[Rosarito]

I need some help rounding out a small suit wardrobe, leaning more on the casual/cocktail side, not so much on the conservative/business side.

I like to wear suits for social events, weddings, shows, nice dinners, special events, etc., and don't wear a suit for work. I am in my mid 40s, in great shape and live a pretty social and active lifestyle. I live in Southern California where it's 70-80º F almost every day. It rains occasionally.

I currently own two suits:

1. Navy Suit: Navy two-piece with worsted medium weight wool, two button, notched lapel. It's a well fitting general purpose workhorse but feels a little too formal/conservative in some settings. Sometimes I wish I got a hopsack or another more open/textured weave.
2. Tuxedo: Black classic peak lapel tuxedo for the occasional gala, black tie event. Perfecto.

I'm stuck on the idea that I am missing one or two key suits, specifically in the cocktail/semi-formal/elevated casual realm. Khaki cotton? Linen? Mid-gray? Something with a pattern?

If you were me and didn't mind throwing a little money at the problem, how many additional suits would you get and which ones? Feel free to recommend color, fabric weight, pattern, texture, etc. Thanks!

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

A Prince of Wales plaid in medium grey tropical wool is a great suit for daytime things. A charcoal tropical worsted can be a chameleon, dressy with black oxfords and a white point collar and conservative neat and much more casual with brown tassel loafers, a pink or blue or even a striped OCBD, and a bright repp. My next outing in a suit will be in an oyster poplin with a madras bowtie.

Disclaimer: I haunt the Trad board and favor 3/2 sack suits.

 

[vonSuess]

Perhaps some linen suits for spring and summer and tweed for autumn and winter?

 

[poppies]

I would argue sport coats and odd trousers are going to be a better fit than suits for the formality level for which it seems you're aiming.

I'm thinking a nice hopsack navy blazer, maybe a linen sport coat, and some tropical wool trousers in various tones.

 

[Rosarito]

I would argue sport coats and odd trousers are going to be a better fit than suits for the formality level for which it seems you're aiming.

This is a good point and I should have mentioned in my original post that I do have a couple of good jackets - a hopsack navy and gray herringbone tweed.

 

[Matt S]

If you're looking for a good suit for dressier social occasions that's not too conservative and good for warm weather, get something in wool and mohair, either in mid grey or in a shade of blue that's lighter than navy.

But if you want something less formal, Vecchio Vespa's suggestion of a grey Prince of Wales check in tropical wool is good. It will look neater than linen or cotton, while the pattern will prevent it from looking too formal.

 

[215339]

Their website is currently down for suit inventory, but Spier & Mackay has a lot of casual 'fun' suits in exactly what you're looking for.

Tropical wool suits in moss green, tobacco brown, solaro suits, green linen suits etc.

http://instagr.am/p/CPba2s9Lyei/ http://instagr.am/p/CPEKok8rXco/ http://instagr.am/p/CPBSo4lrr21/

 

[drpeter]

One general purpose suit that goes well with most shirts and ties is the classic grey flannel suit in an Oxford grey colour. Flannel is too warm for the SoCal weather, so a variant that might serve you well, and look good is a worsted flannel suit, or even a tropical worsted suit in this mid-grey colour. Matt S has also suggested this colour as a good option.

The advantage of this suit is that it is usually correct for most occasions, and can be dressed up with a good grenadine or foulard tie and burgundy/black shoes, or dressed down with a cream tattersall shirt and a burgundy knitted necktie or bow tie, along with country brogues or even loafers.

Beyond this, my advice is to go with blazers, sports jackets and dress slacks. This was suggested by poppies above. The advantage to taking this path is that there are many more ways in which you can combine these jackets and trousers.

 

[eagle2250]

I've found a collection of cotton-poplin suits in Khaki, Loden and Navy hues to pretty muck meet my business casual suit needs during the warmer, more humid months of the year. I found mine at O'Connell's.....nice suits, for sure.

 

[Rosarito]

Thank you so much for all of the input. All very helpful.

I think my plan is as follows:

1. Mid-gray (leaning slightly on the lighter side) in a lighter weight textured, open weave or micro-pattern fabric.
2. Evaluate and step-up my separates situation and possibly replace some current jackets and trousers with more versatile, less business-y pieces.
3. Navy hopsack suit with patch pockets, giving me a good jacket to wear as a separate.
4. Khaki/sand cotton, linen or solaro suit for the occasional hot weather daytime event, giving me a good jacket to wear as a separate.

I might switch 3 and 4 in order. I made an appointment for next week to get started on step #1.

 

[drpeter]

Splendid plan of action!

The one additional thing I will ask that you do is to keep a single navy blue blazer, even if you decide to give others away (I'm assuming you have two or three). Ideally, this could be a hopsack or open-weave, but with the regulation brass buttons. A single-breasted model, with two or three buttons will do you rather nicely. Medium lapels, patch or jetted pockets, single or double vent -- all of these will work, and they will make the blazer wearable for a long time.

I suggest this because there may be many occasions on which a proper navy blue blazer with brass buttons will be appropriate. It is the single most essential item in any man's wardrobe. Paired with light or dark grey worsteds, or with other colours and or patterns (houndstooth, checks or plaids), it can dress you for a large variety of occasions.

