If you are a man you need at least one suit. It should be dark blue or black. It should also not be too fancy. It needs to be "suit"able for funerals, weddings, job interviews… that sort of thing. From there, everything else is gravy. I find “Jones New York” makes a nice 1st suit, suit.
When looking at a suit, I look at quality and cost. I hate paying a lot for a suit. You can have one custom made for around a thousand dollars. That’s a hard bill to pay. One of the best places I have found is a place called S&K menswear. One time they had a sale going where I got 2 suits, 2 shirts and 2 ties for $250. The brand is Kilburne & Finch, and I must say, I like them, for the price, they’re great for me. They carry a brand called Roberto Villini that makes good shirts and ties. So that is a good place to go.
Another designer I like for shirts and ties is Hugo Boss. Best shirt I ever owned is a Hugo Boss.
Saks Fifth Ave. is a good place to find a fine quality suit, but it hurts to pay what they ask for them. There’s a partner store called Off fifth that I think they send over stock and last years fashions to. It can be found in outlets.
I found a cool site called Zappos.com for shoes. The best shoes I’ve had are Bally shoes. But they are pricy. I also like Johnson & Murphy, florshiem and Bostonians. But I always go for wingtips, and that may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
So let’s discuss “class” a little bit. Fancy is not always classy. Where do you go? What looks do you go for? I’ll give some time before I elaborate more on what I normally shoot for as far as “style” goes.
You forgot charcoal, which is a way more versatile suit than blue or black.
Make sure the damn thing fits - get it tailored so you don’t look like a dork.
Tie your tie correctly. DO NOT use a windsor knot unless you’re 80 and going to a meeting of the Elks. A four in hand is fine. Spend good money on your tie, and no silly ties.
A dress shirt in a light cream shade rather than a pure white is better for a variety of reasons.
Don’t wear scuffed, old, or otherwise ugly shoes. Unless you’re a lady, match your socks to your suit and not your shoes.
IMO you should drop about 250$ or so on a general purpose suit. It doesn’t matter whether or not you actually HAVE 250$. You need a fucking suit period and you can’t do shit in a the 90$ special at Penny’s. You need something you can wear anywhere and look fucking good in. On the other hand, your suit CAN look too good. I see a lot of guys running around, especially out of Texas and shit, looking like fucking pimps. If you have gators on, you’re fucking up.
True. I just got a suit at Mens Warehouse and spent a touch over $300 with the tailoring. I don’t usually like going there because I think they are a little high on the price side of things, but they are very good with customer service, and have a good alteration policy. If they ever alter a seam, they will redo that seam for life at no charge, at least that’s what they say. I was in a bit of a pinch, I need a new suit now, and they got it together in less than a week. I generally like to take the time to find the best suit for the best price.
And you are right about the gators. Too fancy is not classy, it’s pimpy.
Also, I think you could get away with a brown belt with brown shoes with a blue suit, but you are better off with black. Plus, for guys that just have one suit. They should have one pair of black shoes, a black belt. Or if they want to be all Larry King, they can do the braces. I don’t like that look though, I think it’s for fat guys these days. I’d go for a vest over the braces, but then again, I don’t have any 3 pieces atm.
If you only have one suit, it needs to be navy blue or black and you need to be rocking black shoes and a black belt. Brown can work, but its not an all occassion type thing like black is, so if you only have one get up, go with black.
I’m still a young buck so I don’t have a pair of dress hoes. They look uncomfortable as hell! What would be a nice pair that are also comfortable for long periods of time?
I’m still a young buck so I don’t have a pair of dress hoes. They look uncomfortable as hell! What would be a nice pair that are also comfortable for long periods of time?
With shoes its a get what you pay for sort of thing. The good thing about high quality shoes/boots is that they can always be polished and re-soled when you wear them out. A good quality pair of shoes can last for years. Expect to spend some money, but if you do at least you only cry once.
Also, in addition to suits, for when the occasion is casual but you still want to look nice, it never hurts to have a couple blazers/sport coats. You can throw one of those on and its like instant “dirtbag be gone” even if you’re wearing jeans.
And one more thing…ask mom or a girl, but I know I might get some shit for this, but if you have a gay friend, ask him. Then run what he says by a girl to weed out the gayness. Just in case. There’s a reason they’re running the fashion industry and edit all the mens magazines. They know their stuff.
I have two, raw italian silk suits. one in olive which is beautifully cut, and one in gray thats like a sort-of crosshatch pattern. i look like a lawyer when I wear that baby. i don’t have a black suit, but i have enough black clothes to get by, nice shirts and dress pants and stuff.
i have some black leather shoes that were made by dockers, whcih look pretty nice and are very comfortable. also durable, considering ive been working in them for a couple of years. had to take them in to a shoemaker to have a seam redone but they’re fine now.
