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When Is A Suit Appropriate? When Is It Not?

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afuturestrader

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am just starting to pay closer attention to my attire and after doing some reading am a bit confused as to when it is appropriate to wear a suit and tie and when to go casual.

I have thought of suits as business (for some) and event wear. By events I include weddings, funerals, dinning at nicer restaurants, theater etc.

Suits are flattering in my opinion and I see here a few posts suggesting the writer wears a suit and tie even for casual events. Is this considered appropriate? Are there times when wearing a suit and tie is over dressing?

Let's ignore some obvious examples like swimming, tennis, park with the kids or sleeping.

But what about some casual situations such as

1) A movie
2) Dinner at a friends where you know the friends will be in jeans
3) Grocery shopping

Are these types of outings appropriate for a suit and tie?

And if a suit and tie is a bit much for casual situations, what are some good options? The more traditional casual dress of a sports coat/blazer/sweater, shirt (with or without tie) and trousers? Or simply jeans?

Thanks for your thoughts
 
#2 ·
afuturestrader said:
But what about some casual situations such as

1) A movie
2) Dinner at a friends where you know the friends will be in jeans
3) Grocery shopping

Are these types of outings appropriate for a suit and tie?
Click to expand...
A suit is over-dressing for all three, unless the movie you are attending is a semi-formal or smart event.

You could wear a sportscoat for all three, although I would change from t-shirt and jeans to a sportscoat combo just to go grocery shopping.

A sportscoat is smart but can have different purposes, I have casual looking sports-coats for general wear and if I just need to wear a jacket and others sports-coats for smarter wear.
 
#3 ·
afuturestrader said:
But what about some casual situations such as

1) A movie
2) Dinner at a friends where you know the friends will be in jeans
3) Grocery shopping

Are these types of outings appropriate for a suit and tie?
Click to expand...
A suit is appropriate for most occasions, but not in the shower.

The answer to all of your examples is, it depends. Assuming your movie viewing does not include a group of friends, wear what you like. Ditto grocery shopping. The dinner is a depends. It depends on whether you've established yourself as the resident eccentric. If so, wear the suit. If not, you may risk causing your friends to be a bit uncomfortable, or worse, to believe you're even weirder than you are. You need to start slowly when dressing better than your friends, and gradually upgrade your attire as their acceptance grows. Once there, you are then the resident eccentric, and everyone will understand that it's just Weird Al being Weird Al.
 
#5 ·
afuturestrader said:
3) Grocery shopping
Click to expand...
You can't possibly be thinking of changing into a suit in order to go grocery shopping. You must be asking whether it's okay to stop for groceries on the way home from work without changing out of your suit. Yes, it is okay.
 
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#6 ·
1) semi-formal means black tie (formal means white tie)

2) it has a great deal to do with how you wear your suit, both in attitude and style.

3) there are such things as casual suits based on fabric, pattern etc.

4) wear what you like, if it is your personal style people will adapt.
 
#9 ·
i think a suit can be appropriate for all of the above circumstances if the person wearing it pulls it off. I firmly disagree that over dressed is appropriate though.

over dressed is almost worse than under dressed because it is intentional.
 
#10 ·
The suit is appropriate when you feel comfortable wearing it. Also at events where respect for a dress code is needed, like a funeral or quality restaurant. If you want to wear a suit out with your friends, and they have a problem with it, they probably have a problem and are insecure.

I personally wear a three piece suit every day for every activity, apart from being at home (i.e if I leave the house, it's in a three piece suit). This includes a hat and usually a watch chain, most often my briefcase, always a full length brolly, polished shoes, and whenever the weather allows a full length coat, scarf and lether gloves.

This is appropriate for everything I do. My friends are happy and comfortable with this, and I generally wouldn't want to go to a place where being myself would be unaceptable. I wear this to the theatre, cinema, shopping, to the pub. In all parts of life!

I don't find it a problem, and many people like it. But I do live in Central London, not only a tolerant city, but one where you do see smartly dressed men regularly.

P.S: I do wear a two piece suit and take as little as possible if I am having a procedure or examination at the hospital that requires me to substantially undress (which I have to do on a regular but not frequent basis), as you have to stuff your things into a plastic bag or small locker. Not great for my beloved suits.
 
#11 ·
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#13 ·
It's most appropriate to wear what the occasion calls for. IMO, it's a bit outre to wear a suit to a ball game, either as an observer or player. It isn't that you CAN'T, it's merely that the occasion is very casual and after a few tackles, you'll likely have to have it cleaned. I also rarely go fishing in a suit as the waders tend to wrinkle it and the water doesn't agree with my better suits. Possibly, common sense could play a role here.
 
#14 ·
afuturestrader said:
But what about some casual situations such as

1) A movie
2) Dinner at a friends where you know the friends will be in jeans
3) Grocery shopping

Are these types of outings appropriate for a suit and tie?

And if a suit and tie is a bit much for casual situations, what are some good options? The more traditional casual dress of a sports coat/blazer/sweater, shirt (with or without tie) and trousers? Or simply jeans?

Thanks for your thoughts
Click to expand...
1) A movie - Nobody is going to notice or care what you wear to the movie. It's dark and they'll just assume you came from somewhere requiring a suit. However, like at the casual dinner in #2, if you are meeting friends dressed casually I wouldn't actually put one on just for the movie.

2) Casual dinner with friends in jeans - If you happen to be coming from work and are wearing a suit anyway, they probably won't care. I wouldn't put one on just for this. I guess it'd be fine if you were going somewhere afterwards where a suit would be appropriate.

3) Groceries - again, I wouldn't put on a suit to leave to go grocery shopping. However, if you are wearing one anyway (maybe you just came from work or church or something), I might not bother to take it off unless I was going home first. Nobody at the grocery store will glare at you if you wear a suit - plenty of people do for the reasons I listed above.

As for more casual substitutes in these situations, a sweater over a shirt (with or without a tie) would be fine. A sportcoat with no tie would be fine, too. Corduroy (trousers or jacket) works well here, as do chinos.
 
#16 ·
Has it occurred to anybody that the OP just might be having some mischievous fun trolling?

C'mon, now, even I don't wear a suit and tie to go to the market or the movies. Sport coat and ascot maybe, but I recognize that even that is probably overdressing to the point of eccentricity.
 
#17 ·
afuturestrader said:
But what about some casual situations such as

1) A movie
2) Dinner at a friends where you know the friends will be in jeans
3) Grocery shopping

Are these types of outings appropriate for a suit and tie?

And if a suit and tie is a bit much for casual situations, what are some good options? The more traditional casual dress of a sports coat/blazer/sweater, shirt (with or without tie) and trousers? Or simply jeans?

Thanks for your thoughts
Click to expand...
I'll only wear a suit for any of those things if I have a suit on for another reason and don't feel like changing or have the time to change (trip home, etc.) before the event. If I'm going to the store, I just wear whatever I have on (obviously add an outdoor jacket if it's cold, etc.)
 
#19 ·
JLibourel said:
Has it occurred to anybody that the OP just might be having some mischievous fun trolling?

C'mon, now, even I don't wear a suit and tie to go to the market or the movies. Sport coat and ascot maybe, but I recognize that even that is probably overdressing to the point of eccentricity.
Click to expand...
Sometimes I wonder if I'm trolling - then I remember that, no, I'm just really that much of an idiot.
 
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