Post: #26

(03-05-2015 02:14 AM)se7en Wrote:  I work in a big office, major market, and I have never seen anyone in suspenders. If I was to see a guy below 45 in suspenders I would probably hate on him in my head. The only people I see in suspenders are Larry King, and also fat guys who are not capable of wearing a belt. However, my opinion may be biased because I saw a very fat guy wearing suspenders a few days ago and chuckled at him, so thats the image I have associated with suspenders right now.



but, down for:

Looking to under 45's for style advice, particularly the current crop of perma-kids, isn't necessarily a definitive guide to looking your best in formal wear.

There's obviously a lot more leeway in casual fashion (and that's why these dorks don't get lynched for wearing wooly hats on summer days, or suspenders with their spray on skinny jeans). For formal wear though, classic cuts are the only thing you should mess with. Everyone thinks they are such a special little snowflake these days, that they can express themselves by not conforming and 'livening up' the staid classic cut that only 'squares' would wear. The reality is they are simply manifesting their ignorance, and the only people they impress are those that don't know better.

The whole point of classic tailoring is that you are getting a uniform tailored. A suit is a uniform, and uniforms should broadly conform. To those that understand classic style, there are a plethora of ways to add flair to a suit, without trying to scream 'look at me'. This is mainly done through choice of fabric/lining/choice of stripe/fabric pattern, although you can play around with the number of buttons and things like that too.

To go back to the braces thing - items of clothing exist for a purpose - for example wooly hats to keep your head warm when it is cold. If you go out and wear a wooly hat with a t-shirt in summer, like many of these hipsters do, you just look like a wanker, and anyone who doesn't think so is probably a wanker themselves, so why would you actively court their approval? Same principle for braces.

To be more controversial, you should never wear a belt with a suit either, it just makes you look like a car salesman. Formal wear should be, or at least appear, tailored. Tailored clothes do not need to be held up at the waist like some kind of hessian sack. This is part of the reason for braces. It's more subtle than 'they keep your trousers up' - it's that they keep your trousers in the exact position to project the look of tailored perfection and military (this is a military style ultimately) style precision and pride in your appearance.

Post: #27

^ I always thought it was standard to wear a belt with suits, no?


http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8383/fulllength2.jpg

Post: #28

(03-05-2015 11:34 AM)se7en Wrote:  ^ I always thought it was standard to wear a belt with suits, no?


http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8383/fulllength2.jpg

Again, I'm talking in a strictly classical sense - if you want to wear a suit for something other than the purpose for which it was originally intended, that is entirely up to you. But no, a well tailored suit should not be worn with a belt, that's pretty much sacrilege.

In the photo you attached, a classically tailored suit would:

A. Be worn with a tie. A suit is a formal, smart piece of clothing. Wearing it without a tie is something a lot of people do, but it looks shit in my opinion, and is no different to wearing a wooly hat in the sun - either you're dressing up to look formal and smart, or you're casual (casual could still be chinos/dark jeans, quality open-necked shirt, and a blazer.

B. Be worn at the correct height around the waist, not around the hips. The reason the person in the picture above needs a belt is because the waistband of his trousers is round his hips like some kind of rapper, rather than up around his waist where it should be. There is a reason a tailor will ask you whether you dress left or right. Your dick, when your suit trousers are properly worn, will sit naturally to one side of the crutch of your trousers. Unless you're Lexington Steele, that ain't happening in that picture. The waistband of your trousers should be up near your belly button. In the picture posted by Basil Ransom earlier in the thread, look how high up the man's back those trousers come. Look at the way the seam of the trousers is quite tight through the crutch, helping to give shape to the backside and legs. The natural continuation of that seam runs with similar tightness up the front side.

Braces then are worn to hang the trousers so that they fall immaculately and with a straight crease down to your shoe. Strapping your trousers to you with a belt causes the fabric to bunch, does not allow the material to hang how the tailor intended, and puts a kink in the crease of your trousers. If you look again at the photo you posted, that person's trousers are bunched at the bottom of the leg, and are pooling on the top of the shoe. You can have a little more leeway with a linen suit, but a formal suit should appear as such.

Post: #29

Braces > Suspenders. I have the buttons on all my suits and my tux so I have an option vs. a belt.

Post: #30

(03-05-2015 11:49 AM)H1N1 Wrote:  

(03-05-2015 11:34 AM)se7en Wrote:  ^ I always thought it was standard to wear a belt with suits, no?


http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8383/fulllength2.jpg

Again, I'm talking in a strictly classical sense - if you want to wear a suit for something other than the purpose for which it was originally intended, that is entirely up to you. But no, a well tailored suit should not be worn with a belt, that's pretty much sacrilege.

I concur fully!

Suit trousers should not even have belt loops. For under no circumstances can a belt be worn with a tailored suit. Furthermore, a tailored suit should be the only garment with which braces are worn. That is true unless you are going to work, then it's to expose the work suspenders!

Post: #31

Fully agree with Avian Flu's comments. Though a suit is technically not formal wear, but informal. Black tie is semiformal, white tie is formal.

Post: #32

Good with suits, gimmicky with jeans or other low rise trousers. Clip-ons are for costumes.
You'll want two things: a high waist on your trousers, and a slightly loose fit on the waistband. They don't really work with trousers close-fitting enough to hold up by themselves, e.g. with side-adjusters. Definitely bring them to fittings and let the tailor know your preference beforehand.
Albert Thurston makes some good ones.