Thanks FNB. Actually I can't see myself wearing white bucks or high-contrast spectators in any office outside of the artistic or entertainment industry, but maybe my views will change if I ever become the boss
I'd love to hear about the results of your "experiment".
Last edited by Coolidge (2007-07-15 15:32:04)
I agree with this whole heartedly, Coolidge. I often go out to music clubs or bars here in Boston wearing suits that are neither fully trad nor fully Thom Browne, just a basic grey two-button for example, maybe with a bow tie or repp tie....an occasionally some bearded hipster in a ripped t-shirt and tapered jeans will tell me he loves my suit. I suspect it might have to do the contrast between age and style, how things popularly considered to be "old man" clothing such as seersucker, bow ties, etc when worn by the young can look edgy. Hipster style, despite all it's proposed anti-establishment posturing, is actually very reactionary. They probably think you're uber cool because you thought of it before they did.
If you look like a bad boy then you're no bad boy.
Make your own Hip.
Seersucker has definitely been reinvented as sort of a young, mod look. With a black knit tie it is the Ivy equivalent of Men In Black. I have seen version where it is two colors, rather than white alternating with another color. Probably with growing heat and humidity in urban areas, the comfort provided by the fabric is too high to let go of.
Can’t go wrong wearing a white shirt with grey/white seersucker, and I do so with a navy silk knit tie with widely space horizontal white stripes and red/blue/green/yellow plaid handkerchief. Last week, however, I wore mine (it’s actually grey/cream due to age) with a French blue broadcloth BD, golden yellow silk foulard tie with diamond bulls eyes of white inside French blue inside navy, and navy handkerchief with white polka dots. I also wear it with a mini tartan shirt of navy/red/white, navy silk knit tie, and navy/white bandana print silk handkerchief. I invariably wear chestnut and white buck cap toe spectators and white dress lisle socks with all these combinations. Not sure seersucker can ever be truly hip, but I have worn mine at night with a black lisle polo, dark brown suede slip ons w/o socks, and paisley handkerchief with yellow ground and red and black figures.
The conclusion of this was that I fell back on my standby, a narrower Brooks navy with widely spaced yellow/gold stripes (actually a cluster of 3 stripes), white shirt (forward point broadcloth), white bucks. There were probably about 5-6 other seersucker suits floating around, most with burgundy emblematics. Other men went with the blazer and yellow pants look, a few madras jackets, largely a preppy affair for the men, attractive cocktail/party dresses on the ladies.
Tony V, to sate your curiosity, the birds at the dance were real cuties for the most part. A lot had nice hair and had taken the time before coming to do something with it, refreshing in today's popular messy look. 21-35ish in age range, as were the men. Made some new friends and got some phone numbers but unfortunately it's not a short ride from my area. Seersucker suit with the the narrow tie seemed something of a magnet to the fairer sex. Although it was my type of group anyway. Open bar. Above average big band. Below average dancing. To be expected.
Thanks for the tips though on other options. Following my return to the state I tried out a darker ancient madder with the suit for church. Looked well.
Never seen a seersucker suit in the wild here.
Interesting discussion. While training in New Orleans in the early eighties, the seersucker suit was the power outfit worn by the older well established surgeons.There were several sons of the well established surgeons going through the residency while I was there but I never saw them wear the suit unless it was a faculty cocktail event. So I never saw it in my place to wear one, it would have been seen as jumping above my station and a sure way to paint a bullseye in my forehead.
The seersucker suit was equated with in your face affirmation of old fashioned values. Always with a white button down shirt. One guy wore it with a pocket square, but he was the type of guy who'd also occasionally wear a carnation on his lapel.
As for the shoes, white bucks were for festive occasions, otherwise burgundy wingtip brogues- yes, I know, it's hot.
The ties, stripes and emblems as has been noted, but New Orleans was where I learned about horizontal stripe knit ties and they were worn with the seesucker suit.
2 years ago I bought a tan and white peak lapel number, partly out of the foolish sentiment that I wasn't "going all out". But I am after all 58 yrs old and I do train residents so I should just buy the damn suit and be done with it. I'll wear it with a bow tie, because that's what people do at Hopkins.