Suiting for academics
This is post is about suits. Most Labrigger readers will want to skip reading this one. I did a post years ago on packing and taking care of clothes while traveling. This is in that same vein. Most people won’t care, but there are maybe a few who find a bit or two of information they find useful.
Wear a suit if you want to.
In academia, we generally don’t have to wear a suit, and many opt not to. I wear suits for a few not-very-interesting reasons:
1. Prof. Ikuko Smith likes them. That’s the only reason I need, really. My daughters like them too and help me pick ties sometimes.
2. It’s a simple uniform. I can put the outfit together in seconds with little-to-no thought. I don’t have to wonder which pants go with which jacket– they come in a set, unlike sport coats. Even picking shoes and ties is easy. There are simple formulas to follow if you don’t want to think about it. For example, grey suit = black shoes; or blue suit = brown shoes. They’re not rules– you can get creative– they’re just formulas if you want something simple. It’s easier than business casual, which is a nebulous concept compared to suiting.
My father wore suits for most of his working years. It was his uniform. Always with short sleeve dress shirts. Which are a bit of a quirky choice. Even in the dead of Iowa winters, my father was warm and saved himself the trouble of rolling up his shirt sleeves, and just dispensed with them entirely. Towards the end of his working years, his workplace switched their dress code to business casual. I remember him complaining to me about it because he “doesn’t know what to wear anymore.” My dad had two modes: suited up, or jeans and a t-shirt. Business casual is a whole other thing– khakis? slacks? sport coat? He figured it out of course, but the lesson is: There is simplicity in suiting up for work.
3. Wearing a suit shows that I care. I value the time of the people I’m meeting with, whether it’s a meeting with colleagues or teaching students. You don’t have to wear a suit to say that. You can wear ripped jeans and a hoodie and find other ways to project respect, but wearing a suit is one way to communicate that. Also, I’m often in meetings where other people are dressed formally. I might as well blend in. I generally feel more comfortable being over-dressed rather than under-dressed. Not everyone feels that way and that’s fine. There are exceptions. There are times when I want to be very careful to blend in– to match the level of formality of everyone else, even if that’s “business casual”. But most of the time it doesn’t matter, and I can wear a suit.
If you want to suit up, here’s one approach:
Start with made-to-measure if in the US, or off-the-rack in other countries.
Made-to-measure or custom suits in the US offer overall good value. The fit-and-quality-to-dollar ratio is better than off-the-rack offers. Places like Suitsupply or Indochino seem okay, and they can offer some customization as well. Off-the-rack options in the US are often terrible– either low value cheap suits or fancy labels that charge bespoke-like prices for off-the-rack suits. Neither seems very nice. Get made-to-measure or custom. That’s the best value, I think.
Off-the-rack is quite good in Japan. In Europe it’s… well, it can be good. It’s usually better than in the US anyways. Bear in mind that my opinions are based on my own tastes and body shape. If you’re built like a superhero, then off-the-rack in Japan won’t be as much of an option for you as it is for me.
Fully bespoke is cool, but probably overkill. Especially if you’re new to suits and not sure what you like yet. Go bespoke when you have a few suits, know what you like, and custom isn’t enough for you.
If you go with off-the-rack, definitely get it tailored. And remember to undo the little stitches on the vents and pockets. Everything should function. In my opinion, nothing on a suit is just-for-looks. Use the pockets, use the buttons, and turn up the collar if there’s a cold breeze.
Keep it simple.
Feel free to get into a nice lapel roll, a well tailored shirt, or an exotic fabric. It’s cool to be excited about little things like that. But when in doubt, just keep it simple.
Start with a dark grey or dark blue suit. Those are the most versatile. Notch lapel, 1-2 vents, 2 buttons is a good starting point for many people.
As for ties, pick a simple pattern in a nice fabric. Use four-in-hand, Shelby, or half-windsor knots. It’s probably wise to take it easy on the jewelry like tie pins, bars, collar pins, and so forth. Maybe just a bit if you’re into it.
Be comfortable.
Indifference towards one’s clothes is appropriate. Maybe even a bit of contempt is called for.
Buy nice shoes.
Many people like to wear sneakers with suits. If that’s your style, that’s cool. Just avoid cheap dress shoes because they can undercut a nice suit. Shoes don’t have to be extra expensive, but they should look nice. Regular polishing helps a lot.
Gadgets.
There are all sorts of ways to sharpen up the lay of fabric in a suit. Sure, there’s canvas in the suit jacket, but there are gadgets too. Most of the gadgets are to keep shirts and socks from looking sloppy. Collar stays, magnetic collar stays, collar supports, sock garters, shirt stays, sleeve garters, and so forth. These things are used in military dress uniforms all the time. If you’re annoyed about something looking sloppy at the end of rough day, someone has probably already invented a gadget to address it. You don’t have to use any of this, but just know that they exist. Sometimes they’re handy and can help address something that’s annoying you.
A couple of notes on sources.
I’ve been using Suit Club NYC for custom suits recently. It’s inexpensive, and the quality-per-dollar ratio is excellent. I mention them because I think it’s not a bad place to start, especially if you’re in NY. I also mention them because I want them to stay in business. It’s an interesting business model. Hong Kong is famous for their quick custom suits, but you usually have to fly to Hong Kong to get them. Kanchan and Vik offer an NYC way to get Hong Kong custom.
Ikuko introduced me to fully bespoke with a suit from Dege & Skinner. It’s an amazing experience, but it also costs as much as a car, so don’t start there.