Does He still guarantee I look good?

[wlu_lax6]

George Zimmer and his smoker's voice out at Men's Warehouse
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/l ... 6739.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Scottie]

McSuits. Pretty much like changing the direction of McDonalds.

That sounds snide, on my part, so I'll be nicer. For many guys, that's not a bad place to buy some threads and look half-decent, convincing, when walking out of there in a cookie cutter cut. It's not bad crap.

I shouldn't talk. I have to wear a suit a couple of times or more each week at work. Every formal outfit I wear is a 1930's cut (or so, give or take a few depression years) suit. Men's fashion never topped that. That's my style, man. Suave. Highly recommended statement. Just you try it on.

Minus the inner-frock jacket; strictly coat pants shirt socks shoes, antique eyeglass frames, impeccable.

Although I do carry a pocket watch. Yet am ordinarily hatless. And, for a writing instrument, I only use a fountain pen; very strict on that.

This raises a serious question for Swampers. What do you do when you must appear in formal wear? Business casual? Standard American office? Prom tux? Wear the same thing to a marriage that you'd wear to a funeral? Do you even give a damn? (Most don't, avec raison) Whaddya sport?

[howard]

This raises a serious question for Swampers. What do you do when you must appear in…

As I am now a sales/biz development guy, I've given a lot of thought to this, and have recently augmented my look(s).

Formal wear? A fucking tux. Vest, bow tie. I have one black with white dots, if whimsy is called for.

Business casual? Sportcoat, colored/stripe shirt, usually no tie. Only if it is a scorcher, >90˚, and the right setting, a polo shirt instead of a dress-style shirt.

Standard American office? Black or blue suit, white shirt, tie. Brooks Brothers/Hugo Boss, depending on degree of flash (none, or just a little respectively). Both houses offer suits with design roots in the 1930s. Check the wiki on old Hugo, you'll see what I mean.

Prom tux? Hasn't been an issue for a few decades. I out-obesed my pimp wear long ago, and never replaced it.

[wlu_lax6]

Formal-Tux with traditional cut (no shaw collar). Vest instead of cummerbun and bow tie. (although I have had to go with a silver tux with tails for a wedding once..5'6" is not a good look for tails.

Business- Dark Suit, Blue or White Shirt (sometimes some collar), and either straight or bow tie. Bow tie typically is for wedding, religious events, funerals, or less work events.

I own a full sear sucker suit. Don't get to rock it too often, but always go bow tie and white shirt (need some summer weddings)


As a Baltimoron I was very pro Joe Banks growing up (before they took private equity and grew outside of Baltimore). High quality and great sales staff. I still can wear my first two suits I bought in college for interviews. Since then Joe Banks quality, marketing, and scam pricing has pushed me away. I have bought a suit at Men's Warehouse..pretty happy with it. With my height, separates are important.

[Shirley]

George Zimmer and his smoker's voice out at Men's Warehouse
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/l ... 6739.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's a gutsy (or arrogant) call by the board. Like it or not, that dude was the face of the company. Any time I saw one of their stores, I thought of him.

I wonder what he did to get axed.

[devilfluff]

This raises a serious question for Swampers. What do you do when you must appear in formal wear? Business casual? Standard American office? Prom tux? Wear the same thing to a marriage that you'd wear to a funeral? Do you even give a damn? (Most don't, avec raison) Whaddya sport?

I'm a pretty informal cat.

I don't own a suit that fits. Its been at least a decade since I wore the one I own.

Bus Cas? Polo or button down w/ khakis- this is my office attire(on the occasions they are graced w/ my presence)

Standard American office? is that some new dress code I'm unaware of? I pretty much thought bus cas was the standard.

Prom tux? 20 years ago or so I rented one...

Marriage vs. Funeral! 1st: is there a difference? Same basic attire- slacks, button-down & tie. Color pallette is just darker for the funeral.

[Johnny Carwash]

My brother worked for Men's Wearhouse for a few years and said it was well-known among employees that George was a massive pothead.

[DSafetyGuy]

I also have a suit purchased from Men's Wearhouse, specifically the same designer as one purchased at a Macy's (or another department store that Macy's swallowed up). Happy with both, including trying to find the same brand when looking to add a third (and possibly fourth) suit to the wardrobe.

