Suit Yourself!
O.K., confess. You don't know why we wear suits, what is a good one, how to clean it or why there are buttons on the sleeve.
What Is A Good Suit?
THERE IS A GRADING SYSTEM for suits which is quite arbitrary; in fact it is written into the contracts between labor unions and clothing manufacturers. A Number Six suit, the highest grade, is made almost completely with hand labor; a Number Four suit has a good deal of hand stitching, particularly in the jacket, and the rest is done by machine. A Number Two suit has almost no hand stitching. In the trade, suits numbered Two or lower are known as "sanitary suits" because they are "untouched by human hands." Since bad pressing can ruin a suit no matter how well made, the higher grade suits get more careful treatment during the original pressing done at the factory. A presser finishing Number Six suits does about four and a half garments in an eight-hour day. A Number Two suit generally costs less than $100; a Number Four, from $135-$160; a Number Six, over $200, sometimes far over.
But the matter does not end there. Nothing has been said about the material. Since the number of yard goods manufacturers have decreased (see discussion of Double Knits), the buying habits of clothing manufacturers have changed considerably. It used to be that makers of Number Six suits would not find themselves bidding against the makers of Number Two suits for the same material. Today it happens all the time.
Number Six manufacturers, with prices rising all around them, are faced with the problem of cutting costs somewhere to keep their suits, though naturally expensive, from becoming so expensive that not even an affluent customer can afford them. Frequently that cost is cut by using a good material rather than the best. Number Four manufacturers, on the other hand, have found that their suits, though not constructed with the precision of the Number Sixes, sell quite well when made from superior material, even at the higher price that that material will necessitate. Consequently, it is not unusual to find a Number Four suit made from better material than a Number Six, even though a Number Six still costs noticeably more.
A Number Four suit is a good suit, a satisfying garment for all but the most fastidious dressers. In the $150 to $200 price range, they are eminently acceptable for most everyone's business and social occasions. If you're not content to judge just by price, and you shouldn't be, these pointers will help you come to an independent conclusion:
1) Check the material. Is it soft enough to be comfortable or will the suit stand in a corner on its own? Crinkle a small part of the trouser leg in your hand. Does it wrinkle easily? Does the material stretch slightly? That's desirable; but if it stretches, watch how it recovers. A fabric slow to return to its natural shape will soon sag.
2) Check the lining. Is it good material? Is it well sewn, tight stitches, no sloppy threads? Is it hand sewn (distinguishable by irregularity between the stitches)?
3) Check the back seam of the jacket. Is the sewing clean? Is it by hand? Does the seam hang straight and lie flat?
4) Turn up the collar and look at the seam. The collar is a very important part of the suit. If it is tailored incorrectly, the jacket simply will not fit properly. The collar, therefore, should be hand sewn.
5) Examine the buttons. They should not be sewn flat against the fabric but have a short throat of wound thread. They should not be made of plastic, though this is not an absolute test. Some manufacturers of cheaper suits use very fancy buttons.
6) The slacks can have considerable machine stitching without great loss of quality. Still, the work should be clean, not frayed or cluttered with extra thread, and the seams straight and neatly gathered.
7) If the suit or jacket is plaid or any other prominent pattern, be sure it is "mitered" properly. Neither the chest nor side pockets should interrupt the pattern; and the sleeves, when hanging straight, should themselves continue the pattern as if they were part of the body of the jacket.
Do not be inhibited in making such examinations. A store selling good merchandise will not be afraid of what you find. In fact, they'll probably be happy to sell to someone who understands the quality he's getting. By the same token, if you've asked to see an $80 suit, don't then complain to the salesman about the lack of hand stitching. In clothing, if not in love, you get what you pay for.
Is That Tie Really Hand Sewn?
For a while there was a rumor floating around that if a tie's lining was striped, the tie was hand sewn. Whether or not that was ever true, it's not true now. Clothing manufacturers keep their ears to the ground for such rumors. Had this one gained widespread credence, every tie in America would have striped lining.
