I've got a lovely plain grey 3 piece suit from the '60s.  Trim trousers, slim lapel, 3 button.  It just feels right when I put it on, which is almost never.

Last edited by Sammy Ambrose (2013-08-19 19:37:08)

Okay, I'm relieved!

That sentence "once the look in its original, purist form ceased to be fashionable on campus, it ceased to be fashionable in society as a whole" is my favourite!

Certainly, Chens! How could it possibly be the other way around?

I couldn't think of a better example of circular reasoning or begging the question!



Let's all start calling up old Charlie with "good questions"!

Like

Was it okay to drink wine in a "beer jacket"?

...

I would say that the grey suit is the perfect first suit.

Flatters everyone, especially younger men.

It's clean lines help you understand fit and silhouette. No patterns to distract the eye,

Its neutrality colourwise, gives you the greatest opportunity to experiment with colour and pattern with shirt and tie.

The key though is to pick a cloth with texture and variegation, as solid greys can look cheap and dowdy without.

And a mid-grey pick & pick fits the bill perfectly.

Are you sure that your fingers are not in front of your eyes, bop?

You've written it yourself: It was a slow process!

Tween 1880 and 1900 the frock coat disappeared and was gradually replaced by morning dress and  then by the lounge suit (i.e. sack suit) as proper business clothing.

This was a general phenomenon all around the world.

Not much to do with East Coast US establishment in particular, nothing to do with schools and not much to do with sports.

Besides, in this context sports simply means "casual", not "city", just the opposite of business.

You could simply say that the sack suit/ lounge suit which was a casual garment in the 19th century was adopted as business wear at the turn of the century.


What you could say about Brooks Brothers is that their number one sack suit has kept many of the original features of the turn of the century style and thus has maintained a look that shows its casual roots, that BB were conservative and that they did not change their style very much...

But why always talk about the 19th century roots?

Throughout most of the 20th century the suit was the business suit. Worn by young and old, everywhere. The plain grey as praised by topstitcher being the most popular business suit.