Ask Angie: Do ALL men need a suit?

Ele

I feel like the answer to this is going to be immediately "yes" but hear me out

My boyfriend doesn't own a suit, and hasn't since he was little. As a designer, he works in mainly creative environments and pretty much wears what he likes to work- usually boots, slim dark jeans, and a collared shirt with a sweater/cardigan on top. He even gets away with a version of this look for interviews (obviously with very new, pressed items). He loves clothes and dressing well, but so far has never needed to invest in a suit.

The reason this is coming up now is our friends' wedding in Canada next month. He assumed for a long time that he'd have to buy a suit for this, and I did as well. The other day we were talking to my sister, though, and she reckons that he can get away with something slightly less formal, either his regular look with a jacket on top, or a shirt/tie/cardigan combo with dressier wool trousers. I haven't been to a wedding for a good ten years now, so I don't know either way.

If he decides to get a suit, it's going to be tough. He's very picky about fit (which is good!) but finds it difficult to find clothes that fit well. He's a slim guy with broad shoulders, so I think the jacket would be the hardest thing to find. He doesn't mind spending money on good quality things, but I'm less inclined to encourage him to get something super-expensive if he's going to wear it so rarely.

So, what do you think? What would you suggest for a clothes-loving but hard-to-fit guy who likes the idea of formal clothing but doesn't have the lifestyle for it?

16 years ago

Dressing

13 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

My husband doesn't own a suit, either. He has a jacket, and that is all he has ever really had need of. It's worked for weddings, funerals, job interviews and parties. We live in a very casual area, and lead a casual lifestyle. I don't see any reason to invest in a suit if he won't get any use from it.

16 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I think it's a little bullish in modern times to say every man needs a suit (forgive me Angie). It's such a huge investment for something that is going to come out to play once or twice in ten years, a time span over which his size and shape could change dramatically. Whether we like it or not, times have changed and things are just more casual. Of course I say this from an American perspective--the cradle of casualness.

I'm sure you remember my friend who is is similarly built to your boyfriend: Well, when we were dating he had a suit that he wanted to wear on one occasion and I had to discourage him from it because it was just so ill fitting, and I thought it was ridiculous for a 20 year old film student to invest in tailoring it. I suspect it's similar with your bf--it fit in the shoulders and was huge everywhere else. What he ended up doing was getting a vintage jacket that fit him like a glove, and just putting together a sharp outfit around that. He still wears it frequently today and can dress it down with jeans if he likes, so it ended up being a great investment (although investment makes it sound like he spent a lot of money, which he didn't). So perhaps your boyfriend could do something similar. Just go with a jacket, as Khris' hubby did. I highly recommend scouring vintage shops if you have the time and patience. Men must have been a lot smaller back in the day because he actually found a lot of options. It really came down to color, versatility, and price rather than the fit (which is usually his biggest problem).

16 years ago

BlondeAmbition

Active Member

It's a toughie, it really is. Generally yes, all men need a suit. I don't particularly care for most suits I see but that's because most standard suits are ill-tailored. The awful truth is that if you want a good suit you will have to pay what feels like an extraordinary amount of money, and only then will that suit look fantastic.

Your dilemma is similar to mine in that my husband and I are both in artistic fields where dressing casually smart with modern edge is perfectly acceptable in the formal aspects of our jobs. You boyfriend however sounds like he would be a lot harder to please than my hubby since he's in the design field no? I dare say he would never consent to an ill-fitting hunkydory suit and if that's the case the financial implications will be considerable.

But first things first, you have a wedding to deal with. What he wears to the wedding depends on the event itself. If it's a sunday afternoon or morning casual wedding buffet then you could put off this whole suit buying decision for later. But if it's an evening wedding, sit down dinner formal affair then ... he'll have to get a suit I'm sorry to say. Check the invite, and make sure it doesn't say black tie because in that case you'll have even bigger problems on your hands!

16 years ago

Steph

Veteran

This is such an interesting question, and in terms of the wedding, I agree with BlondeAmbition that you really need to look at the invitation and try to determine the formality of the event. I know that you said your sister thinks he can wear his typical clothing, with a jacket, but you mentioned his typical clothes include jeans--I can't imagine that jeans would be okay for a wedding (unless it were a very casual event). I think he would probably be able to get away with nice wool pants, a shirt, tie and jacket in most, but not all, instances. But if I were him, I might feel out of place if everyone else is suited up.

In terms of suits that might fit him, my boyfriend has the same issue--he is very broad shouldered and wide in the chest, and then slim everywhere else. He has found that Hugo Boss suits fit him pretty much perfectly (he has several), so if your boyfriend decides to purchase a suit, I would definitely try Hugo Boss first. (FYI, some styles work better than others--I think my boyfriend really likes the Einstein.) He also owns a Dolce and Gabbana suit and a Brooks Brothers suit, so they might be other options. You can also always get the sides of the jacket tailored in for a better fit.

