Chalk it up to the fact that Tim Gunn's faboo style book is currently on my bedside table.
Or maybe blame it on the fact that I've been looking over The Good Man's shoulder as he's doing research on a tux for our upcoming nuptials.
Perhaps the fault lies with the fact that The Good Man and I attended a "semi-formal" wedding yesterday.
In any event, I've been thinking a lot about men's suits lately. What works and what doesn't.
I realize "fashion" is surely a subjective thing. But Mr. Gunn, of "make it work" fame, emphasizes fit and perspective when wearing clothes (and I agree).
And the old idiom, "don't let the clothes wear you".
So when a link titled "GQ's best suits under $500" came across my blog bleary eyes, of course I clicked with alacrity to see what's doin'.
The Good Man and I had just been talking about how it's totally possible to buy a nice, well fitting suit for not a terrible amount of cash.
And here was a link to a slideshow to perhaps prove the point.
Oh was I disappointed when I took a look.
All of these suits listed as "the best" were all sort of…eh..: shoulder shrug : to me.
There is a trend lately to have only the top button fastened, which is fine by me, but if the suit fits well, you don't get as much of the terrible pucker as seen here:
Also, look at this one. From what I can tell, it's not a cotton suit (rayon blend the website says), but damn, look at all those wrinkles (all down the arm and the pants).
Did I miss a memo? Are wrinkles in? If so my crow's feet are ready to take flight.
I don't mind a casual suit like that, but it needs to fit! It also looks a little tight across the model's tummy. My rule of thumb…if it makes the model look fat, it ain't doing ANY favors for you.
Have we lost the concept of pants that break, jackets that fit and lay nicely, and a color that accentuates the coloring of the man wearing it?
A suit doesn't need to be spendy to get the job done.
You can take a scruffy, fashion challenged guy and put him in a suit that fits and it's simply awe-inspiring.
None of those listed as GQ's "best" gave me even one *sigh* of appreciation.
I like this one the best, but even still, it's not firing me up (and oh those SHOES! But that's a whole OTHER post for another day).
Either I'm an ol' fuddy, or we've lost our sense of style.
I blame (appreciate?) my maternal grandmother for giving me at least a modicum of a sense of style. Her tenet was that no home should be without a full-length mirror. No domicile of mine has ever failed this rule.
You can TELL it when someone doesn't have one. The outfit looks good until your eyes travel below the knees then it's a mess.
Lines, people. Check the lines.
Ah well, let's head off to the weekend. It promises to be sweltering in the Bay Area, so my fashion will be reduced to flip-flops and the minimum acceptable amount of clothing.
Oh, and socks of any sort with flip-flops are a NO. Honestly, I've seen people tuck the sock between the toes and slide on the flips. Not ok. That's the fastest way to see my "bit into a lemon" face.
I once saw a lady at work who did this with *pantyhose*. Tucked 'em between the toes and slid on toe divider sandals.
I almost passed out.
Just say no.
