Men's business attire advice - YouLookFab Forum

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice on men's suiting. My husband had an urgent need for a suit the other day. He hasn't bought a suit in over ten years. He went to Nordstrom (disclaimer: I wasn't involved in this at all), decided against a suit and picked a pair of slacks and a blazer instead, because he thought it would be more versatile. He worked with a Nordstrom salesperson, and while I always felt it's a fairly safe bet, I am just not sure about the results.

The blazer, or a "sportscoat" is light brown and black houndstooth, a silk/wool blend. The shoulders are square, and padding kind of extends beyond his shoulders. It fits him fine in the chest, so I think it may be the intended fit? I have no idea about men's clothing fit and Nordies assured him it was fine. Somehow I can't help but think it's a more "mature" style - and even though he is nearing 40, he is short and thin and very sporty and it just doesn't look right to me. Maybe I am not used to it, but it's the type of jacket I would imagine on an older portly businessman

The jacket is not online, unfortunately. My question is - is there such a thing as a versatile blazer for men that can be worn both on business occasions and outside and still look moderately hip? I think that would be his preference. Any brands we should look at? Any other advice or input is welcome.

Thank you very much!

17 years ago

Sarah

(website)

Veteran

Marianne, My husband is 27 but his job is more "mature" as are the people he works with. His boss is in his 40s and is a stickler for professional wear. My husband has had the most luck at Express. He can still dress professionally, but not "old". He has even purchased suits here, and we love the fits. He also has purchased several sport coats. One in a chocolate brown with faint chalk and navy pinstripes. Unfortunately he lost weight, so this blazer no longer fits him. I'd be willing to swap it to you depending on what size your husband wears. I think this jacket is a 42 or 44 and its hardly been worn. Bryan wore it with graphic tees and jeans or button down shirts and pants. He also has a grey suit with pale blue pinstripes...
http://www.express.com/catalog.....goryId=203

marianne

Active Member

Thank you Sarah! He is a 38 though. Express seems to be very current, at least for women, so I do wonder is their fit is more updated and would work better for him. I do like the idea of pinstripe or even houdstooth because I think it's easier to match or dress down - am I right about that?

In our experience (my husband is also a 38 in jackets and a 32 in pants) Express makes the best clothes for smaller frames. We do like getting pinstripe blazers because they are more versatile for Bryan.
He recently got a black corduroy blazer at Express that he (and I) absolutely love.
You do have to wade through the skull and cross bone tees and the torn, faded jeans, but the dress attire at Express Men is quite nice.
A tip: Bryan wears a small usually, but he takes a M in the fitted style dress shirts at Express. They told us that this cut is patterned after a more European cut, which is much more slender at the waist than the classic fits.
Good luck!
Oh, we occasionally do find things for Bryan at Banana Republic as well. Their dress pants are especially nice.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

I’d love to advise, Marianne. I have male clients too and actually, suiting and sports coats are tricky. I have passed on many Nordies suits during closet cleanups because they weren’t right. Unfortunately, Nordies suiting area is not a safe bet at all. Is there anyway you can post a visual? My tools are blunt otherwise.

Thanks Angie! Both husband and the jacket are already on the east coast, hence the urgency. We still might be able to return it. I doubt I'll be able to convince him to let me take a picture but I'll see. I know it would make things a lot easier! So there aren't any general fit guidelines? Would you recommend any other places to look? I feel like this jacket is a bit overwhelming but I can't quite pinpoint why. Oh, and it has 3 buttons. Is it a good thing or bad?

P.S. I did a quick search - the jacket looks similar to this one but with 3 buttons:
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....ryID=33633

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