Personally, although I can see how not every man might need a suit, if your boyfriend isn't really concerned about spending money on one, I think he should go for it. It is always nice to have a suit in your closet for events like weddings and, sadly, funerals. I'm not sure of his age, but my guess is that there will be more weddings in your future (I attended five this summer alone!), and it would be nice to have a go-to option.

16 years ago

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

My boyfriend solved the expensive suit dilemma by purchasing them at a fabulous consignment store. He picked up a Hugo Boss and a Pal Zileri for less than it would have cost to buy a jacket from either label. Sure a bit of tailoring was required, but it was worth it as he feels prepared for any occasion.I would recommend at least investigating the consignment option, since I believe a suit truly is a worthwhile investment in any masculine wardrobe.
That said, I seem to recall the wedding will be a more casual affair, so maybe the suit isn't key for this parrticular function. Is this the sort of issue you could raise with the bride or groom?

16 years ago

Angie

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Fashion Stylist

No sweet Ele, not all blokes need a suit! My Dad doesn’t own a suit.

I bet your BF would get away with a super dressy mismatched outfit. Sounds like he has style! But on that note, he is a designer. Wouldn’t he enjoy getting a sleek baby pinstripe suit and wearing the jacket with jeans and the bottoms with a graphic T? He could go tie-less. So fun. So mod. So fab. I love it when Greg dresses like that.

16 years ago

Ele

(website)

Active Member

Maya, vintage is a great idea. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before- my BF loves vintage clothes and they generally fit him really well. So far we've only shopped vintage for casual clothes (graphic tees and the like), but I'll suggest that we hunt for some formal stuff, too.

BlondeAmbition, you're so right. My BF is very hard to please and likes good quality things, even if he doesn't have an overwhelming need for them. I swear, he's almost looking for me to say "Off you go to Savile Row, hon- they'll sort you out". Haha!

The wedding is most definitely not black tie, but I'm not sure how formal it will be. It is an evening event, with the ceremony starting at four-thirty, followed by a cocktail hour and dinner/dancing in the same venue. We are friends with the bride who is our age (26), a graphic designer, and very cool and laid-back herself. I am guessing that if it was up to her, she wouldn't give two hoots her guests wore suits or not. However, her family is more traditional, and I wouldn't want to offend them.

I was probably a bit misleading when I said he only wears jeans- he's got a lot (um, 14 pairs?), but some are more trousers that have a 5-pocket styling. The ones that he wears to interviews, etc. are very dark and dressy, with absolutely no fading, whiskering, contrast stitching or shiny rivets to speak of. You wouldn't know they were "jean-style" unless you looked very, very closely.

Angie, I feel better knowing your Dad doesn't own a suit! I remember the photos you posted of him- I thought he looked quite the stylish gent You are right though, my BF loves the idea of having a suit like that. It's just the reality of finding one that is stumping us!

Ok, we might do a little shopping this weekend and see what comes up, I'll report back!

16 years ago

Louise

Veteran

I think he can probably get away without a suit provided he has a couple of other smart items.
We went to a funeral last year with only 2 days notice. My other half is a mechanic and dresses casual outside work so had NO smart items, i had 2 days to find shoes, trousers, jacket, shirt which was a nightmare as he is a tad larger that most men! It was awful cause i ended up having to get him pleated tapered trousers arggggghhhhh needless to say since then i have been getting a few flattering pieces that can be thrown together at a moments notice for funerals, weddings interviews etc x

16 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm seeing a VERY sleek fitting pinstripe suit. Hmmm. Zara?

16 years ago

Ele

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Active Member

Update!

Thanks so much for the help, Angie and everyone. BF and I went shopping on Sunday and found a great, not too pricey suit for him. It's this style from Ben Sherman- a black/white birdseye tweed. I was shooting for a plum one at first, but the fabric of this one was better quality. I was relieved to find that the jacket fits like a glove, so at least we have a reliable suit-source should we need it in the future!

I was trying to convince him to go tie-less with a black shirt, but he's opted for a classic white shirt and super-skinny black tie, with his black boots. Now I'm tempted to wear chunky pearls with my black dress, to match his black-and-white look!

16 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

You really will be the dapper couple, over sized pearls with your dress sounds divine. Did you ever find a coloured over sized clutch?

16 years ago

Ele

(website)

Active Member

Julie, I haven't yet. I think the main problem is that I'm not a very "colourful" person, lol! I gravitate toward jewel tones, muted and dusky colours, but never brights or pastels. I'd like to add colour to this outfit, but the style of the clutch is also very important, so I find myself only like black ones (sigh) in very specific styles. I'm still on the hunt, though. Perhaps I'll find one in Canada, in the week before the event.

16 years ago

Angie

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Fashion Stylist

That's EXACTLY what I had pictured in my head, Ele. I'm so glad BF found a suit! It looks fabulous.

You get my vote with the pearls :0)

16 years ago

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