The two suits are all-purpose for me, as both have been worn from wedding to funeral to any other occasion that merits that level of dress attire. One is black, the other charcoal pinstripe (and I was looking for additional colors to be square for all seasons - ideally one tan, one light gray).

As an aside, my job normally permits me to wear a t-shirt and jeans - or shorts, if hot enough - to the office, so it's probably not best for me to answer about those.

And yeah, owning four suits would be pretty ridiculous for someone who gets to dress so casually on a regular basis... and will likely never set foot in an office again.

[Reaper]

I own two suits, with three of those that I consider my good suits that were actually tailored, one of them from Men's Wearhouse. I don't plan on over spending a "high-end" suit until I start seeing the majority of the attorneys that I do work for actually care about what they wear. As it is, I'm more dressed up than 75% of them. If I had my druthers, I'd wear jeans and a t-shirt every day.

[Scottie]

I have bought a suit at Men's Warehouse..pretty happy with it. With my height, separates are important.

Interesting. I have a couple of Men's Wearhouse suits in the closet. And I can't think of a thing bad to say about them. (A human male wearing defined style versus an Affliction shirt, well, let's not compare).

After all, being civilized gentlemen, one must present a modicum of dignity.

Y'know, I've had service every bit as good at those Men's Warehouse joints as I've had at pro tailor shops. Maybe I just got lucky but, really, solid salesmen. I bought a couple one day at their shop on Market Street in San Francisco. I was just looking for something immediate but, damn, the dude that sold me two suits that day was as thorough as could be; asked all the right questions, no cynicism, caught on right away that I didn't want to be there and eased me into a good experience. Gay as doorknobs? Sure, but I want a gay guy to style my attire. (Can I get a witness?) Did perfect measurements. Very quick turnaround. Impressive. And, oh, I should say "at the time" is because the woman I was using at the time, her father died. I needed something, wear-wise, conservative; respectful yet forgettable for a going through the motions. Joycean fashion would perhaps have been inappropriate.

Weird thing about me? I have as much so-called formal clothing as I have bummin' around clothing. Which means a lot. A lot. I'd wager that the average guy has way more easy wear than formal wear. For sure. And that's probably like 20-to-1, or more, of tees-sweaters-jeans to dress wear. Way more. That is to say . . . your typical male specimen likely has 20 t-shirts for every one dress shirt. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Show me an outfit properly cut from between 1920 and 1940 and I'm all over that. Hard to find, mind you. Very difficult.

I have no doubt that I'm alone on this one. You look at a photograph of the crowd in a baseball park in, say, 1934. Folks dressed as best they could then, going out in public, day to day daytodayness.

Swamps ago, I posted about my fem and I wearing 1930's clothing to a Chicago White Sox home game one day. As cool as it was, it was also annoying. All afternoon, people wanted to take photos of themselves with us. This vexed me, given that, not so long ago, entire stadiums dressed exactly like us. And we were not making a statement; just two people attending a baseball game. I kept thinking "you are not photographing nostalgia; you are documenting social decline".

Forgive me my imposed eccentricities.

[The Sybian]

Forgive me my imposed eccentricities.

Forgive them? It's what makes the Swamp interesting.

I currently own a Men's Wearhouse suit that I really like. Sure, it is cookie cutter cut, but as a lawyer, making a statement isn't really appropriate for the workplace or courtroom, IMO. I used to own several Hugo Boss suits, as the DHS Agents were displaced after 9/11 and relocated to a building that had Hugo Boss offices and was the site of their semi-annual sample sale, so I scored next season's suit for $200. The sales weren't advertised, so the agents had to tip us off (their most important duty). You'd have to bring it to a tailor, obviously, but those were $800 suits, which is more than I would have ever paid on a government salary. They fit me almost perfectly off the rack, too. Damn I miss looking that good in a suit.

I rarely wear a suit, unless I have a court appearance or interview or something major, but I normally wear dress pants and a dress shirt every day.

[P.D.X.]

