualified tailor who can do a good job of altering their off-the-rack suits.

Or if not, perhaps they can help you locate a good independent tailor. With his help, you might be able to buy suits with more confidence from a nearby mid-level store, or through a catalog, or even online. But the truth is that finding an excellent tailor on your own is not easy. (Your wife’s dressmaker or the alteration person at your local dry-cleaner is not a satisfactory substitute!) If the store has no name to offer, your best bet is to ask a friend whose clothes fit him well for a recommendation.

                                  

Note: For young men whose bodies are nearly perfect, buying an off-the-rack suit that fits nicely is not difficult. Most suits will fit them. But as a person ages, and as his body develops its own little (and not so little) idiosyncrasies, a good fit becomes more problematic. Unfortunately, many men do not care so much about the fine points. But, since you are more invested in the idea of a “suit that fits,” then traveling a bit to accomplish your goal becomes well worth the investment of time.

After all, suits last for years, and one that fits you perfectly will not only bring you much satisfaction but many compliments. 

The Right Length for a Tie

Q. The other day my ballroom dance teacher, who always wears a shirt and tie, kept looking in the mirror trying to fix the length of his tie. When I asked what was the matter, he said, "It doesn't look right. The bottom point is supposed to touch my belt buckle." I thought that was ridiculous. He looked fine to me. Is there really a rigid rule about where the tip is supposed to touch?

A. Well, guess what? He is right! I wouldn’t go so far as to say there is a rigid rule about how far down the tip of the tie is supposed to extend, but there sort of is a rule.

The length of ties, when tied, is relatively constant. The tip should extend down to the belt. Not below it. Nor above it.

Ties are manufactured in lengths that range from 54 to 57 inches. The adjustment for the right length when tied, of course, comes from the balance between the ends before a man ties the knot. Consistency in lengths does not seem to be a high priority in the necktie manufacturing industry. Still, if a man is particularly tall, those three inches can make a difference. If he needs a longer tie, he need not confine himself to the limited choice in a “tall-men’s store.” Here is a better method: When shopping for a tie, it is wise to narrow your selection down to a few best bets, lay them out on the counter, and see which ones are the longest. That should help considerably in making a decision.

When it comes to tying a necktie, some mistakes are not as bad as others. A somewhat too-long tie (that is, one that extends slightly below the belt) is not a terrible mistake as long as it is only “slightly” longer and does not look like a long bib. But a tie that is too short (that does not reach down to the belt) ends up exposing some shirt between the bottom of the tie and the top of the pants. This is definitely a bigger mistake with distracting, unsophisticated overtones: 1.] It appears to be a small boy’s dressing error, and 2.] It draws the eye to the middle of the body, making it seem that the man must be so fat that his tie cannot cover properly.

As to the proper length of the back piece of the tie? It is immaterial, as no one sees it (unless it is left to flap visibly). Just concentrate on having the front piece fall at the belt line.

Incidentally, these days, when tie clasps are once again in style, it is possible to make certain that the tie (including its back portion) hangs down perfectly straight.

While this may seem like a ridiculously lot of fuss over a very small point, it makes more sense than you might think. As I have been saying (and writing) for years, the one item in a man’s closet that is most noticed and that makes more of an impression than perhaps anything else is his tie. It would be a serious mistake to underestimate the importance of this smallest item in a man’s overall look. Once he has gone to the effort to choose a handsome tie and to color coordinate it with his other clothes, he might as well take the time to tie it so it hangs correctly.

Please tell your teacher I salute him!

Cuffs on Pants

Q. What can you tell me about cuffs on men’s pants? Should they only be put on dress pants, or on casual pants as well?

A. Recently I was seated on a Manhattan-bound commuter train next to an obviously very clothing-aware guy. As is my habit in such a situation, I struck up a conversation. When it comes to men’s clothes, people are always picking my brain; this time I decided to do the same.

One question I asked him meshed exactly with the one you asked me – cuffs or no? His response agreed exactly with what I believe and what I hoped he would say, “I put cuffs on all my pants.”

I know there are those people who will tell you that dress pants should have cuffs and casual pants do not need them. There are others who think, “Cuffs are for old men; my father wore cuffs.” The truth is that well-dressed men have always worn cuffs. Cuffs are right for the traditionalist and also for the fashion-conscious.

But suppose you are short. The books you have read and the tailor in the store may tell you that cuffs on trousers are better left to tall men. Nonsense! While it is certainly true that short men should avoid most horizontal lines because they tend to shorten them visually, it is ridiculous to think that a horizontal line all the way down near the ground will affect one's apparent height. Since the world’s best-dressed men have always worn – and are currently wearing – cuffs, go with cuffs.

Here is some advice for pants that fit perfectly:  Be sure to have the fitter/tailor measure each leg separately when the pants are in the normal position where you always wear them (and you have filled the pockets with the items you normally carry). Legs can vary in length. Whether you decide on cuffs or not, I recommend a slight break in the crease line. And these days, the emphasis is on the word "slight." Men's styles do change, and currently, now that everything is a bit slimmer and trimmer, even the length of pants has changed, slightly, so the break should not be excessive. The front of the pants should rest only one quarter to three eighths of an inch on the top of your shoe – not so long that they're dragging along but still not so short that people can see your socks. And, seen from the side, the bottom of the trousers should give the illusion of extending downward ever so slightly toward the back. The back of the pants should approach the top of your shoe’s heel.

I must mention that there is one definite exception to the rule about wearing cuffs. The one time when cuffs are never worn is with formal wear – black- tie or white-tie dressing. The style of wearing cuffs originated in England. They were called “turn-ups.” They resulted from a man’s turning up the bottoms of his trousers to protect them from soiling as he walked around his country estate. Accordingly, men wore cuffs on their tweedy suits or country flannels, but not on their formal-dress evening wear.