Fashion Rant V: Men's magic suits
Feb. 21st, 2007 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teleribIs the three-piece suit universally flattering to men? If so, how is this possible?
Is it their uniformity? By making their wearer appear more or less "suit-shaped" rather than "Joe-Bob shaped," do they efface any irregularities in Joe-Bob's form?
Certainly, it is not easy for every man to find a well-fitted suit. Tall men, short men, barrel-chested men, long-armed men: they must search the specialty shops or else hire a tailor, or else they risk a suit with a too-short or too-long hem, or a too-tight jacket, or too-short sleeves.
And there are subtleties of suit design that escape me, as a non-suit-wearer, but I do know that not every man ought to wear a double-breasted suit, unless he is in the cast of Guys and Dolls. But it is hard to find a man looking actively bad in a suit that fits him moderately well. Perhaps only those with unfortunate necks - either too long or far too short - end up looking weird in a collared shirt and tie.
Is this because the suit covers all but the hands, neck and head? Again with the suit-shapedness of it.
But... certainly for women, there are those of us who look awful in anything that comes right up to the neck, like a collared shirt and tie, or a turtleneck. Is it the breasts that do it? Why can men achieve this look, nearly universally, whether they be skinny or plump, boxy or narrow? Men have different body types, too, yet I have never looked at a man and thought, "There's someone who shouldn't be wearing a suit."
Am I culturally conditioned to accept anyone in a suit as looking good? That seems like an odd proposition - shouldn't I also, then, accept anyone in a designer gown as looking good? The Fug Girls show, on a daily basis, that this is not true.
I keep leaning toward the uniformity of the suit as an answer. As long as it visually presents itself as "a suit," its mission is accomplished. The wearer is responsible only for making sure the shirt and tie match the jacket and pants, that his face is clean, and that his hair is well-done. (Because I have seen men in suits and wondered, "Who let him play with the hair gel?") The benefit is a certain surety of fashion - wear a suit and you will not go wrong. This is appealing, when compared with trying to balance the variables of women's wear (e.g., skirt or slacks, skirt length, blouse neckline, fabric choices, closeness of fit). On the downside, there is little room for personal expression, and you have to wear a tie, which I am reliably informed is a hell which bedevils men nearly as much as high heels bedevil women.
Is it their uniformity? By making their wearer appear more or less "suit-shaped" rather than "Joe-Bob shaped," do they efface any irregularities in Joe-Bob's form?
Certainly, it is not easy for every man to find a well-fitted suit. Tall men, short men, barrel-chested men, long-armed men: they must search the specialty shops or else hire a tailor, or else they risk a suit with a too-short or too-long hem, or a too-tight jacket, or too-short sleeves.
And there are subtleties of suit design that escape me, as a non-suit-wearer, but I do know that not every man ought to wear a double-breasted suit, unless he is in the cast of Guys and Dolls. But it is hard to find a man looking actively bad in a suit that fits him moderately well. Perhaps only those with unfortunate necks - either too long or far too short - end up looking weird in a collared shirt and tie.
Is this because the suit covers all but the hands, neck and head? Again with the suit-shapedness of it.
But... certainly for women, there are those of us who look awful in anything that comes right up to the neck, like a collared shirt and tie, or a turtleneck. Is it the breasts that do it? Why can men achieve this look, nearly universally, whether they be skinny or plump, boxy or narrow? Men have different body types, too, yet I have never looked at a man and thought, "There's someone who shouldn't be wearing a suit."
Am I culturally conditioned to accept anyone in a suit as looking good? That seems like an odd proposition - shouldn't I also, then, accept anyone in a designer gown as looking good? The Fug Girls show, on a daily basis, that this is not true.
I keep leaning toward the uniformity of the suit as an answer. As long as it visually presents itself as "a suit," its mission is accomplished. The wearer is responsible only for making sure the shirt and tie match the jacket and pants, that his face is clean, and that his hair is well-done. (Because I have seen men in suits and wondered, "Who let him play with the hair gel?") The benefit is a certain surety of fashion - wear a suit and you will not go wrong. This is appealing, when compared with trying to balance the variables of women's wear (e.g., skirt or slacks, skirt length, blouse neckline, fabric choices, closeness of fit). On the downside, there is little room for personal expression, and you have to wear a tie, which I am reliably informed is a hell which bedevils men nearly as much as high heels bedevil women.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 07:18 pm (UTC)True "Three Piece Suits" are actually quite rare. I actually cannot remember the last time I saw someone wearing one -- and I deal with people wearing suits all day long. A vest which matches the jacket and slacks is seen by most men as expensive and unnecessary. While they might be comfortable, they can also be quite warm when worn underneath the jacket and are rarely seen while the full suit is worn. The standard choices of suit fabric, shirt color and tie give more than enough options for personal expression without adding another article of clothing.
Double-breasted suits are (if possible) even more rare. Frankly, they are uncomfortable, a waste of money and don't really look very good. The story as I understand it is that they fell out of fashion during WWII when materials were at a premium and everyone was rationing. Someone came up with the idea of a "single-breasted" jacket that could be made with only HALF of the fabric, and it took off. Even after the war, the jackets were cheaper, lighter, more comfortable, and no one really wanted to go back to the double-breasted style. Thus, a new standard in men's fashion was born.
Lastly, I agree... All men look better in a well-tailored suit. It's just one of those things.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-22 07:37 pm (UTC)My buddy