Men's Attire

James McClure:

The T-shirt and jeans have killed men's clothing.  The traditional variety and style in men's clothing has died.  At this point if you don't wear jeans and a T-shirt, maybe a sweater, people constantly think that you over dress.  Slacks, a button down shirt, and a weather appropriate jacket should never be overdressed.  That should be the casual standard.  If you choose to wear jeans and some variation of a non-collared shirt, then you are dressing down.

Recently my brother gave me a hard time because I wore a sweater vest under a jacket.  He said, "The life vest prevents you from drowning, the bullet-proof vest prevents you from being shot, the sweater vest prevents you from getting laid."  While I agree that sweater vests are far too frequently used as part of an outfit that does not include a jacket (blazer or suit), they still have function: they prevent you from having over-stuffed-sausage arms in your sport coat.  When worn under a jacket the missing arms are not noticeable and the outfit actually looks better.

Ties are another thing.  Why is 75% of the American male population allergic to ties?  Why am I made to feel like a pretentious ass hole if I choose to wear a tie to an event where a tie is not required?  Men have very few places to add personal touches to their outfits.  The tie is the primary place where color, pattern and design can be added to personalize a look.  Rather than embracing this piece of formal men's clothing, most men do not know how to tie a half-Windsor knot.  I'm not saying that we need to give up our casual clothing, just we need to adjust our view of casual, and adjust our view of what is appropriate to wear to what occasions.  

Frank Leyland:
Is the "weather appropriate jacket" line a shot across Arthur Fonzarelli's bow? I'm not sure if it is smart of us to alienate the Fonzi Fan Club.

It's sunny and 75 outside Fonzie,
you don't need the jacket

Mr. Payne Stewart is a sharp dressed man (cue ZZ Top)

Sweater vests are only appropriate while wearing a jacket to hide the fact you left 2/3rds of the sweater at home. The problem is once you commit to the sweater vest you cannot, under any circumstances, take the jacket off, not even to hook up. This is similar to the "granny-panty conundrum" presented in Bridget Jone's Diary. The only place you should ever see a jacket-less sweater vest is on a golf course. But those guys also try to pull off looks like this, so they might not be the best judge of fashion. 


Last I checked, stores like Brooks Brothers are still turning a profit, so let's not give the suit and tie a standing 10 count just yet. I have a hard time understanding where exactly you want to draw the jeans and T shirt (J&T) line. I am going to assume your largest complaint resides in the bar scene because most office attire is regulated and you couldn't possibly be crazy enough to suggest that I should wear a tie while pumping iron. 


The truth of the matter is the bar scene is no man’s land for attire, especially the later into the night you hang around. If you want to assure yourself that all bar patrons meet your ridiculously high standards of clothing, visit a cigar bar on a Friday evening. Otherwise, just be happy that Ed Hardy makes T shirts incredibly easy to spot, making it possible to avoid all of the crazies looking to black out and punch each other.

It's got Rhinesontes and it's only $85! What a Deal!

James McClure:

There is no reason for grown men to wear bedazzled T-shirts at any time.  The is also no reason for a bedazzled T-shirt to cost $85.

This is the problem.  Guys think that because they are wearing $150 tennis shoes, $200 jeans, and a $85 T-shirt that they can wear this outfit to a nice restaurant or to a reasonably formal event.  What they miss is that the cost of the outfit does not morph if from being jeans and a T-shirt.  Bottom line, comb your hair - even if spiky is cool it is not appropriate - put on a collared shirt, own a pair of semi-casual dress slacks, put on leather shoes and look like a respectable person.  

Look how far we've fallen.  This picture was taken in 1960. It shows Pitt Students watching a world series game from the top of a university building.  You would never see that attire today.

Best seat in the house

Frank Leyland:

I totally agree that it's entirely inappropriate to under dress for nice occasions. However, I don't get offended by the clothing choices of J&T people, because it makes them easier to avoid. I actually would like to shake their hands for sparing me the 5 minutes of conversation I would have had with them before realizing they are the type of person that thinks a J&T outfit is totally acceptable anywhere. There are all kinds of people in this world, and I think the easier it is to identify them before I talk to them the better. 

James McClure:

I don't agree.  The fact that people find it appropriate to dress like that has been created by being afraid to ever offend anyone.  The truth is that 60 years ago someone would have the balls to say that you can't get a seat in the restaurant wearing tennis shoes, and that if he wanted to come back he'd have to comb his hair, put on a jacket and collar, put on slacks, and cover his tattoos.  The truth is that if you want to dress like that it is fine, just don't expect everyone to put up with your stylistic choices.  We should be able to set expectations and demand that people conform to them if they desire to join.

Ed Rendell put it perfectly: "We are a nation of Wussies."

We are so afraid that we may offend someone that we have given up all rights and ability to set reasonable expectations.  

Frank Leyland:

Set inside the back of a trash truck,
New York's hottest night club is... REALLY!?!

Money is the only thing required to enter most places. If you have enough cash to spend $132 on a T shirt that looks like this, then you certainly have enough money to blow on a Surf and Turf dinner at Ruth's Chris. I don't know many companies that make a habit of turning down customers money, no matter how 'fashionable' they are.  

I love the Ed Rendell line. Classic Rendi. 

James McClure:

That is just insane.  Ed Hardy is gluing glitter to tie-dyed T-shirts and selling them for 150% the cost of a Brooks Brothers dress shirt: 

$65 for a whole shirt, sounds too good to be true 

I don't think that I ever want to talk to the man who chooses the Ed Hardy over the Brooks Brothers.  It just doesn't make any sense.  But then again what do I know.  I'm just some antiquated jerk who thinks that jeans should be prohibited on a golf course and that you should have to wear a collar.  I guess that the jean-shorts and wife-beater's (sometimes shirtless) crowd was right the whole time.

Frank Leyland:

I totally agree with you. What passes as acceptable men's clothing these days is appalling. I just don't think there is anything that can be done about it.

I am worried that we generally agree on this issue. Based on my experiences with reality TV, people prefer drama, even if it totally fabricated, much more than high fives.

James McClure:

I think that we're done here.

Frank Leyland:

Agreed.

Now can you compose an email inviting some of our friends to preview this anti-non-un-blog thing before we waste any more of our time.