Dapper Dan(ielle)'s Thread of Sartorial Delights

Polliwog wrote:

Central Virginia in September. It'll be hot if it's during the day, hopefully cooler if it's in the evening (but probably still warm). I expect the wedding to be fairly formal, so I was looking at a light grey suit and then wondered if the color was appropriate. I'm guessing yes?

Some would argue no if the wedding is after 6 pm, but for better or worse that era of dress has mostly been left behind. Tuxedos are traditional after six, but are rarely seen nowadays unless you're in the wedding party (and then they are incorrectly worn in both the morning and early afternoon).

Light gray is a bit fashion-forward, but I love it and think it's a super-versatile color for a suit. Bonus points if you get something like a light-blue overcheck. Don't forget the pocket square! White linen is the most traditional for weddings, but feel free to have fun with it.

(That suit, BTW, despite probably giving you sticker-shock is an absolute steal at that price, if you happen to be 48L. Brand new, St. Andrew's-made RLPL 3-pc suits simply do not go for less than $4-$5k.)

Awesome, thanks for the info! Out of curiosity, where do you pick up this knowledge?

Eh, random places. Wikipedia, styleforum.com (there are several bespoke tailors on there who offer incredible advice), trolling old magazines for info, etc.

I'm trying to find a shoe style that

i) Is comfortable and durable for much walking around the city.
ii) Is roughly business casual.

Would a casual-loafer fit this or are they a faux-pas now? Any other suggestions?

krev82 wrote:

I'm trying to find a shoe style that

i) Is comfortable and durable for much walking around the city.
ii) Is roughly business casual.

Would a casual-loafer fit this or are they a faux-pas now? Any other suggestions?

Timberland or Nunn Bush are probably a good place to start.

Heathen of Indian territory that I am, I use moccasins.

I own this one and am rather partial to it. Rubber sole (unusual for Allen Edmonds) and therefore somewhat more weather-proof and really comfy, as well as looking quite nice. I think it only comes in black, though. Still, AE makes some nice shoes for the money.

Minarchist wrote:

Some would argue no if the wedding is after 6 pm, but for better or worse that era of dress has mostly been left behind. Tuxedos are traditional after six, but are rarely seen nowadays unless you're in the wedding party (and then they are incorrectly worn in both the morning and early afternoon).

IMAGE(http://i661.photobucket.com/albums/uu340/hellboy667/tumblr_kvcgrsaUvS1qzmvhdo1_400.jpg)

I have a nice Italian straw hat that I'm fond of. My daughter played with it for a while Saturday and bent the brim a bit out of shape; I suspect it can be restored to its former glory—no holes or anything, just a slight asymmetrical bend that wasn't there before—but I don't really know who to take it to. Thoughts?

NM.

If you live in the Atlanta area and you are in need of a very good cheap tailor, Sid Mashburn. His clothing is expensive but his tailoring is the same as any other place I have been, and it's much better quality.

Anyone have any tips on a good way to find a decent tailor? I don't really know anyone in the Bethesda/DC area so word-of-mouth isn't much of an option. I'm also hesitant to rely on online reviews since in my experience some skew really negatively on places I've found to be quite good. How do you guys go about attacking a problem like this?

Coldstream wrote:

Anyone have any tips on a good way to find a decent tailor? I don't really know anyone in the Bethesda/DC area so word-of-mouth isn't much of an option. I'm also hesitant to rely on online reviews since in my experience some skew really negatively on places I've found to be quite good. How do you guys go about attacking a problem like this?

I know a really good tailor in DC but he doesn't do it professionally. If I can figure out a way to put him in contact with you without it being awkward, I will try.

Coldstream wrote:

Anyone have any tips on a good way to find a decent tailor? I don't really know anyone in the Bethesda/DC area so word-of-mouth isn't much of an option. I'm also hesitant to rely on online reviews since in my experience some skew really negatively on places I've found to be quite good. How do you guys go about attacking a problem like this?

This is the thread for you. (The guys at StyleForum are on the snarky side, but incredibly knowledgeable).

