Hopsack for formal events?

[Ruggedcasual]

Thanks - my thoughts as well, but wasn’t sure if I was missing something. Cheers

[Spex]

How about these - which do you think would be the most versitile....business formal and other business events?

https://ca.suitsupply.com/en_CA/clas...v1=44&pdp=true

https://ca.suitsupply.com/en_CA/suit....html?pdp=true

Thanks

Other than the fact that they use cloth from different mills (and one being more expensive than the other), those seem to be exactly the same suit in all respects. Either would be perfectly fine for your intended purpose.

[Ruggedcasual]

How about these - which do you think would be the most versitile....business formal and other business events?

https://ca.suitsupply.com/en_CA/clas...v1=44&pdp=true

https://ca.suitsupply.com/en_CA/suit....html?pdp=true

Thanks

[Ruggedcasual]

Good question! Every time I see a plain dark grey suit, I have flashbacks to the boring suit I owned as a teenager. Alas, I will purchase said plain model and look for other places to stand out. Of course, I usually regret purchasing closing that stands out too much at given events, so thank you all for helping to steer back in line. ��

[LesserBlackDog]

The patch pockets are less weird than the fact it's flannel.

Why are you so averse to just wearing a plain ol' worsted wool business suit for a business event that pretty clearly calls for it?

[MediumTex]

From my experience in the professional world, if even one person noticed and mentioned to you the fact that you had patch pockets on your suit, I would immediately ask them what their handle is on this site. Of the 20-30 people that I interact with on a daily basis, there is one guy I know who would give me the knowing nod. Everyone else is absolutely oblivious.

[Evenflow]

I like flannel suits, but I'm not sure those are consistent with 'formal' business attire any more than patch pocket hopsack is; and they're probably less seasonally versatile.

[Ruggedcasual]

Yep, sorry, meant the jacket and matching pants. Available in patch or flap pockets. I have a large drop (44” to 34”) and SS sells the patch version as separates, making it easier to match.

So the question - will Anyone else notice the diff of patch pockets VS flap if I wear this charcoal suit at a formal business dinner?

[Ruggedcasual]

Reviving this. So for a formal business event, is the following with a tie formal enough, or should I go with the flap pocket version? The patch pocket version may give a little more versatility, but I want to be able to hit the main goal of hitting the “formal” standard.

https://ca.suitsupply.com/en_CA/suit...=Grey&pdp=true

Thanks in advance

[hornsup84]

Cocktail attire dictates a suit for men, but after that I tend to range up or down based on what else I know about the event. If it's an after-work event held in NYC with business professionals, I'll likely be in a worsted wool, traditional colored navy/grey/charcoal suit, with appropriate silk tie. If it's a wedding that's outdoors in the summer, I'll likely be in a less formal suit--likely linen or a blend, maybe in a lighter grey or similar less "formal" color, and a woven tie or something less business-y.

There's a time and place for sticking to the code, but that also should factor in what other people are likely to be wearing (but not always taking that as the end-all---for example, just because you know people will come in jeans and a cowboy hat to a BTO wedding, doesn't mean you're free to wear whatever).

[Kurps]

What about one of Spier and Mackays minnis fresco or tropical wool suits? If there’s a medium gray in a suit with matching pants it adds to the formality while still allowing you to pair the vest.

[evanparker]

Thanks Ben...help me out...what classifies as cocktail attire?

Think of a suit, but one you could envision going to bottle service bars in. a snazzy suit, a stylish suit, probably a little bit darker colored. maybe even a suit that is a little ostentatious. Wear something you would get noticed in. A set of cufflinks wouldn't even be out of question, or some kind of upgrade from your regular plain shirt to something a little more dimensional. Wear an exciting tie.

That plus some other sort of flashy accessories. Pocket square would actually be appropriate for this instance.

One you would wear to your friends reception-only wedding get-together at an especially nice bar.



But the emphasis is on night and party and drinking. You do you and everything, but i think you can get something together.

[Tacitus]

Business formal is an oxymoron. Formal refers to black or white tie, typically eveningwear, while business attire is by definition informal.

Anyone throwing a banquet - typically an evening social event - that demands either the oxymoronic "business formal" or ordinary business daywear obviously doesn't know what the heck they're doing, so the rules are probably irrelevant and you can wear whatever you want. I would interpret this sort of situation as appropriate for cocktail attire.

While this is technically accurate, nobody actually considers business attire "informal" in practice (or wears black/white tie in all but a tiny handful of scenarios). He's clearly referring to professional events at which people dress "formally."

[Evenflow]

Cocktail: Basically the same as business attire. If you need to attend a formal business function, the best bet is to wear a business suit and tie; and then be as dandy as you want to be elsewhere. It will help give you a reputation in the business world that you have your act together.

[Galcobar]

Cocktail attire is what you wear to an after-work function straight from the office, as defined at a time when wearing anything but a sober suit and tie to the office was scandalous. (This being a mid-20th century invention, women wore knee-length dresses and would switch largely by losing a jacket/sweater and adding jewelry).

Men have the advantage that cocktail, semi-formal and business formal all essentially mean the same now, with cocktail having a little leeway for flashy shoes and accessories. Women have more options, which means more nuanced differences.

Technically, what we wear for business is a leisure suit but, at the point it was considered by the general public to be informal, a tailcoat was standard evening attire and what we now call a tuxedo/dinner jacket was semi-formal.

Unfortunately, informal has become conflated with casual, and casual had been downgraded in the minds of the general public to jeans and a T-shirt.

Business formal isn't an oxymoron in a world where business casual is an accepted term. Casual used to mean separate blazer and trousers, sans tie, but you'd never wear such to the office. Now business casual is considered making an effort.

A dark suit is simply no longer the default for business wear. Thus it's necessary today to distinguish between situations calling for the most traditional of business wear, versus ones where lighter suits and coloured shirts are acceptable.

I too decry the ignorance of standards in the general public. Lacking the ability to install knowledge of 19th- and early 20th-century terminology in everyone's head, the best a host can do is use terms that will produce the desired level of formality.