Don't Buy a Suit...Yet
by Matt Deckard
Sportcoat and Trouser Combinations
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You look in the mirror to get that hair perfectly coiffed to a vertical spike that tilts back just a little. And now for a touch more gel and...Ah, that’s it. Looks great! Now for the clothing: a black t-shirt with a spirited set of words scrawled on the chest, and, let’s see...Something to cover the hindquarters. There, on the doorknob. That pair of red shorts that have been hanging around since Tuesday. Okay, donned and back to the mirror and you think, not bad. You spent a decade honing that look - it is you - it defines you - and best of all, that’s how your friends know you. You’re comfortable with it and they’re comfortable with it and, actually, after checking yourself one last time, you don’t think you could be put together any better. So off you go to the club and the first thing you see is a guy at a table with his girlfriend, and he’s wearing a casual button-up shirt and jeans. And then when you turn around there’s another fellow at the bar and he’s wearing jeans but, like you, it’s with a t-shirt. True, there’s no spirited set of words on it like yours, but there is some sort of wolf image on the back, and that counts for something. And as for the bartender? Well, he’s got a beer logo on his t-shirt and a pair of black trousers to match. Great it’s a club. It’s normal, and isn’t it great that everyone looks normal together, but suddenly you’re thinking, ‘Hey, I never started out to be normal. In fact, I was once the proud owner of a t-shirt that said ‘Why be normal?’ so how is that all of a sudden I got to be so normal?’
Well, having never been anything other than quite abnormal, none of us at The Cad can answer that for you, but we can tell you how to get back on track. The first step is to remember that, good press or bad press, it’s better to stand out than fall into rank and line. In Saturday Night Fever, Tony Manero rocked a white suit because he knew he’d either be noticed as a clown or seen as the hottest guy on the dance floor. Everyone else around him was an in-between. Sure, they were fashionable for the time but not daring. Sartorial cowards? Perhaps, but there always has be grass on the lawn for the flower to be admired, and for the man who wants to break out of the t-shirts and red shorts, it means taking it to tbe next level: tailored clothing. Certainly, it’s not going to be easy, and there is going to be a transitional phase because nobody has an instant eye for creating a mix-and-match wardrobe, but, nevertheless, the eye can be honed. But where do you start? Do you buy a suit? And, if so, what color? And not only what color, but what style? Already, there are a lot of questions, and the simplest answer to all of them is that if you haven’t got a suit, then don’t go rushing out to buy one, else you’ll end up getting yourself boxed into a stylistic corner. The first thing you need to find out is what looks good on you - what styles of jacket and trousers fit your frame and personality - andthe best way to do that is by buying separates to experimentally mix and match.
Sport coats in brown or gray always make a good foundation. Best case scenario, you get one of each, but just make sure the patterns aren’t too domineering: you want to start simple and build. Black dress trousers are a staple and will go with just about everything, but when going out to buy browns, khakis, navys, and greys, remember that shade can make or break an outfit, so be sure bring along the jacket you want to match. While you’re accumulating these basics, you can get to work on shirts and ties. Again, don’t start with the expensive.After a while you may discover that wide collars aren’t for you, or narrow ones make your head look too long, or perhaps you’ll suddenly find you have a penchant for french cuffs and don’t want anything to do with barrels. And we hate to tell you this, but no doubt about it, as the months go by you’re going to wonder what possessed you to buy some of the pieces you bought,and when that happens, you’ve moved to developing a style all your own. Somewhere along the way, though, you’ll also have noticed that it was without too much effort that you’ve just reinvented yourself, the once normal t-shirt clad man from the club has become an abnormal true man of the world - equally at home at a congressional hearing or at the after-party when the indictment’s been cancelled.
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