I have a couple of tailored numbers. My favorite is this exact one:



And the other is a ghost-pinstripe, navy blue, 2-button that I picked up in Medellín. Shame that I rarely have an occasion to sport a blue suit. (It killed at a Kentucky Derby party, however.)

I had to purchase a Macy's outfit for a wedding I'm in this summer. It tailored up nicely, but the armholes are too low and the shoulders too wide, no doubt the result of the designers anticipating a fit-all solution geared towards more bulbous figures. It was rather inexpensive though, relatively speaking.

[howard]

Interesting. I have a couple of Men's Wearhouse suits in the closet. And I can't think of a thing bad to say about them.

Y'know, I've had service every bit as good at those Men's Warehouse joints as I've had at pro tailor shops. Maybe I just got lucky but, really, solid salesmen.

Let me go on at length.

I had never set foot in a Brooks Brothers store in my life. This spring, when I started this new sales job, my nice suits were too tight on me, and my fat suits sucked. I needed something that fit, now, that was sharp and conservative.

The service I received in Brooks Brothers sucked. Smug, condescending attitude, barely camouflaged with a fake obsequiousness. That camo dropped as soon as it was evident I knew how the fuck to buy a suit, and how it should fit (you learn a few tricks by this advanced age). I don't need that, and I will not be returning.

But the two suits are quite nice, fit well despite my lumpy body, after well-executed alterations done by the store (because it was faster than my own tailor).

I had asked around my friends for advice on a conservative, American cut suit. One of my college roommates was visiting, and I asked him what he thought about BB: "Well, I've always thought their cut was too boxy. Then again, your build now days is kinda boxy."

This was the first time in ages I bought a suit retail at a luxury brand store. Maybe Nordstroms when my dad died 30 years ago (a nice Donna Karan, I was a grad student and owned nothing appropriate.) Sample sales, Barney's warehouse sale, Nordstrom's Rack and 2 serious relationships 25 years apart with gals who worked at Bloomingdales (sale+employee discount= Hugo Boss suit for under $400, 2008 dollars).

For most of my medical career, I've needed a suit maybe twice a year. White coat, tie, slacks. Sportcoat for 'business' meetings with doctors. Even that was rare; 95% I show up in t-shirt or sweater and jeans, and immediately change into operating room scrubs. Since I did not have to dress up for work, it was and still is fun to dress up. So far I'm only wearing a suit maybe two days a week for sales calls. I am looking forward to regaining some semblance of a normal shape, (ten pounds gone, twenty to go), so I can fit into my Hugo Bosses, and so I have an excuse to buy more nice clothes. Shit, maybe at Men's Wearhouse. (Since Barney's Warehouse sale went online and jumped the shark.)

/hockeyintermission

[Steve of phpBB]

As Syb alluded to, I wear a suit for camouflage. I don't want my clothes to be noticed when I'm in court.

All my suits are from the Men's Wearhouse. I'm not going to look that good no matter what I wear, so why fight it?

[govmentchedda]

Interesting. I have a couple of Men's Wearhouse suits in the closet. And I can't think of a thing bad to say about them.

Y'know, I've had service every bit as good at those Men's Warehouse joints as I've had at pro tailor shops. Maybe I just got lucky but, really, solid salesmen.

Let me go on at length.

I had never set foot in a Brooks Brothers store in my life. This spring, when I started this new sales job, my nice suits were too tight on me, and my fat suits sucked. I needed something that fit, now, that was sharp and conservative.

The service I received in Brooks Brothers sucked. Smug, condescending attitude, barely camouflaged with a fake obsequiousness. That camo dropped as soon as it was evident I knew how the fuck to buy a suit, and how it should fit (you learn a few tricks by this advanced age). I don't need that, and I will not be returning.

But the two suits are quite nice, fit well despite my lumpy body, after well-executed alterations done by the store (because it was faster than my own tailor).

I had asked around my friends for advice on a conservative, American cut suit. One of my college roommates was visiting, and I asked him what he thought about BB: "Well, I've always thought their cut was too boxy. Then again, your build now days is kinda boxy."

