Threads thread

[HeK]

Also get a haircut, your mane is all shaggy.

At least fix up the back and neck....

[Surf314]

Feel free to ask any more questions, I used to do this for a living.

So I can hit you up for advice later? I need new suits (I only have 1 that is mine, the rest are hand me downs - and my dad has a hippy sense of fashion  :-[)

[Eightball]

Thoughts: Both greys are out. The sport jacket has open pockets, that's amateur hour. Jacket #1 is high cut lapel and a longer body by design, which is fine for proms and weddings, but lacks the lines for an interview. I'd recommend a new suit if that's an option. Navy or Black is always fine for interviews, charcoal is a bit more seasonal but it's you're call. While solids are still a fan-favorite, pin-striping has reemerged once more, which can make it more visually impressive when you match your shirt colour to the colour of the pinstripe and a tie that compliments both colours of suit and shirt. By the looks of your build, a 2 button would be best, current looks have narrow lapel jacks and pleatless pants. 3 buttons are still legit, it's a matter of taste and tailoring.

Your ties, from left to right: 1/2 I wouldn't recommend for an interview, they have the look of a daily wear on a white shirt. 3 looks like it'd fit under a black suit with a white/grey/silver shirt. 4 is a solid swing tie for black or navy. 5 is perfect under a navy suit with any blue/silver/white. 6 is hella legit under black with white and only white(because it's for an interview, otherwise a burgundy would look badass under that).

Feel free to ask any more questions, I used to do this for a living.

So, I'm thinking something like this with a silver tie and white shirt? Or maybe with one of my blue ties and a gray or silver shirt? I'm leaning towards a less saturated navy blue, something darker than say, this. Still, I'll have to go browsing to decide on if pinstripe is quite my thing; I've always worn solids.

Also get a haircut, your mane is all shaggy.

At least fix up the back and neck....

Yup, I mentioned in my post that I was supposed to have it cut today. Got to the place and the hairstylist/barber had already gone home because of a spider bite (actually).

[Kor]

So, I'm thinking something like this with a silver tie and white shirt? Or maybe with one of my blue ties and a gray or silver shirt? I'm leaning towards a less saturated navy blue, something darker than say, this. Still, I'll have to go browsing to decide on if pinstripe is quite my thing; I've always worn solids.

That's perfect Eight. It's simple, the pinstripe isn't overdone or garish, and you see how the white shirt draws your eye to common elements in the tie and the suit? that's how you make it all come together and smash their eyeballs with style. Blue tie/silver shirt is similarly excellent. Just keep in mind, common elements make the entire ensemble more impressive while forcing the eye to not focus on one single element for too long. Only mismatched elements/colours will always attract attention.

[quote author=Kor link=topic=6164.msg247491#msg247491 date=1339741559]
Feel free to ask any more questions, I used to do this for a living.

So I can hit you up for advice later? I need new suits (I only have 1 that is mine, the rest are hand me downs - and my dad has a hippy sense of fashion  :-[)
[/quote]

Anytime Surf.

[Vlambo]

[quote author=Surf314 link=topic=6164.msg247497#msg247497 date=1339769855]
[quote author=Kor link=topic=6164.msg247491#msg247491 date=1339741559]
Feel free to ask any more questions, I used to do this for a living.

So I can hit you up for advice later? I need new suits (I only have 1 that is mine, the rest are hand me downs - and my dad has a hippy sense of fashion  :-[)
[/quote]

Anytime Surf.
[/quote]

I will need advice too. I've never actually bought a suit, and I have job interviews coming up in the coming months.

[Kor]

I will need advice too. I've never actually bought a suit, and I have job interviews coming up in the coming months.

This is an easier one to field. When you're looking for your first suit, I've mentioned that maintaining versatility is of prime importance, regardless how many times you're going to wear the suit, it matters that you can build out from that suit with minimal investment after the initial purchase. Solid black or navy suits offer the greatest range of versatility because the jacket can always be doubled into a blazer for other occasions, as well as having the most available colour combinations available without compromising style or function.

In terms of material, more often than not, the more you spend the less you'll get out of the suit. The higher quality wool weaves are extraordinarily soft and have a perfect lie to them but comes at the cost of durability. These suits are made in the mindset that gentleman has an entire wardrobe that is cycled through, ergo the suit is not required on a daily basis. When you're browsing about there is something you need to be aware about when it comes to the fabric itself. You may or may not see labeling inside the jacket that claims its 'Super 1xx' wool. I won't get into the details about it, but know its a grading system on the fineness of the wool used in the weave. -Super 80/100/120- are pretty standard, anything beyond that is going to feel great on the hand/terrible on the wallet. Those 80/100/120 Supers are a reliable wear, and I'd easily recommend a suit made of it. The is another weave separate from the Supers called -Gabardine-, it's by far the most durable wool weave without it being burlap, and tends to trend a bit cheaper. In my personal experience, some places have stepped away from the old Gabbo's because it's easier to sell a softer suit for much more.

