Picking a Business Suit

In the excellent book The Accidental Tourist, the main character advises his traveling clients to wear a neutral gray suit because it is suitable for all occasions, "even funerals." That may work in some areas but most of us seem to have better presence in a navy or black pinstripe. Tip: if you are shopping for pinstripes pick the thinner stripes. Fat stripes can give you the Goodfellas look and you'll give the opposite impression from what you desire. Another tip: a good quality check on pinstripes is to see how the stripes run from the broad fabric through the pockets. On a great suit the stripes run unbroken. On a cheaper model they are out of alignment. Always pick quality!

Socks!

I was having a discussion about something prosaic with a friend the other day: socks. He thought that the socks ought to match his shoes. I think that they ought to match the trousers perferably with business dress, but can match another article of clothing in more casual dress. For example if you are wearing khakis with a blue shirt you would be safe with a brown or blue pair of socks.

A Pocket Surprise

I remember a few years back wearing a new suit for more than a year thinking that it didn't have functional pockets in the jacket! Boy, did I feel like a country bumpkin when I learned that just about all most good suits come from the manufacturer with the pockets sewn up. I took a pair of scissors that time and cut the pockets open but since then I learned that you will get better results with a small, shart retractable blade. And do less damage to the fabric.