This was the first time in ages I bought a suit retail at a luxury brand store. Maybe Nordstroms when my dad died 30 years ago (a nice Donna Karan, I was a grad student and owned nothing appropriate.) Sample sales, Barney's warehouse sale, Nordstrom's Rack and 2 serious relationships 25 years apart with gals who worked at Bloomingdales (sale+employee discount= Hugo Boss suit for under $400, 2008 dollars).

For most of my medical career, I've needed a suit maybe twice a year. White coat, tie, slacks. Sportcoat for 'business' meetings with doctors. Even that was rare; 95% I show up in t-shirt or sweater and jeans, and immediately change into operating room scrubs. Since I did not have to dress up for work, it was and still is fun to dress up. So far I'm only wearing a suit maybe two days a week for sales calls. I am looking forward to regaining some semblance of a normal shape, (ten pounds gone, twenty to go), so I can fit into my Hugo Bosses, and so I have an excuse to buy more nice clothes. Shit, maybe at Men's Wearhouse. (Since Barney's Warehouse sale went online and jumped the shark.)

/hockeyintermission

Other than their dress shirts, that are massively oversized, I like BB clothes. Their service is always exactly as you mentioned though. I fucking hate going in there.

[Scottie]

Great thread. Tremendous thread. And, wlu, it's not about lacrosse! (Couldn't resist that jab)

I won't quote all of the above because all of the above is great excellent Swamping and it's, well, already above. Howard, Syb, PDX, Reap, Ched, DSG, solid stuff all around.

Steve? C'mon. Gimme some Berkeley here brother. You and I went to a school where a guy walked around naked for a couple of years. Trust me on this, any men's fashion rises above the average Cal alum on pick a given day. Get some gear, eh? Didn't you ever happen by Wasteland while wandering the Haight? And stop with the self-deprecating nowhereness. I could outfit you in suave manner in mere hours. I'm thinking a mid-century Senator look would rock on you. No, not McCarthy black but a nice heavy dark Navy blue with cobalt accents.

No idea if Johnnie ever followed up on it but, when we phone chatted before he left for Korea, I emphasized that he find a tailor there. As with most people that engage in conversation with me, he doubtlessly thought I was loonie. Yet, it's the way to go. Visit a local tailor and order a custom headtotoe? About a hundred bucks American for something that is a once in a lifetime look and would cost that twentyfold stateside. Why the Johnnie mention? I got classic Korean garb, which would cost thousands and thousands over here, for about a hundred bucks in Gyeong-ju. That's a couple of things. The classic 17th-century Korean court wear. And the traditional Korean Tae-Kyun robes (which I studied the entire time I was there). So I hope he picked up something. Clothing, I mean.

As example, my wife is from Hong Kong. We inevitably had to visit the family. ("Hello, I'm the White guy your daughter married.") When we tripped over there, couple of years ago, I scored a suit cut to my inches for $500 (Canadian). Would have cost about $3000 here. Oddly, if you watch Bourdain's shows, you'll see him pull the same trick. And a fantastic turnaround. Saturday morning measurement; Sunday afternoon pick-up. And good? Oh, yeah. Quality? Look? Fuck me, I want to be buried in this.

Back to our sheep. What's suave about the 1930's cut men's suit is not the pretension. There's nothing hipster about it (I'd kill myself if it came to that). Examine the lines, look at the design. And, when occasionally donning a period hat, this is a solid look.

Don't underestimate footwear. These for instance:



Okay, well, that is the shoes we were forced to wear at the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Commune. Still somewhat suave, though, eh?

I, naturally, gravitated toward that early 20th century look. Size 13 in that era is not an easy find.

Those shoes? And a 30's suit? And a worn fedora? You can't out-cool that.

[Scottie]

Let me go on at length.

Y'know, do we have to have a suave-off?

Hands down, this is the most interesting Swamp thread I've read in years. Considering thread.

Heavily encourage all of the lads to chime in; it's a worthy wonder what we wear as ourselves. For fun or by character. Workplace or wandering.

[BTTG]

Thankfully, work only requires a suit maybe one day a week, on average, so I don't need to have a wardrobe full of them. But I would definitely recommend getting at least one shit-hot suit that costs a bit. Don't buy it off the rack and think "Well, it's a bit *****, but no one will notice", do some work and have it properly altered. I have two, the one I got married in last year and a second that I could have been married in, and the extra cost is worth it. I wear them to everything important.

