Spring/Summer 2010: A Linen Suit In Three Parts
My inspiration/obsession with obtaining a linen suit for my wardrobe began when I saw a picture of The Duke Of Windsors own cream linen piece.
Photo courtesy of A Suitable Wardrobe
I do not know what the exact allure is about a linen suit and it’s wrinkle prone ways, but I knew I had to have one of my own. Believe me, I have avoided it for years because I hated the way it looked after a few hours. This all changed when, again, a photo inspired me.
Photo courtesy The Sartorialist
A. He’s bald.
B. The wrinkles actually look kind of awesome and add a more casual, breezy, European feel to the entire ensemble.
C. He’s bald.
So I jumped in and went to my old faithful Indochino to order their own version of the linen suit with custom trimmings (functional boutonniere, functional sleeve buttons, cuffed pants, pick stitching, and peak lapels). I adjusted my measurements slightly to add more room to the pants (skin tight in the summer = no bueno) and added a slight bit more length to them as well.
The end result is, with no surprise, beautifully done by the tailors in Shanghai.
Below are three ways I plan on wearing the suit as a whole and as separates. Please excuse my insane expression in the second photo. My fiancee likes to make me laugh when I shoot.
Suit: Indochino, Shirt: Indochino, Tie: Altea, Shoes: Vintage, Pocket Square: Land's End
Pants: Indochino, Shirt: Uniqlo, Shoes: Sperry Topsiders, Hat: Street find in Brooklyn
Jacket: Indochino, Shirt: H&M, Jeans: Uniqlo, Hat: BK Street find, Glasses: Ray Ban, Loafers: Aldo
How long did Indochino take this time? I ordered my navy suit on February 8th and I received it March 3 but I had to have the pants remade (first time ordering.) I made the request March 8th and still haven’t gotten them. They must be really backed up. I want to order the Linen suit as well but I’m waiting for my navy pants to check fit. Have you ever had to have a remake? Any idea how long it typical takes?
By the way, I love your blog Dennis. I read it every day. My gf always looks at fashion blogs and I used to make fun of her and now I have my own that I check everyday! Thanks for all the insight.
Hi Brian,
Thanks so much for your comment and being a reader as well.
My suit took a while this time but only because it was Chinese New Year which pushed back a lot of orders. Maybe they are still experiencing some delays from it.
I never had a remake done before and unfortunately do not know how long it takes.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance!
All the best,
Dennis
So right as I was writing that comment last night, little did I know that in Shanghai my pants were being put on a Fed ex plane. Haha. I got the email this morning. So it took a little over two weeks for the remake of the pants. Seems like they might be back to the 2 week turn around time. I hope they fit!
Dennis- that linen suit looks FANTASTIC on you! The color combination of the tie and pocket square and the mixing of patterns is great! You held out for FAR too long!
Ps- I saw an older gentleman in my dance class yesterday rocking a great pair of light brown spectators w/argyle sock combination and khaki pants. I wanted to instantly befriend him- he was so put together!
Thank you so much, Denise!!!
I really love the elegance of the suit. I really hope I have some formal events during the day to attend this Spring/Summer.
As always, Indochino pulls through. I wish they would do their 2 free shirs offer again so I can order a new piece. Have you considered their cotton suits for summer? I’d like to get my professional wardrobe set before I start spending on the extras…someone I don’t think a linen suit would cut it in the consulting world.
To offer my critique I’m not sure how I feel about cuffs on a pair of flatfronts, is that to help keep pants pulled down w/ the light fabric? Also not a fan of the blue pocket square w/ red shirt. You need something else blue to connect my eyes to.
As an aside, are you still ordering Indochino w/ your altered measurements? I’m afraid that when I go to order one day they will actually give me what I specify and the suit will be ridiculously tiny.
Hey Brad,
The cuffs were a personal choice. I love the way they look over my shoes. It adds a certain elegance. And since I will most likely have the jacket closed most of the time, how will anyone know if my pants are pleated or not?
I really do appreciate the constructive criticism, though. It’s always good food for thought.
I wouldn’t suggest you wearing a linen suit AT ALL in your work place. The linen Indochino uses is pretty stiff but I still feel like it will wrinkle a bunch by mid day. I can most likely get away with it at my job but I think I will be saving this suit for weddings, evenings at Coney Island, and summer brunches.
A cotton suit may be better choice, but a Tropical Weight wool, which is light and breezy and way less wrinkle prone, is tops for a more conservative office. Also, ask them to do HALF CANVAS on the suit you order. This will ensure a little more breathing and make it feel less heavy. Full canvas, however, actually DOES wick away moisture. This suit featured is fully canvassed.
I’m still using my altered measurements. I’ve finally mastered it as you can see with this piece. I think their tailors have got way better, too. My only complaint is that most of the time the waist feels a bit tight no matter how many half inches I add to it. But maybe I’m just getting fat.