The most important aspect of any first purchase is the fit. Alwayslook for a suit appropriate to your bodytype. Don't flatter yourself, that's what the suit is for. Be honest about what works and what doesn't. If your lean you can get away with higher lapels and slimmer cuts in a 3 button. If your more rotund, look out for a more generous 2 button cut. Most suits have a 6 inch drop, meaning the pants are 6 inches smaller than your chest: 44 chest = 38 waist. Regardless of how much or little you spend, you can make a suit look like it belongs on you, or on the curb holding your trash. This is the part where I'd always like to be right there by your side doing the work myself, but I can help you look, and more importantly, feel what you need out of a suit. It's a sizeable list, so I'll try to keep it simple:

Back/Shoulders/Armpits/Sleeves - It'll be the first thing you notice that fits wrong. Suits sit on your back/shoulders, never hanging, never clenching. Armpit seams never touch your actual armpits. Sleeves should never have the guns doing a show(Look for puckering at the shoulder). Don't worry if the sleeves look long or short, tailoring takes care of that.
Chest/Stomach - Lapels lie flat, if they flex off your chest, the jacket is too small. The Buttoning at the gut should be natural, no need to stretch. If it looks like it's tenting out at the sides, sometimes that's fit, other times tailoring.
Waist/Seat/Crotch - Waistbands are always properly done just below the bellybutton, you're not wearing jeans, it's a suit. Always check the fit of the seat but actually squating your ass into it. Crotch is a big deal if you have a longer torso like me. If it's hugging your junk, you'll want a bigger size of pant, because it means everything surrounding it needs more room as well.
Hemming - Only do this in the shoe you're wearing with the suit. I've seen so many poor souls with floodpants and pantsocks that obviously had it done without the right shoe/barefoot. Going with a cuff or a plain hem is a matter of taste, both have pros and cons.
Edit: I'll mention that a good suit salesperson will explain most of these things and strive to find a good fit, but you'll not always find that. Trust your gut in these matters, sometimes they might consider a suit sale better than a satisfied customer.

I can provide more as you desire, I'm always at your service ^_^

[Surf314]

One thing I did learn is to know your profession. Lawyers pretty much only where red or blue ties and pretty much never deviate from a white shirt. It's a profession that is very conservative in style.

[matter11]

[quote author=Kor link=topic=6164.msg247510#msg247510 date=1339777777]
[quote author=Surf314 link=topic=6164.msg247497#msg247497 date=1339769855]
[quote author=Kor link=topic=6164.msg247491#msg247491 date=1339741559]
Feel free to ask any more questions, I used to do this for a living.

So I can hit you up for advice later? I need new suits (I only have 1 that is mine, the rest are hand me downs - and my dad has a hippy sense of fashion  :-[)
[/quote]

Anytime Surf.
[/quote]

I will need advice too. I've never actually bought a suit, and I have job interviews coming up in the coming months.
[/quote]

look for some deals at stores too. You can pretty much always find a store that has at least buy one get one free especially during sale seasons. I got buy-1-get-2-free at joseph a banks.

[Kor]

One thing I did learn is to know your profession. Lawyers pretty much only where red or blue ties and pretty much never deviate from a white shirt. It's a profession that is very conservative in style.

There's some leeway here and there, depending on how well you can polish your bullshit. We are talking lawyers here ;D

[Didzo]

So... can I mix black and brown?

No need to actually answer this answer this.

[rumsfald]

As usual, I have little to add to what Kor said. I wholeheartedly agree with his assessment of 8ball's current wardrobe, as well as shopping recommendations. This man knows his shit.

I would add/stress a point Kor touched on, which is: most of the time when you buy off the rack you will need to tailor it to fit right. On that point:

• It's important to have a tailor you trust, whether it's the store or a standalone tailor. If you can get a recommendation from someone you know, if not, check yelp or another review service.
  
• It's most common to tailor the sleeve length and the pant length. In my experience, taking in (or letting out) the waistband or the jacket tend to be more difficult for some tailors. It's better to get those right when you get the suit. Again, as Kor said, a good suit salesperson will tell you this.
  
  

@shoes: For max versatility, I recommend a black oxford. That will play well with a black or navy suit, and some darker greys. For style, you can go for a plain-toe, cap-toe, wingtip, or split. I personally prefer the split as I don't see many of those. It's not often I see a wingtip I like, but when I do they can be grand (and pricey). Plain and cap are safer choices. And, and AND don't skimp on shoes. Get a good pair of shoes that is made well and feel comfortable and will last you 5+ years. If your feet are uncomfortable and pinched or calloused, you will be uncomfortable in the interview. I prefer leather over patent leather (the latter a bit too evocative of rented suits), but that's my taste. For brands, I gravitate toward Cole Haan and Johnston Murphy for style, comfort, and price. Also recommended, break them in before the first interview.

@surf has a great point about your professional culture. By and large, medicine tends to be more conservative than law. However, saying that, there are great differences among medical specialties. The topic of medical specialization is kind of a plus/minus thing at the point of entry to medical school. On the negative side, every medical school wants to believe that you are young and impressionable enough to be eager to learn about all the specialties and be a good generalist (e.g., no whining about how you don't like the radiology clerkships if you really want to cut people up). Also, not everyone gets into their desired specialty, so every med student needs to have multiple options. On the flip side, if you have a defined specialty in your heart, it helps to dress the part, as the interviewers can more readily see you fitting into that role. Within medicine, there's a definite "perception" of a pecking order (scare quotes as I don't agree with that), with surgeons dressing more formal/conservative (black/navy suit, traditional tie), and more primary care types relaxing into browns and sport coats and sweater-over-tie combinations, and psychiatry wearing sweatpants (just kidding). If you know what specialty you plan to shoot for, it would help if you dressed the part.

Don't forget about a good belt! That matches the color and luster of your shoes. And fits.

[Vlambo]

Thanks for the advice homies. I'll probably be buying one near the end of summer

[Eightball]

Sweet advice, thanks both of you! After a bit of browsing I have settled on a 2-button black/dark-grey pinstripe with a narrow peak lapel, I think this is it. It came down to this and a more conservative navy blue pinstripe with notched lapel, but the decision was unanimous that this one suited me better. I was surprised that a 38R was the best fit for me, but anything smaller had sleeves too short, and anything larger lost definition around the waist. Got the pant leg and waist hemmed very slightly. Still haven't decided on a shirt/tie, but I'm heading back down to Evanston tomorrow and the suit won't be ready until the end of the month, meaning I won't get to see myself in it until when I next return (in September!)

I also dug my shoes out, I'm virtually certain that this is exactly what I have. Gently worn; they're still quite stiff.

And Rummy, I have some thoughts about specialties just on the basis of my current perception of the profession, but I'm pretty sure experiencing each specialty during third and fourth year rotations will blow away my ideas of them. Also, the one I'm most interested in (pathology) clashes with the expectation that we're eager to work with patients, so I probably won't make any mention of specialties.

Thanks again for everyone's advice. I'll probably chime in again come early September.

[Kor]

Well done, sir. Progressive, versatile, tastefully young.

[Eightball]

I was torn between necro'ing this and derailing the present discussion in the Pictures thread. Guess this is more appropriate.

Back in Madison and finally got access to the finished suit. I remember it being much sharper, but it still beats everything else in my wardrobe: http://i.imgur.com/Qx810.jpg?1

Think I'm done? Or do I have more work to do with the shirt + tie?

EDIT: Not a great picture but it is a black pinstripe. Also is only 2-button, but I'm not sure how I feel about the convention of leaving the bottom one unbuttoned (especially being too lazy to don a belt now)

[TOH]

You mean you don't want me to paint a dress over that?

Seriously though, looks sharp to me, but I'll leave it to the expert advice-givers thus far who really know their stuff.

[kaese]

You mean you don't want me to paint a dress over that?

LOL

I think it looks great. Good luck with your interviews and I'm certain you'll receive plenty of them.

[Eightball]

[quote author=TOH link=topic=6164.msg253355#msg253355 date=1346907126]
You mean you don't want me to paint a dress over that?

LOL

I think it looks great. Good luck with your interviews and I'm certain you'll receive plenty of them.
[/quote]
Some completed for up to 5 weeks now and still no word yet . Still, no news beats a rejection (which have started surfacing this season). Thanks!

And I'd be honored, TOH, but I'm not sure you know my feminine flair.

[TOH]

[quote author=Käse link=topic=6164.msg253357#msg253357 date=1346907320]
[quote author=TOH link=topic=6164.msg253355#msg253355 date=1346907126]
You mean you don't want me to paint a dress over that?

LOL

I think it looks great. Good luck with your interviews and I'm certain you'll receive plenty of them.
[/quote]
Some completed for up to 5 weeks now and still no word yet . Still, no news beats a rejection (which have started surfacing this season). Thanks!

And I'd be honored, TOH, but I'm not sure you know my feminine flair.
[/quote]

It'd be tough to capture, indeed... Maybe get Serain to do it.

[zaneyard]

I need to update my wardrobe some time soon. Where to start for fashion advice?
I suppose this thread is more about suits and shit. Perhaps I'll look around elsewhere.