Suits: Highly Recommended

"Everyone Wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."

-- Cary Grant


I like suits. I have always liked suits. I respect the tradition and craftsmanship inherent in a good suit, as well as the respect to tradition, institutions, and people, that wearing a suit can convey. I regret that they've declined in popularity, but then again, if everyone was wearing them, I probably wouldn't appreciate them like I do. To me, a nice suit is a work of art, especially the dominantly hand sewn vintage and custom made ones. The fabrics of suits (especially vintage) are diverse and often beautiful, and if one is so inclined, can be more bold, daring and expressive than anything found in the khakis and polo shirt aisle.

And now that the corporate world has largely shunned the business suit in favor of business casual, suits are ripe for the reclaiming. And in an ironic twist of fate, young men are beginning to dress nicely as a way to distinguish themselves from the aging and casually dressing baby boomers—just as the boomers distinguished themselves from their fathers a generation ago, when they largely dispensed with the wearing of suits. “I think it’s a reaction against the homogeneity of casual wear,” said Gordon Richardson, the design director of Topman, in a recent interview in The New York Times. “There’s nowhere to go with that in terms of personality, whereas a suit sets you apart..."

A suit is practically perfect in every way. The jackets and trousers literally match themselves and can last a lifetime. If worn willingly, a suit can express class and respect for tradition, yet at the same time be alternative, individualist and even subversive. Khaki trousers, dress shirts, print ties, and black sneakers are an improvement in no discernible way. Suits are better. Ties are optional, but have merit (a tie, it is said, completes the suit). A pocket handkerchief can add a splash of color if desired.

Properly worn, suits have a roguish and charmingly anachronistic style appropriate to heroes and villains alike. A well cut suit can make a poor man look rich, and a rich man look humble; the short look taller and the broad look streamlined. And today, a nice suit is neither difficult nor expensive to attain.

One final personal note. I appreciate that in photos of me and my daughter, I'm usually wearing a suit. I think that is a gift to her, and years from now she'll see those photos—just as we have seen photos of our own fathers and grandfathers—and see that she had a father who, well... wore a suit.