Hope all this helps, Brad! And again, your avatar has made my day.
Best,
Dennis
I think your next purchase should be the seersucker, I wanna see if a yankee can pull that one off!
When you say the tailors have gotten way better what do you mean? You can see once you order/change your measurements that the “tailor” will adjust your measurements, e.g. I was trying to do 1/4″ here 1/2″ there differences b/t my 1st and 2nd purchase and they basically just rounded it off to whatever they felt like. Based on my original order and your assessment I was knocking off 3-5″ in some places b/c they obviously add a lot more to what you tell them.
I really do want to try out a seersucker. That’s a tough one to pull off, though. What a challenge!!
What I meant by the tailors getting better is that they seem to pay more attention to the measurement tweaks. This suit, by far and large, is the best I’ve received from them fit wise.
Looks great, Dennis! Did you happen to get a hidden 3rd button on this one?
I agree with Brad; I really wish Indochino would hurry up with another 2-free-shirt promo
Hey Adam,
THANK YOU! I can’t even tell you how happy I am with it. My fiancee looked at me in the suit last night and just smiled from ear to ear. That is probably the best compliment I received so far.
I went with a straight up two button with this one. Now that you mention it, a rolled third would have been great. Oh well…next time.
Best,
Dennis
this is a great post sir.
Thank you, sir.
Strong stuff, Dennis; the full suit and the jacket and jeans ensemble are the best you’ve constructed, in my eyes
What will you do for sunglasses? I suggest oversized eyewear, myself
B
Thank you so much, Barima!
For sunglasses I am planning on oversized tortoise shell Calvin Kleins that I purchased last summer.
My best,
Dennis
well done!! I must say that’s a damn nice looking summer suit. Like the way it pulls double duty w/ the combos. I think you convinced me to pick one up for myself –
NICE. I really hope you do pull the trigger on this one. With all the combinations it’s well worth the money.
Dennis this is by far the best suit in your arsenal I’ve seen thus far (as far as fit, matching your skin tone, and overall balance is concerned).
Thanks, Fair Rose. I am in complete agreement with you that the colors definitely compliment my skin tone.
Hope all is well!
You really should let your fiancée make you laugh/smile more in these photos. You have a great smile.
Thank you for the lovely compliment Julie. My fiancee feels the same way! She’s always telling me to smile more.
Excellent post, you’ve realized the main reason for justifying a tan linen suit, that is, to be able to break it apart! It’s one of the only suits I’ve seen that is just as comfortable together as it is separate with other outfits.
I really like that you went with peak lapels on this one, it works incredibly well on a casual suit.
And of course, the best thing of all, it’s going to keep you right cool this summer!
Thanks so much, David. Coming from you, this is a giant compliment.
I just received a nice set of vintage Florsheim loafers from E-bay that are tank solid and leather soled. I can’t get over how well Florsheim shoes age. Should look killer with the suit. Best $18 I’ve spent in a while.
Happy Friday,
Dennis
Hey Dennis, what is your opinion of wearing undershirts with dress shirts? Most of my white dress shirts are easy to see though, including my Indochino shirt, and I was wondering if it is proper to wear a t-shirt underneath? I don’t really like that the short sleeves of the t-shirt show but it makes the dress shirt less see though and seems good because it would save me from having to wash my dress shirts every time. I don’t perspire enough to have to wear an undershirt, I just don’t like my dress shirts to be see though. Is a white V neck more appropriate to wear with a dress shirt or is a crew neck better? I hear that it is a fashion mistake to wear an undershirt from some people and that it is OK from others. What are your thoughts?
Sorry I wrote “see though” instead of “see through” for the whole comment. It’s late and I’m tired.
Thanks for the advice!
Hey Brian,
Man…this is a tough one. None of my shirts are see thru so I rarely have to wear a t-shirt underneath.
Here’s my advice if you do:
Try a white or light gray crew neck. Avoid tank tops at all cost. To be honest, though, I would suggest finding more white dress shirts that are a little less sheer. That or try not to remove your jacket that much during the day.
Sorry I could not be of more assistance. If any one of my readers sees this and can offer Brian their opinion, that would be much appreciated!
Best,
Dennis
More pics of the ink plz!
Dennis,
Why not a tank top. I wear a tank/ vest with all my shirts, t-shirts, etc. Does this mean if you sweat the shirt aborbs the moisture..?
Thanks,
Mxolisi
M.,
I think it’s all a matter of personal preference. I prefer not wearing a t-shirt/tank top under any of my shirts but if it works for you, do it!
I don’t perspire that much so I don’t have to worry about it as much. Actually, I would think UNDER ARMOR would be a great bet since it’s figure forming and is made to absorb any and all perspiration for those in the sports world.