There is one sure way to tell. Turn the tie over and look at the broad end. Is there a thread dangling from somewhere within the tie? That's left after the seamstress ties off her last stitch. Machine-sewn ties don't have it. Yet.
Another fashion myth is that a suit whose jacket is fully lined is a good suit. Remember that lining can cover up bad work as well as good. A $50 suit that is fully lined is a $50 suit that is fully lined.
Staying Fashionable While Staying Solvent: A Few Hints
Remember that the noticeably new soon looks noticeably old. Men's fashions change rather slowly so that a well-made, well-fitted suit should look stylish for at least three years and maybe, depending on the suit and the times, for as long as five. So look at the suit you're thinking about buying. Are you going to like yourself for buying it three years from now? If you aren't, you can spend your money in a better way. Remember that while you may buy gimmicks, you must choose style.
That doesn't mean, however, that you must never buy a gimmick even if your budget is limited. Gimmicks can be fun, can prevent you from looking somber, straight laced, stuffed-shirted, morose. Just don't buy them with such a major investment as a suit. If there is a new trend coming out in shirts (shirt styles change more rapidly than suit styles) go ahead and buy a couple especially if you can't afford a new suit this season. Pick out a few of the newest ties to go with those shirts. Odds are they will wear quite well with that suit from last year or the year before and, for a limited investment, you've got yourself not so much a new wardrobe as the appearance of one. But in the world of fashion appearance is reality.
When buying sports clothes, lean toward solid colored slacks and jackets of either solid colors or quiet patterns. Here again, let whatever color and patterns your personality requires come through in your shirts and ties. Slacks and sports jackets are not as visible as you may think. For one thing, the weather in Texas being what it is, the odds are that for comfort's sake you'll be slipping out of your jacket as soon as you get where you're going, making your shirt all the more visible. Two pair of slacks and 10 shirts cost about the same as four slacks and four shirts. There are 20 outfits available from the two-ten combination, 16 from the four-four, and those six extra shirts are going to seem like a lot more clothes than the two extra slacks.
A word about sales. Shopping for a suit or sports jacket, you must learn which stores have sales that are really sales and not low priced dispersals of junk from two years ago. A good store cleans its racks once or twice a year. These suits, as noted earlier, should be stylish for another two years at least. If the savings is enough to make up for a year's lost wear, you've got yourself a good buy. Be careful, though, that you know what you're doing. Some stores, whether it's sale time or not, give salesmen bonuses for selling something old. Decide which store(s) you trust, then watch for its (their) sales.
There are, however, certain items which can be bought on sale at considerable savings and with little risk: underwear, T-shirts, socks, even gloves and scarves. An executive at a very fashionable store told me he had customers of 20 years standing who bought all their clothes at that store and who had never paid full price for one stitch of underwear. You shouldn't either.
A Word About the Blazer
You probably ought to have one, even in Texas, since the blazer can be made to look appropriate for almost any occasion. It is acceptable in most offices (If it's not in yours, why the hell not?) worn with solid-colored slacks, a dress shirt, conservative tie, and lace shoes. For occasions slightly more casual, the blazer can be worn with brightly colored or patterned slacks, patterned shirt, adventurous tie, and slip-on shoes. If that same outfit is worn with a tieless sportshirt, the blazer becomes more casual still. One hundred dollars will buy a beautiful blazer that you will be proud to wear for five, six, seven years, maybe longer. Cheaper models cannot be counted on for the style, material, or craftsmanship to last that long.
Them Fancy Eastern Dudes Ain't Got All The Answers
Since a large part of being well-dressed is feeling comfortable, not only with the way the clothes fit but also with the image they present, it follows that your clothes should complement your surroundings. The tweed jacket and wool or leather vest, long recommended by Eastern sages for "country" weekends, look just fine so long as the "country" is upstate New York. They would, on the other hand, look pretty silly on the streets (or street) of Luckenbach. Almost as silly as a Stetson and rough-out boots in Westchester County.
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