 

[Rosarito]

Splendid plan of action!

The one additional thing I will ask that you do is to keep a single navy blue blazer, even if you decide to give others away (I'm assuming you have two or three). Ideally, this could be a hopsack or open-weave bit with the regulation brass buttons. A single-breasted model, with two or three buttons will do you rather nicely. Medium lapels, patch or jetted pockets, single or double vent -- all of these will work, and they will make the blazer wearable for a long time.

I suggest this because there may be many occasions on which a proper navy blue blazer with brass buttons will be appropriate. It is the single most essential item in any man's wardrobe. Paired with light or dark grey worsteds, or with other colours and or patterns (houndstooth, checks or plaids), it can dress you for a large variety of occasions.

Good recommendation. I do have a great one and I plan on keeping it. 👍

 

[Rosarito]

Since I started this thread, I figured I'd round it out with my progress. I spent this morning over at Divij Bespoke with Joe Hemrajani and ordered a gray suit in a wool "Finmeresco" fabric from Smith Woollens. While I was there, I realized how little I love the fit of my current navy suit. It'll do the trick for a while but I'll definitely replace it down the road, perhaps after this gray suit is finished. I'm excited. The fabric isn't as blue as it looks in this photo. it's a nice slightly warm mid/light gray.

 

[drpeter]

Excellent choice! I think this fabric will make a great suit for your climate, and a versatile one at that.

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

I've found a collection of cotton-poplin suits in Khaki, Loden and Navy hues to pretty muck meet my business casual suit needs during the warmer, more humid months of the year. I found mine at O'Connell's.....nice suits, for sure.

A superb trio. Slightly trimmer, much less expensive, and available in the same colors, my poplins (and seersucker) are from Hunter and Coggins.

 

[drpeter]

I have two 100% cotton/poplin summer suits from J Press (tan and olive) and another navy suit from Hart, Schaffner and Marx. These were all bought some years ago. I don't have a seersucker suit, but I have a couple of seersucker jackets, one blue, the other brown. I also have several tropical worsted suits and silk/wool or tussah silk odd jackets.

Wisconsin is usually cool in the summer, with only a small number of days when the temp gets into the high nineties. So there are often days where a worsted wool suit is comfortable. But it is all changing, with climate trends moving towards the warmer end.

 

[DorianGrey]

I currently own two suits:

1. Navy Suit: Navy two-piece with worsted medium weight wool, two button, notched lapel. It's a well fitting general purpose workhorse but feels a little too formal/conservative in some settings. Sometimes I wish I got a hopsack or another more open/textured weave.
2. Tuxedo: Black classic peak lapel tuxedo for the occasional gala, black tie event. Perfecto.

Since you're in SoCal I think you would be wasting money on the conservative styles seen in other parts of the country (pin strip suits, 3-piece, etc). You could do quite a lot by adding just a couple items to what you have now. I would suggest:

1. A lightweight light grey suit. This could be worn for more formal occasions but you have great mix and match potential. The jacket of the navy suit can be worn with the light gray slacks of the gray suit...and some men can pull off the inverse (gray jacket with navy pants). You can also wear the jacket of the grey suit with a pair of jeans....the Italians do it all the time....even jackets to pinstriped grey suits.

2. Light tan (e.g. stone) slacks or even khakis. These can be worn with the jacket of the navy suit for a smart casual look.

3. Do you have a classic navy blazer? Yes, the ones with brass buttons. You can wear this with the slacks from any of the above. And no, they have never gone out of style...only perhaps out of "fashion," but they always look good. I own several of various shades of navy and various weights.

4. Are you a seersucker kind of guy? Again both the jackets and pants can be worn with other items for a variety of "looks," e.g. seersucker jacket plus stone slacks or khakis.

 

[Rosarito]

Since you're in SoCal I think you would be wasting money on the conservative styles seen in other parts of the country (pin strip suits, 3-piece, etc). You could do quite a lot by adding just a couple items to what you have now. I would suggest:

1. A lightweight light grey suit. This could be worn for more formal occasions but you have great mix and match potential. The jacket of the navy suit can be worn with the light gray slacks of the gray suit...and some men can pull off the inverse (gray jacket with navy pants). You can also wear the jacket of the grey suit with a pair of jeans....the Italians do it all the time....even jackets to pinstriped grey suits.

2. Light tan (e.g. stone) slacks or even khakis. These can be worn with the jacket of the navy suit for a smart casual look.

3. Do you have a classic navy blazer? Yes, the ones with brass buttons. You can wear this with the slacks from any of the above. And no, they have never gone out of style...only perhaps out of "fashion," but they always look good. I own several of various shades of navy and various weights.

4. Are you a seersucker kind of guy? Again both the jackets and pants can be worn with other items for a variety of "looks," e.g. seersucker jacket plus stone slacks or khakis.

Thank you for the advice. Based on your input and others above, it sounds like I am on the right track, so far. I put an order in for a lightweight light gray suit about a week and a half ago so I've got that step in progress. Next step is to get my separates situation sorted out. I have some great trousers and chinos but could probably swap out some of the more business-casual looking trousers for more relaxed options in some different weaves/textures. I do have a good navy blazer and will definitely keep that on hand. I hadn't considered seersucker but I'll give it a closer look. Cheers.