Minarchist wrote:
Coldstream wrote:

Anyone have any tips on a good way to find a decent tailor? I don't really know anyone in the Bethesda/DC area so word-of-mouth isn't much of an option. I'm also hesitant to rely on online reviews since in my experience some skew really negatively on places I've found to be quite good. How do you guys go about attacking a problem like this?

This is the thread for you. (The guys at StyleForum are on the snarky side, but incredibly knowledgeable).

Perfect. Thanks!

If you are looking for the best hat you can throw money at, here. I could never afford one of these, but what I would do to get one. Also, there are some interesting videos on how they make hats.

pgroce wrote:

I have a nice Italian straw hat that I'm fond of. My daughter played with it for a while Saturday and bent the brim a bit out of shape; I suspect it can be restored to its former glory—no holes or anything, just a slight asymmetrical bend that wasn't there before—but I don't really know who to take it to. Thoughts?

If you haven't found a solution yet...try steam. I had a straw hat that my 50lb bull dog thought would be a lovely pillow, she crushed it. Since it was headed for the trash anyway I decided to see if I could fix it somehow. I grabbed my iron and started steaming. Never actually touching it with the hot iron, just steam. After about 30-45 minutes of steam and massage it looked just like new and I still wear it.

A boiling teapot might be an easier source of directed steam to manage than the iron. Just set it boiling and then hold/turn the hat in the plume of steam coming out the spigot. But YMMV on that, depending on your iron (mine is crap so I would never bother even trying it that way).

Bonobos, nice men's fashion at reasonable+ prices.

Hey.

Someone comment on the idea of wearing a marcella evening shirt as one's business suit/tie shirt. Debating between the TM lewin marcella and their white poplin shirt.

Stylistic suicide? Irrelevant? Personal choice? Enlighten me!

Seth wrote:

Hey.

Someone comment on the idea of wearing a marcella evening shirt as one's business suit/tie shirt. Debating between the TM lewin marcella and their white poplin shirt.

Stylistic suicide? Irrelevant? Personal choice? Enlighten me!

Well, people who have a good eye for it would definitely notice, and probably not think highly of it. I'm assuming (and hoping) that you're talking about a full-coverage collar and not a wing-tip? Personally, I would strongly advise against it. Poplin's probably okay, and some people like them a lot as dress shirts. I prefer twill or oxford, and find poplin is often too shiny for my taste (depends on the fabric, of course).

But hey, if that's what you really want to do, who's going to stop you? Just don't ever stand next to me.

Full coverage collar, yes. And thank you, I will keep that under consideration! Would you reserve marcella strictly for tuxedo wear?

Unless I suddenly got cast to play the lead in the next Korean dance video sensation, yes.

Hahaha, ok. Fair enough.

Last question - I'm looking at tm lewin based on your recommendation on a higher quality shirt than Express but similar fit/price. Can I assume if an express 1mx extra slim fit shirt is what I normally wear, I would go for a tm lewin extra slim fit as well? I am nervous given that I can't try these shirts on.

Possibly, but it depends. You may be able to get away with a regular slim fit in a smaller collar size; if you're anything like me, you had the collars on those 1mx shirts shrink pretty horribly, because they're fused. Lewin shirts don't do that, assuming you hang-dry them.

Anyway, take one of your shirts that you think fits really well, button the buttons, stretch it out to be as taut as possible without actually pinning it down (basically get the wrinkles out), and then measure pit-to-pit across the chest, and then across the waist of the shirt. Then compare with the measurements here. You should get pretty darn close that way.

If you can find a slim fit that works for you, it's probably better there, as their extra-slims are relatively limited in color and fabric options.

Minarchist wrote:

If you can find a slim fit that works for you, it's probably better there, as their extra-slims are relatively limited in color and fabric options.

Yep, this is why I was asking. I really appreciate the advice!

Anytime

Also B Bros when stuff goes on sale.

boogle wrote:

Also B Bros when stuff goes on sale.

I love their pants, but hate the cut of their shirts. Why are the x-slims 3" slimmer in the chest but only 1" slimmer in the waist? I am a man! Not a sausage! They just aren't made for people with the typical 6"-7" drop from chest to waist.

Any comment on the color of these boots? I like both the Sand Suede and the Taupe Suede.