-Dennis
Great post. Love the outfits, though I gotta be honest and say that I think the flipped up cuffs on the last pic look a little girly. Don’t get me wrong, that red shirt with the jacket is my favorite out of all the combos you showed, but I think if you wore the sleeves down, it would look less affected.
Oh, and count me in the “wear an undershirt” camp. I find it helps prolong the life of my dress shirts.
THANKS!!
I hear you about the sleeves. Again, I do believe it’s a matter of personal preference. Mostly I love to show off the surgeon cuffs on my suits.
For the readers above who wear under shirts with their dress shirts, what’s your advice? I’d love to hear it since I am out of the loop.
Thanks again.
Dennis
Dennis – great article! I’ve also got a great hook up for you and all your guy friends looking for a GREAT pair of trousers at an awesome price. Check out J Hilburn’s linen pants – our $125 pair compares to Ralph Lauren’s at $325, Incotex Chino Lino at $350 , Loro Piana at
$450 , and Georgio Armani at $775. Not only are they less than half the price of retail, a style advisor will come to your office to measure you for a custom fit. (We offer LOTS more than trousers – our bread and butter is our custom shirt – again, great shirts at less than 1/2 of what you would pay for retail – same fabrics as Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Xegna, etc.) Would love to assist you if you have any questions.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Just checked out the site. Looks great!!
Thanks so much for the tip.
My Best,
Dennis
LOVE the spectators!!!! I have a pair of AE in bourbon/bone that I think would go perfectly with that suit. Only thing missing is a panama!!!!! Someday I hope to have the money to outfit myself like that. (unemployment doesn’t pay all that well!!!!)
Hey Dennis,
Any updates on your linen Indochino suit? Have you wore it out yet? How is the wrinkling? Are you happy with it? I ordered one and it is my first linen suit so I am a little apprehensive about the wrinkling. I’m hoping I can pull it off as good as you do!
Hi Brian,
I wore it once so far and like any linen suit it is very wrinkle prone. If I were you, I would not use this suit for the office as it will most likely look really bad by the end of the day. This goes for ANY linen suit, though. Once you hang it up overnight, most of the wrinkles go away and the rest can be pressed out.
A linen suit is best for summer weddings, outings, and day time formal events where you will be most likely standing a lot.
Thanks again for the compliment, too! I am absolutely in love with that suit.
Best,
Dennis
Yo!…nice tats! You should write about it on the site!
I have a question: Does Indochino charge more for “big and tall” suits? I am considering ordering one for my fiance to wear at our Vegas wedding in October, and I was just curious about the pricing. I couldn’t find anything about it on their site. If you happen to know, I’d greatly appreciate the info! Thanks for all your time posting about the company’s suits.
Hi Tamara,
Thanks for your question!
Since Indochino is a made to measure service, they go by every specific body type unlike off the rack.
I would highly recommend a tailor taking his measurements carefully before you input them into the order.
Other than that, their site is pretty straight forward. Just follow the ordering process and you should be good to go!
Have a great time in Vegas and CONGRATULATIONS!!!
-Dennis
Wow, thanks for your expeditious response! And for the scoop (and the congrats, much appreciated).
I’m definitely considering this as an alternative to good ol’ Men’s Wearhouse…
I’ll let you know what we end up deciding.
No problem! I like to answer my readers inquiries right away.
You’ll definitely be getting a better all around product than a Men’s Warehouse suit.
Have you thought of looking for a custom tailor in your area who would make him a suit? That’s always another option.
I was assuming we couldn’t afford it, but I suppose I should look into it. Thank you again!
Do some digging. My tailor here in NYC starts his MTM suits from $500. That’s not a far stretch from Indochino.
Where are you located?
Wow, that’s reasonable, especially for NYC! We’re in metro Detroit…
Yeah, I got lucky but it’s not impossible. I called all over the place before I found him.
Definitely do some digging. I’m sure you can find someone in Detroit or near by. It’s well worth it once you do.
If only I had the time and money to go around the country in search of the least expensive custom tailors.
Actually, I may start digging online and start a collection of links. It may take years, though.
This is in our new city, actually: http://www.alexcustom.com/index.html
May have to stop in there! Thanks again for your time, Dennis. Stumbled upon your blog and subscribed, very good stuff.
That’s awesome!! Like I said, keep digging if this guy is too expensive.
It’s good to know I have female readers. I’m really glad you are enjoying my blog.
-D.
Tamara – contact corporate at JHilburn to find a style advisor in your area – we offer men’s luxury clothing at 1/2 the retail price. We don’t have suits but we have GREAT shirts and trousers (among other items.) Plus your style advisor may know of a good tailor in the area as well! Congrats on your upcoming nuptials!!
1-866-STYLE-81
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