We have a Men's Wearhouse equivalent in the UK called Moss Brothers. Like the US version, it's decent, you can walk out with a nice enough looking suit having spent £200/$300. But you won't get the choice of cut or maker, not to mention the quality of materials, you get from going to a high end retailer and trying on a load of different types, to find a maker that suits your body. I desperately needed a suit on short notice a couple of years ago, bought one there, got a bit of use out of it, before my wife pointed out that I could probably fit both of my legs in one leg of the trousers. It's gone to the charity shop.

Cut is everything. I have a fairly slim build (occasional beer belly aside), so looking at most English makes is a complete waste of time, they are made for bigger men and just do not fit. Ditto Brooks Brothers, men with bigger builds probably look OK in them (we'll leave aside the fact that, aesthetically and stylistically, Brooks Brothers is the Christopher Cross of suit makers), but I look like an 8-year old trying on his dad's kit when I wear one (and I still do have one as an emergency back-up). Armani and Zegna are where I splurged, the latter a suggestion from the wife; even if I didn't like a specific suit, at least the way they, and Italian suits in general, are made suits my body type really well. That's another point - if you need a good suit, take a woman. Mine convinced me that even though it was still ludicrously expensive at 50% off, it was a good investment given how well it fit. Frustratingly, she was exactly right.

This applies to shirts, too, by the way. There is no point buying a great suit if you wear a shirt that isn't also in line with your body. TM Lewin are a British maker that do this well for me and are very cheap, they are great for everyday office/business casual wear. But like suits, I can't wear shirts from Thomas Pink, Brooks Brothers, Charles Tyrwhitt or some of the other standard, cheaper shirt makers. Pink don't even make my size. The others make me look like Homer in that episode where he works at home and has to start wearing a muumuu. For the wedding, I went with a Tom Ford tailored shirt - while amazing to wear, a purchase of that magnitude won't be happening, ever again.

Formal-wear, surprisingly, I'm not as fussed about since I need it maybe once a year. I wouldn't wear an ordinary suit though, tuxedos are cheap enough you can always have one on hand if needed. My tux is from the aforementioned Moss Bros, it's an off the rack job and it fits pretty well, considering I didn't bother to have it altered. With a tux, I'm more concerned with style, I hate bow ties, so it has to be a more modern, skinny, straight tie on a modern cut.

[A_B]

I wear a suit about three times a year, depending ont he local death rates in the family. I got two suits at Men's Wearhouse that ended up being tailored really well. One of them is a bit too big now, but the other works well.

The guy that did my measuring used to own his own store in Lexington but couldn't keep it open as the rent got higher. Said he still liked putting people in suits and the MW was still able to let him do that. If you got someone who wasn't good at taking measurements it could be a disaster.

[elflaco]

These days, as i'm 'working' from my basement office, i'm rocking the cargo shorts and assortment of t-shirts, of which I have far too many, in fact i found my college freshmen year party t-shirt.. some of you may remember the designs based on the old absolut vodka ads, anyway, i digress.
of course it drives the missus crazy, as i'm seen about town in ratty tee's and cargo shorts, either in sockless vans or sambas or adidas sandals.

Own my tux, a Joseph Abboud. For HS prom, actually used my dad's wedding tux which fit me rather nicely. That of course, was 50lbs and a-hell-of-a-lot-more-hair-on-my-head-ago.

while working in TZ.. polo shirts and dress slacks.
two tailored suits, one bought while in Shanghai two years ago (tailor came to the hotel on the wednesday night, brought the completed suit on the saturday night), the other one, from Arturo Calle, bought in Bogota a few years ago. Same cut, one charcoal, the other midnight blue -- both pinstriped. The closet also contains a black (athletic cut) Oscar de la Renta, a Raph Lauren and a very old, but rather nice Bert Pulitzer (from Hecht's back in the day)
truth be told, despite my lounge wear, for work i like wearing suits... wish i had more opportunity to really dress up on social outings, but when those tend to be centered around futbol, the pub or the busy social calendar of a 7 year old... man, i miss the days we used to go to the opera all dressed up.

always wanted to wear a hat. used to in hs.. not quite a fedora and long trenchcoat. who knows, the way i'm going a fedora to cover the growing pate might be a necessity rather than a mere fashion eccentricity.

