Turn It Up, Then Take It Down a Notch

For many men, dressing well is a matter of turning it up. It certainly is for me. In nearly every given situation I can think of, I'm likely to be dressed in a way that is turned up five notches from the average level. I wear a coat and tie to my job, where the accepted dress code is jeans. I dress the same way for trips into the city. I prefer shoes to sneakers, and when I do wear those they're of the understated cloth variety. While I do wear jeans or shorts at the playground, I see to it that they are clean and crisp, and I always wear a shirt with a collar. This isn't meant to be bragging, far from it. Indeed, if anything, this assures that I will be the weird guy sticking out like a sore thumb nearly everywhere I go. And yet, for all this, I rarely get to wear a suit.

I did find an excuse to don one recently, at a big public event at my job. The memo to staff that went out a few days before specified "business casual" for the floor staff. Since my day to day dress is in fact what might be considered business casual in the first place, and since the idea was to get everyone a little gussied up for the occasion, I decided to turn it up one and opted for the full navy suit (J.Press, $7.99).  When wearing a suit for something other than office business, especially a navy one, it helps to turn things down a bit in the appointments, softening the look of the suit and taking some of the stuffiness out of it. Few things shout "board meeting" like a navy suit with black shoes, a white shirt and a simple burgundy tie. Avoid the white shirt and black leather, and the whole mood can change.

In this case, I opted for a shirt in blue and black mini tattersall check with button down collar by Brooks Brothers ($5.49).  I did stick with the understated burgundy tie, but opted for wool over silk (Fitzgerald's of Grand Rapids, $1.99). Much like the check pattern and button down collar of the shirt, the soft, matte wool tie helps keep things leaning toward casual, imminently appropriate for an afternoon event. The pocket square in rich paisley rather than crisp white follows suit.

Brown shoes instead of black, loafers instead of lace ups. Two rules violated, but this also follows the theme of the business suit in the non business setting. Popping socks would have been too much here, so simple navy is the best bet.

Wearing a brown hat with a navy suit may in fact be grounds for termination, but I can dig it. Besides, it's all I can do not to wear this hat in the shower since I had it refurbished, and you have been asking for an "action shot". Pay no attention to that heap of clothes on the chair in the background. I do run a clothing store out of my house, you know, and things have a way of encroaching on the living space. Ask Mrs. G.

Collar pin as tie pin is a nice trick on a wool tie. Don't try this on silk as the holes will never come out. But on wool, they'll close up, maybe with a nudge from a little steam. This little detail was likely one step too far, it's true, but I can only suppress my naturally garish inclinations so much in one ensemble.

If you've got a navy blue suit sitting in the closet that was worn to some interview long ago, and you don't have a "suit job", and nobodies dying or getting married anytime soon, dust it off and try it out with some softer, more well worn accoutrements, just because you can. You may find in that navy suit a new old friend you never knew you had.