The South- a little bit of Hell and Heaven (help me)

[cody]

First time poster, long time reader of Threads. Gotta give a shout out to all who make this community just honestly amazing and useful. Anyways, from what I've seen there are quite of few of us from the South (of the U.S.A.). As a college student I'm trying to upgrade my wardrobe to dressier denim to blazers and such but this heat and humidity will kill me before I've walked to class. I also have a job with the athletic department here in Mississippi so I like to look my best a lot of the time with all the beautiful athletic women I'm around. Any advice on materials, brands, etc. would be really welcome!

P.S. Im kinda tall at 6'7" and pretty athletic

[kenneth]

6'7" is now only "kinda" tall?!


Materials that are a godsend for southerners like you and I (I'm an Atlantan): seersucker and linen. Linen blazers are so light that it doesn't feel as though you're wearing one at all, and seersucker pants are awesome. A tight(er) fitting short sleeve linen shirt is super breathable and shows off an athletic physique, actually much cooler than a tightly woven t-shirt is.


Welcome to (posting to) the Threads! Stick around, we're a good crowd when bruschetta isn't drunk.

[cody]

Hmmm I'll definitely have to keep those two materials in mind when I go hunting for my first blazer. Sounds like that seersucker suit from Bonobos would just be perfect for the summer. At least their pants I know are perfect so that'd definitely be something I'll sit on. Appreciate the insight Kenneth!

[bruschetta]

My word, we have our own Robert Wadlow in the threads!


Cody, my advice would be to dress casual while you're working the gym. You don't want to be the weird guy who jogs on the treadmill in a suit. Otherwise, just wear light, breathable fabrics such as linen and play it by ear. The south is a fashion pit so you'll make a good impression if you perform such basic actions as washing your clothes and person.

[kenneth]

Cody, I own the seersucker from Bonobos and that suit is absolutely perfect for summer days. I got the navy blue (the Charleston) so you really can't tell it's seersucker except from a close distance, so it retains the coolness without looking out of place. Bruschetta is totally right though, the bar in the south is absurdly low, so don't go overboard. It's easy to look overdressed when everyone else is dressed like a slob.

[Lance F.]

I agree with the above posts. Fabric choice should be high on your checklist when looking at clothes. Stay away from synthetic materials, as they don't breath well, and look into lightly woven cottons. Chambray, poplin, and linen are all good choices.


Coming from the south (Louisiana), some of my favorite pieces to deal with the heat are chambray shorts and short sleeve button downs in a light fabric. I picked up a few shirts from LEC that have done the job well, and I ususlly stick to some type of pattern so don't be scared to go bold.

[jordan]

I'll give you that the fashion standards in the south are abysmal. However its pretty ignorant to stereotype us all as people who don't even bathe.

[BB]

For me, the humidity is much worse than the heat. It can be 80 degrees outside, but if it's 98% humidity I'm drowning in sweat. So the thing to do is wear stuff that can wick away moisture and help it evaporate. Most people wear that dri-fit polo shirt stuff, but most of that looks pretty sloppy. Linen, on the other hand, can look great, and it does wick away moisture and let it evaporate. I got the Lands' End linen pants and navy sport coat (the Irish Baird McNutt linen mentioned by the Silentist and Put This On) and I love it. Feels a bit heavy at first, but it lets air circulate and it does deal with sweat better than cotton, which just kind of soaks it up and stays wet. I also really like seersucker and chambray. I have a chambray blazer that is incredibly light, and some chambray shorts for when it gets unbearably hot.


About fitting in: I do understand the comments about feeling out of place in nice clothes, but it really does depend where you are in the South, including where you are located in a particular city or town. Some areas are preppier (or more hipster) than others. In my neck of the woods (or rather the urban jungle) people don't look out of place in a suit or coat and tie during the day, or even in fairly nice clothes at night. Lots of people wear cargo shorts and tennis shoes, too, but a sport coat certainly isn't out of place. However, within the context of particular workplaces I've noticed a lot of pressure to dress down. You can wear a suit in public, out to dinner or a bar, all you like in my neighborhood and people won't bat an eye. But if you wear a tie to my particular workplace in the summer you'll get a lot of guff. Places that are business casual seem to have lots of folks who are nervous about anything they perceive to threaten the casual environment. As if me wearing a tie will cause them to have to wear a tie, or something. But I know that in rural areas and in some suburban areas there is a much different perception of dressier clothes. About a month ago I was called a "fairy" at a gas station in Alabama because I was wearing a pink shirt, for example. I don't ever have to deal with that in my neighborhood, though.

[BB]

And that comment was at a gas station in a nice part of the suburbs outside of a big city -- it's not necessarily a rural thing.

[kenneth]

Jordan, it's all in good fun.

[bruschetta]

Jordan, I apologize if I offended you.

[cody]

@bruschetta Oh definitely not, I'm usually in nothing but basketball gear 24/7 because I'm always on Mississippi State University's coliseum court training the players. I hail from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi so while I do agree with you on the abysmal style standards (and maybe the bathing) from all of yall, I feel as its more of a low/high scenario, best of the best and worst of the worst. @kenneth I just wish they weren't so expensive! and @BB pink is actually one of my favorite colors to play with but then again not many people try to mess with me. Plus being as Alabama is, don't even let it bother you. Only been on campus for a week and I've gotten nothing but compliments on my wardrobe change

[kenneth]

The navy seersucker is actually in Bonobos's sale section currently.


http://www.bonobos.com/po-8806-seersucker-pants-navy


http://www.bonobos.com/po-8797-seersucker-jacket-navy


Lots of sizes in the pants, only 42 in the jacket and that's likely too short for you. The pants rock though, and for only ~50 bucks, that's about as good as Bonobos gets. Believe there is also a code..

[cody]

Ahh too good to be true. Neither a 46L or 35x36 (yes im freakishly tall). I'll probably see what Macy's has in store for their one day sale tomorrow though

[BB]

Just to be clear, though, I love living in the South, and rarely hear comments like the one I described above... But if I could get rid of this unbelievable humidity, I'd do it in a second.


A related question: I have a seersucker jacket, but it's lined (and a lined pincord too). How risky and expensive is it to get a tailor to take the lining out? Any advice about that?