[testy boxcar]

I had a friend mention to me a few months ago that almost every guy wears dress shirts a size too big for them. I got a medium from Banana Republic and all be damn if it doesn't look a hell of a lot better on me than a large!

The biggest pain in the ass from losin' weight was having to buy a whole new wardrobe, going from XL shirts to M and 38-32 to 33-31 pants. I've got my business casual and casual covered, finally and expensively, but only two (old) suits that fit and one new sport coat. And a lot of suits that don't fit.

If anyone needs some 44R sport coats, let me know!

[Sabo]

Sounds like you need to change your username from testy boxcar to sexy boxcar!

[elflaco]

The biggest pain in the ass from losin' weight was having to buy a whole new wardrobe, going from XL shirts to M and 38-32 to 33-31 pants. I've got my business casual and casual covered, finally and expensively, but only two (old) suits that fit and one new sport coat. And a lot of suits that don't fit.

If anyone needs some 44R sport coats, let me know!

i have 48R sports coats.
and 38x30 dress pants.. corduroys too.
too big now.

[The Sybian]

The biggest pain in the ass from losin' weight was having to buy a whole new wardrobe, going from XL shirts to M and 38-32 to 33-31 pants. I've got my business casual and casual covered, finally and expensively, but only two (old) suits that fit and one new sport coat. And a lot of suits that don't fit.


corduroys too.
too big now.

Oooh, the fabric of Kings!

[testuser2]

I live and work in a college town. I have three sport coats, one suit, two decent ties, and one pocket square. In order to get the suit someone needs to die. The last time I wore it I had to take a dump on the side of the road after eating some of this stuff at a wake. The sport coats are mainly taken to conferences or when teaching. I really don't have "nice" clothing. The same stuff I wear to work I can wear out around town.

I wouldn't mind having some decent stuff to wear when I travel to the big city. It's just not a priority and I'm cheap. I'd rather spend my money on a better lawn tractor.

[Johnny Hotcakes]

I don't have much to add, but I'll chime in. Since my job requires business casual attire, I rarely need a suit for professional reasons. Therefore, I am heavy on the dress pants/shirts, but light on the suits. That said, I've slowly come to realize over the years that there are a few scenarios that I consistently find myself in that require a specific type of suit. I have three suits specifically for those occasions:

-A very sharp and well-tailored, but understated, dark suit. A classic look. The only time I've really spent a fair amount on a suit. I wear this when I want to look good, but not in a flashy, ostentatious way (ie job interviews, funerals, weddings of those who I'm not particularly close with, etc.)

-A flashy, cream coloured suit. Much more risque (for me, anyway). I wear this in situations where I let loose and want to stand out a bit (ie weddings of good friends).

-A Men's Warehouse-type suit. I bought this several years ago before I had any clue (not that I do now), but it still comes in handy whenever I don't want to wear either of my expensive suits. Ie, I've been to weddings in Guatemala and Peru in the last five years, and for the week prior I did some backpacking. Didn't think it was worth dragging around an expensive suit in those instances. I also wear this when I go to weddings of my redneck friends from my redneck hometown, as they inevitably turn into complete shit shows.

[Johnny Hotcakes]

Also, I balked for the longest time at buying a nice suit. Mostly due to being cheap. But it's totally been worth it to have a go-to suit whenever it is needed, and I figure that it will last at least ten years. Unless I get fat.

[Scottie]

I had a friend mention to me a few months ago that almost every guy wears dress shirts a size too big for them.

I'm guilty of that. I wear XL dress shirts even though I'm barely an L. And I have (and I'm somewhat ashamed to admit this) about a hundred of them. I'm 6'1", 175, and simply do not need XL wear. Yet I gravitate to it. Why? Probably some psychological insecurity or a history of hockey jerseys.

