This won't be a popular position on this board, but I trust any discussion about it will be in good taste. Right?!
Time and again members post about how 'terrible' or even 'dreadful' a NLDJ looks, and misguided members sometimes even speak of how 'incorrect' it is. Typically what one finds is a begrudging acceptance of its existence, whilst denigrating anyone so attired.
And I'm here to say Enough! Notch Lapel Wearers of the World, Unite! C'mon...you know who you are...:icon_smile_big:
You see, I recently purchased a new tuxedo, and was faced with the lapel decision, as Brooks Brothers offers all three. (Gasp!...) Now, I've owned three tuxedoes in my life. The first was a peak lapel because I was in school and it was the only one I could afford. The second was a notch, because it was the only one in stock and I was in a hurry. But this purchase was restricted by neither time nor money, given the identical price of all three choices. And it was an informed choice made long after I began lurking here. So which did I choose? It was quite simple, actually. I went with the best-looking option: the notch. (Let us now pause so that I may don my asbestos boxer sh0rts against the flames.)
When I bought my first, I remember looking at the peak lapels and thinking they were the 'classic' choice, but something just seemed odd about them. First off was the huge expanse of satin across my chest, which I really didn't care for. Second was the overly-sharp angles of the lapel, made even more so by the juxtaposition of fabrics. And lastly was the unavoidable fact that the lapels were pointing away from my face! ("Hey...stop looking over my shoulder!")
As many have posted here, the notch lapel is now the most popular lapel choice. Does this in and of itself make it the best choice? Of course not. Multi-colored accessories are also hugely popular, as are pre-tied bow ties and a whole host of other vulgarities. Too, the tuxedo market is dominated by rentals, so people who don't often wear semi-formal clothes are making choices they might not be comfortable making. But its popularity does give us pause to consider that maybe, just maybe, it could simply be the most pleasing choice to other eyes as well?
Part of what informs my choice, no doubt, is my familiarity and comfort with business dress. I came up in a financial institution in which Casual Fridays meant light starch. And what is more traditional on a business suit than the notch lapel? (Let it also be said that, to my decidedly American tastes, the jetted pockets and ventless hems of the most traditional of tuxedos are terribly effeminate.) But for those who would say that the notch lapel makes the DJ look too much like a business suit, I would ask how many business suits you personally own with grosgrain lapels?
I'll follow this post soon with annotated pictures that illustrate my points, but in the meantime I shall sit back and enjoy the flames!
Time and again members post about how 'terrible' or even 'dreadful' a NLDJ looks, and misguided members sometimes even speak of how 'incorrect' it is. Typically what one finds is a begrudging acceptance of its existence, whilst denigrating anyone so attired.
And I'm here to say Enough! Notch Lapel Wearers of the World, Unite! C'mon...you know who you are...:icon_smile_big:
You see, I recently purchased a new tuxedo, and was faced with the lapel decision, as Brooks Brothers offers all three. (Gasp!...) Now, I've owned three tuxedoes in my life. The first was a peak lapel because I was in school and it was the only one I could afford. The second was a notch, because it was the only one in stock and I was in a hurry. But this purchase was restricted by neither time nor money, given the identical price of all three choices. And it was an informed choice made long after I began lurking here. So which did I choose? It was quite simple, actually. I went with the best-looking option: the notch. (Let us now pause so that I may don my asbestos boxer sh0rts against the flames.)
When I bought my first, I remember looking at the peak lapels and thinking they were the 'classic' choice, but something just seemed odd about them. First off was the huge expanse of satin across my chest, which I really didn't care for. Second was the overly-sharp angles of the lapel, made even more so by the juxtaposition of fabrics. And lastly was the unavoidable fact that the lapels were pointing away from my face! ("Hey...stop looking over my shoulder!")
As many have posted here, the notch lapel is now the most popular lapel choice. Does this in and of itself make it the best choice? Of course not. Multi-colored accessories are also hugely popular, as are pre-tied bow ties and a whole host of other vulgarities. Too, the tuxedo market is dominated by rentals, so people who don't often wear semi-formal clothes are making choices they might not be comfortable making. But its popularity does give us pause to consider that maybe, just maybe, it could simply be the most pleasing choice to other eyes as well?
Part of what informs my choice, no doubt, is my familiarity and comfort with business dress. I came up in a financial institution in which Casual Fridays meant light starch. And what is more traditional on a business suit than the notch lapel? (Let it also be said that, to my decidedly American tastes, the jetted pockets and ventless hems of the most traditional of tuxedos are terribly effeminate.) But for those who would say that the notch lapel makes the DJ look too much like a business suit, I would ask how many business suits you personally own with grosgrain lapels?
I'll follow this post soon with annotated pictures that illustrate my points, but in the meantime I shall sit back and enjoy the flames!
ic12337: :icon_smile_big:
