A frolic in Cambodia

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Most dry cleaners also offer tailoring and I have found them far superior to most store tailors. If you order something and it isn't alterable, you can return it.

The only problem with getting alterations done at a dry cleaners is that they can't replace your stuff if and when they screw it up. I would never trust an expensive suit to a cleaner.

3 actual events -
Tailor measures $300 pair of Zanellas for "no-cuff" when we asked for cuff. Tailor cuts pants and sews cuffs in. Pants are now ridiculously short and Nordstroms has to eat a $300 pair of pants and give us a new pair.

Get pants at Saks. Have them hemmed. Idiot salesman gives pants to another customer. We receive someone else's pants - which would have been OK if my husband wore a 30x36. Saks has to call every store in chain to try and find a replacement pair. Saks eats a pair of pants.

Take khakis to dry cleaner to have hemmed. Nice lady "accidently" hems pants too short. Try to fix pant length. Too late, not enough material for a hem. We don't pay for alteration, but WE also had to eat a pair of pants.

Finding a good tailor at a department store is tricky. But once you find one, cling to them for dear life. Saks has typically taken 2 attempts to get things right. Nordstroms is usually very good - but this one time we were at the Stanford store (never again) and ended up having to drive to freaking Stanford twice.

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by baltassoc

My tie collection is also rather dated, with maybe three or so still wearable with one or more of the three suits. True dress shoes are also getting worn to the point of replacement rather than refurbishment.

Assuming I'm going into a suits-four-days-a-week, true-business-casual-on-Fridays (sportcoats and trousers, not polos and chinos) environment, what am I looking at here in terms of wardrobe needs?

I'm essentially buying a first-year's wardrobe, starting from the ground up.

Just to make it realistic, the following suit makers don't fit me, for one reason or another: Brooks Brothers (just don't fit), Hugo Boss (sleeves too short, even the extra longs) and Calvin Klein (fit weird in the shoulders). Jos. Banks suits fit me very well, although the fabric quality isn't always there.

How many suits/ties/shoes do I need, and what would you recommend in brands and estimate the costs to be?

Eventually you will need 8 suits and 10 shirts. And remember that a bland suit can be brought to life with a fabulous tie and belt. Currently Ferragamo and Gucci make nice professional belts.
You must have at least 1 Armani tie.

Shirts - couple of white, couple of off-white, couple of light blue maybe a light gray one depending on the suit/tie combo should do you.
Shirts that wear well:
Zegna - never ever shrink, stitching is phenomenal - costs an arm and a leg.
Ike Behar - nice workmanship - shrinkage problems in the past.
Boss - hit and miss on fabric - mostly consistently good for the $$
Armani - see Zegna. Armani has several levels of shirts - the cheap ones shrink.
Donna Karan - used to make a fabulous shirt when there was a black label. Not so much now.
John W. Nordstrom - probably the best shirt under $100. Get the gold label not the red label.

Shoes:
Are totally personal. Depends on if you have narrow or wide feet. Narrow feet - Italian shoes. Ferragamo, Mezlan.
Wide feet - Cole Haan or something similar. Spend the $$ get good shoes, they'll be comfortable and wear forever.

[tmdiva]

Originally posted by NotFromHere
Finding a good tailor at a department store is tricky. But once you find one, cling to them for dear life. Saks has typically taken 2 attempts to get things right. Nordstroms is usually very good - but this one time we were at the Stanford store (never again) and ended up having to drive to freaking Stanford twice.

When this has happened to me (finding something I just have to have at a Nordstrom or Saks not in my town) I've just taken it home and to my usual store for tailoring. Duh.

tm

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by tmdiva
When this has happened to me (finding something I just have to have at a Nordstrom or Saks not in my town) I've just taken it home and to my usual store for tailoring. Duh.

tm

Unless you need it in a hurry. Duh. For a wedding. Duh.

[Did you just call me Coltrane?]

Originally posted by NotFromHere
Eventually you will need 8 suits and 10 shirts. And remember that a bland suit can be brought to life with a fabulous tie and belt. Currently Ferragamo and Gucci make nice professional belts.
You must have at least 1 Armani tie.

Shirts - couple of white, couple of off-white, couple of light blue maybe a light gray one depending on the suit/tie combo should do you.
Shirts that wear well:
Zegna - never ever shrink, stitching is phenomenal - costs an arm and a leg.
Ike Behar - nice workmanship - shrinkage problems in the past.
Boss - hit and miss on fabric - mostly consistently good for the $$
Armani - see Zegna. Armani has several levels of shirts - the cheap ones shrink.
Donna Karan - used to make a fabulous shirt when there was a black label. Not so much now.
John W. Nordstrom - probably the best shirt under $100. Get the gold label not the red label.

Shoes:
Are totally personal. Depends on if you have narrow or wide feet. Narrow feet - Italian shoes. Ferragamo, Mezlan.
Wide feet - Cole Haan or something similar. Spend the $$ get good shoes, they'll be comfortable and wear forever.

Disagree w/almost everything said here.

Suits: you can easily get by with 5 (I do). I'm in court/taking depositions 3-4 times a week. No one notices whether you're wearing your dark grey suit or your darker grey suit. People don't pay as much attention to this as you think they do. Well, maybe your admin, but who gives a shit. Unless you're trying to bag one.

Ties: decent tie brands are almost completely fungible. Buy what you like. Again, no one gives a shit about the label. And if anyone ever flips your tie over to check the label, punch him/her in the face.

Shirts: thank Sebby for this one, but Charles Tyrwhitt makes fantastic shirts that are almost always on sale for under $65. Better than that department store crap and pre-tailored to your measurements

Shoes: this is the only important one, b/c I've had plenty of pairs of crappy shoes that just hurt my feet (especially Johnston & Murphy). So I agree that you should spend the money on shoes.

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by Did you just call me Coltrane?
Disagree w/almost everything said here.

Suits: you can easily get by with 5 (I do). I'm in court/taking depositions 3-4 times a week. No one notices whether you're wearing your dark grey suit or your darker grey suit. People don't pay as much attention to this as you think they do. Well, maybe your admin, but who gives a shit. Unless you're trying to bag one.

That's why I said a bland suit can be set off with a fabulous tie. Most people don't really see the suit - unless it's ill-fitting or ridiculous looking. You can get away with 5 suits, but it's nicer to have some seasonal stuff. Maybe a couple lighter ones for the summer and heavier ones for those cold winters in California. Sometimes it gets below 50!
Seriously - it's nice to be able to rotate and not wear the same thing day after day.
Ties are not fungible. Unless you want to look like a banker. People will see the tie first - the suit later. You can always tell a cheap tie - it will accompany cheap shoes.

And what is it with the Johnston and Murphy's? My husband had 1 pair and hated them. Every time he wore them he bitched. They ended up in the garbage 1 day after a long day of standing on his feet at work. He has to stand a lot, sometime 6-8 hours a day so good shoes are a necessity.

[Anne Elk]

Originally posted by NotFromHere
Male fashion info.

So what is the female equivalent of all this info? I find myself in dire need of re-working my warddrobe. I'm looking for mix and match pieces. I have one pant suit that is summer only. I'll be trying on the year round suits this weekend. I've been working in a casual environment for several years now, but am noticing a trend towards more formal business attire.

My criteria: I'm 5"2' and athletic, HATE wearing pantyhose (thigh highs are OK though, it's the inevitable saggy crotch that drives me crazy), and am always cold at the office. No Ponchos or capelets.

My weekend project is to go through the work wardrobe and get rid of what doesn't fit/look good.

So what should I look for to fill in the gaps?

Anne
Who's been watching too many episodes of What Not to Wear.

[tmdiva]

I'm intrigued by this paragraph in the New Yorker's review of Julie Taymor's "Magic Flute":

"One singer stood out from the others in his enthusiasm to embody Taymor's vision: twenty-six-year-old Rodion Pogossov, who until recently had been part of the Met's Young Artist program. He filled in on short notice for Matthias Goerne as Papageno, having never sung a major role at the Met or anywhere else. He has a mellifluous baritone voice and is a natural, extroverted performer. Basically, he rocks. In place of the cutesy clowning that star baritones often indulge in, he created an antic, athletic, sexy bird-man on the prowl. Perhaps the Old Guard disapproved when Papageno broke into a strutting, arm-swinging hip-hop dance, but it's about time the Met got some flava."

Anyone ever go to the Met? Anyone willing to get tickets for the April performances (on sale November 21) and go as my proxy? Having taken a (very expensive) trip to NYC this past spring, I'm not sure I can justify another so soon.

tm

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by Anne Elk


My criteria: I'm 5"2' and athletic, HATE wearing pantyhose .

Start with 10 garter belts and assorted stockings.

That is all.

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by Anne Elk
So what is the female equivalent of all this info? I find myself in dire need of re-working my warddrobe. I'm looking for mix and match pieces. I have one pant suit that is summer only. I'll be trying on the year round suits this weekend. I've been working in a casual environment for several years now, but am noticing a trend towards more formal business attire.

My criteria: I'm 5"2' and athletic, HATE wearing pantyhose (thigh highs are OK though, it's the inevitable saggy crotch that drives me crazy), and am always cold at the office. No Ponchos or capelets.

My weekend project is to go through the work wardrobe and get rid of what doesn't fit/look good.

So what should I look for to fill in the gaps?

Anne
Who's been watching too many episodes of What Not to Wear.

I haven't worn pantyhose in 3 years - outside of parties or that occasional skirt. It's too damn windy in this city to wear a skirt very often.

That said, avoid pantyhose that is sold in grocery stores and make sure you get the right size. Saggy crotch means too small or too big. My favorite for years have been Donna Karan. Control top will stay up better than non-control top - even if you don't need the control. It has nucular elastic that will withstand anything.

Dress pants. Several. Nice ones. I'm your size so you'll have to have them all hemmed. Bring your shoes. Get some silk blouses and some nice cotton shirts. Faconnable makes a very nice cotton dress shirt - either fitted and "man style." This, of course, requires lots of ironing - but they iron out very well - or a good dry cleaner.
The nature of my work requires a lot of lifting, carrying, climbing on ladders and running up and down stairs. I avoid the skirt thing for the most part. But it would probably be nice to throw in a few nice skirts.
Get a couple of blazers and a couple of nice suits.

Blazers will help with the cold. So will sweaters. Not the big fluffy kind. Get a nice tight knit that looks good with the dress pants.
Shoes - 1 pair of flats and a couple of medium heels. Again - see above - spend tne $$ get good shoes. They'll last longer and be more comfortable - you won't feel like taking them off all the time. Again, brand will depend on the width of your feet. I have a small foot and am limited to only a few brands in a few stores. But I am loyal.

[SlaveNoMore]

tmdiva
Anyone ever go to the Met? Anyone willing to get tickets for the April performances (on sale November 21) and go as my proxy? Having taken a (very expensive) trip to NYC this past spring, I'm not sure I can justify another so soon.

tm

I was a season subscriber for 3 years. I highly recommend the dress circle. Most bang for your buck.

[greatwhitenorthchick]

Originally posted by tmdiva
I'm intrigued by this paragraph in the New Yorker's review of Julie Taymor's "Magic Flute":

"One singer stood out from the others in his enthusiasm to embody Taymor's vision: twenty-six-year-old Rodion Pogossov, who until recently had been part of the Met's Young Artist program. He filled in on short notice for Matthias Goerne as Papageno, having never sung a major role at the Met or anywhere else. He has a mellifluous baritone voice and is a natural, extroverted performer. Basically, he rocks. In place of the cutesy clowning that star baritones often indulge in, he created an antic, athletic, sexy bird-man on the prowl. Perhaps the Old Guard disapproved when Papageno broke into a strutting, arm-swinging hip-hop dance, but it's about time the Met got some flava."

Anyone ever go to the Met? Anyone willing to get tickets for the April performances (on sale November 21) and go as my proxy? Having taken a (very expensive) trip to NYC this past spring, I'm not sure I can justify another so soon.

tm

I'm going to the magic flute in April. My friend got tickets but he said the November 21 date is not correct - tickets went on sale earlier, about a week or so ago, and he got the best available then. I'm not sure why the Met is being so sneaky. We are going to Tosca as well, and those tickets don't go on sale until November 21.

So if you want to go to the Magic Flute, get your tickets now. If not, I'll give you a full report.

[Fugee]

Originally posted by Anne Elk
So what is the female equivalent of all this info? I ... am always cold at the office.

I'd wear sweaters with your suits or jacket/trouser combos rather than silk blouses or cotton shirts. Nice colorful cashmere ones.

Speaking of cashmere, does anyone know how someone who has trouble wearing wool against her skin can wear it? There must be some way to treat it because I wear SmartWool socks and they don't itch me at all.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Fugee
I'd wear sweaters with your suits or jacket/trouser combos rather than silk blouses or cotton shirts. Nice colorful cashmere ones.

Speaking of cashmere, does anyone know how someone who has trouble wearing wool against her skin can wear it? There must be some way to treat it because I wear SmartWool socks and they don't itch me at all.

Use cortisone cream instead of lotion? Or on areas not covered by a protective camisole or t-shirt worn under the sweater?

Don't know if this will work for wool, but I do this to wear cheap metal jewelry that otherwise makes my neck itch.

Originally posted by Fugee
Speaking of cashmere, does anyone know how someone who has trouble wearing wool against her skin can wear it? There must be some way to treat it because I wear SmartWool socks and they don't itch me at all.

I'm allergic to, well, most everything in Texas. I have a very thin long sleeved undershirt thingie (I think the brand is Cuddleduds) that seems to solve the itch problem without the bulkiness issue. There is a limit to the amount of hydrocortisone/elocon one should spread on one's body.