Very strict dress code when on-site at work (which is mostly in banks). Very strict. So I figure, what the heck go for it. Even if the job is crawling around on the floor under desks swapping USB cables, you still have to dress mafioso. And the snooty club at which I hang out on occasion demands formality. But, damn, they have gorgeous snooker tables. (I played on a brand new Birmingham Regent a few days ago and just about lost my mind over its magnificence.)

I don't want anything too tight. Anyone else think this way? Boxcar quotes that almost every guy wears dress shirts a size too big for them. That's strictly comfort, right? Superman tight dress shirts are an annoyance.

There is inevitably at least a foot to 18 inches of shirt that get tucked into pants. This strikes me as a fundamental design flaw.

[sancarlos]

I wear suits about twenty-thirty times a year. I have two really good suits by Hugo Boss, that I got at Nordstrom. I also have a few older ones, including a couple Men's Wearhouse. The MW ones are are name brands, but noticeably lighter weight, so I wear them in summer. Normally, I much prefer my regular casual dress, but on occasion, it feels really good to wear a crisply starched dress shirt, nice suit and tie. Just, not too often.

eta: re the discussion of shirt size, I think it's important not to have the neck too tight!

[Scottie]

eta: re the discussion of shirt size, I think it's important not to have the neck too tight!

No kidding, eh? I swear dress shirt manufacturers deliberately make the neck too tight. Why the heck is it too much to ask to have a nice dress shirt, upon which one may wear a tie, that doesn't feel like a trip to the gallows? I don't believe I've ever found a dress shirt on which I could button the top button without feeling like I was suffering some self-inflicted asphyxiation.

[DSafetyGuy]

I will second the service at Men's Wearhouse. Several years ago, my wife's grandfather passed away in late February back in Pennsylvania. As a resident of southern California, I did not have an overcoat. Called the closest MW, but while they did not have one on hand, they checked their local inventory in their system and found one of their other locations had one. They gave me the location info, including manager's name. Called that one, they asked my size, checked their inventory, and told me they would hold it for me to pick up. Drove out the next morning (Sunday), they brought it out, and the associate said, "it's a 42, not a 40 (my coat size), because you'll want a little extra room since you're wearing it over a suit." Simple, yet perfect advice, no muss, no fuss.

Scottie, those shoes are fantastic.

In general about suits, you should absolutely give a shit about your shirt color and tie, including pattern, when selecting them. You don't need to go overboard, but a good color combo and tie pattern, especially with a pinstriped suit, goes a long, long way. Even though my suits are basic ones from MW in black and charcoal pinstripe, every time I wear one, I get at least one compliment about how I look and I am certain it is influenced by the shirt and tie more than the actual suit.

[Johnnie]

This raises a serious question for Swampers. What do you do when you must appear in formal wear? Business casual? Standard American office? Prom tux? Wear the same thing to a marriage that you'd wear to a funeral? Do you even give a damn? (Most don't, avec raison) Whaddya sport?

Luckily for me, the question of what I wear to work is predetermined and will be for the next 8+ years. Airman Battle Uniform. Unless the Air Force needs to promote a new general and thus changes the scope of everything again -- like, for example, on this once propsed level or even this one for the service dress -- I hope to wear only those.

For more formal wear? Full service dress blues. There's also a semi-formal uniform as well. (One just substitutes the blues shirt for a white dress shirt and forgoes the flight cap and name tag altogether.) In my opinion, the semi formal looks better. On the same level as the semi-formal is the mess dress uniform. (Shown in the pic with the semi formal attire.) I won't have to wear it now, but I'm pretty sure with either my next rank or if I ever do end up going officer I'll have to purchase it.

Now here's what's great -- and I say this sarcastically -- the material this shit is made of is utter dreck. Piss poor cloth on a McSuit level that makes the Men's Wearhouse look like an issue of Esquire. See, my dad was a tailor all of his life. He made clothes from scratch. I grew up around silkscreens, heat presses, embroidery, and rolls and rolls of uncut cloth. When he and my mom came to visit me in 2002 at Barkatraz AFB, Loser-anna, he immediately wanted to go to clothing sales to see what we were outfitted with. I believe he and his father tried to get a contract with the DoD to make uniforms but were underbid. The military always goes to the lowest bidder. Always. So...he wanted to see what he lost to. He was absolutely beside himself. Every jacket, shirt, pair of pants, and service coat was disgusting him. Lengths weren't correct. Dimples where the sleeves met the jacket. Uneven lapels. And most of all, the material. Exasperated, he turned to me, and in full Dad Voice went They seriously make you wear this fucking shit? I can't believe it. Get me the fuck outta here. The clerk's mouth dropped open, stunned. And then we left and went to dinner. He was facepalming about the revelation the rest of his visit.

No idea if Johnnie ever followed up on it but, when we phone chatted before he left for Korea, I emphasized that he find a tailor there. As with most people that engage in conversation with me, he doubtlessly thought I was loonie. Yet, it's the way to go. Visit a local tailor and order a custom headtotoe? About a hundred bucks American for something that is a once in a lifetime look and would cost that twentyfold stateside.

Oh, and I did. Mr. Lim. He's been there for 30 years. He's a bit more expensive than other tailors, but I believe his product is worth it. I got 6 suits, 3 shirts, and a couple ties for around $1,800. He even embroidered my friggin' name into a label inside of it! That was delightful. But what sold me on him? Well, when you walk in it smells like high end fabric. You know the smell. Also, around the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling, there are autographed pictures of every general, colonel, and who's who of Korea with thank yous for the quality and craftsmanship. If full birds to 4 stars with all their money and prestige thank you, it sends a message. Also, when I expressed my desire to buy some suits he asked what squadron I was with. Without missing a beat after telling him, he states my commander's full name. Kind of a whoa moment right there too. I thought back to my squadron's Christmas party and by far my commander had the best suit on. It caught your eye amongst the crowd. So...sold! I can't wait to wear them. Now when will I wear them? Not sure. Probably Christmas or, hell, in Europe fashion is a thing, maybe when I take someone somewhere in order to make an impression. We shall see.

So, I gave him pictures from GQ of several suits I wanted, and within a few weeks they were all done. Best part is, he'll keep my vitals on record. So whenever I get the bug to get another suit, I find the picture, email it to him, and pay for the suit plus $20 shipping and voila!, Johnnie has a new set of clothes.

[testuser2]

Back to the original topic...

"Mr. Zimmer reversed his long-standing position against taking the company private by arguing for a sale of the Men's Wearhouse to an investment group," the company's board of directors wrote Tuesday in a statement it made public.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/men-s-wea ... 28434.html

[wlu_lax6]

Joe Banks makes unsolicited bid for Men's Warehouse

[Brontoburglar]

buying jeans that fit is a bigger pain in the butt (literally?) than it should be

[rass]

bump

[brian]

Going to a wedding in Mexico in November and the bride has dictated that everyone wear white (don't ask), so using this opportunity to just go ahead and buy a seersucker suit. I've been thinking about it and this is the impetus to finally pull the trigger. I might have to wear a suit once or twice a year but when I do it's usually hot as hell and/or summer so the math works.

[sancarlos]

Going to a wedding in Mexico in November and the bride has dictated that everyone wear white (don't ask), so using this opportunity to just go ahead and buy a seersucker suit. I've been thinking about it and this is the impetus to finally pull the trigger. I might have to wear a suit once or twice a year but when I do it's usually hot as hell and/or summer so the math works.

That is the female equivalent of a dick move. (Cunt move?) It's not like any guy typically has a white suit in the closet (unless you are Magic Johnson or Diddy.)

Similarly, when my brother got married a couple years ago, his wife-to-be requested all the women wear red. Thank gawd she made no requests of the men. The marriage lasted six months, as my brother was unfortunately the last person to realize he was marrying a horrible person.

[brian]

Somewhat in her defense, it's not very formal so I could have probably skated with a white polo shirt and khakis or even just a white dress shirt no tie with khakis, but I've been thinking about getting a seersucker suit for awhile anyway. I don't expect a lot of dudes to be wearing suits and women have like 10 of every single color in their closets, so it's not as onerous as it could be.

[govmentchedda]

Do they make all white seersucker?