I’m wearing an odd vest today. Odd because it isn’t a part of my suit and odd because that’s the way that most people see it. Forgive the photo it was taken with the “Photo Booth” feature on my MacBook.

The vest is vintage, bought at the Portobello Road Market in London a number of years ago for USD$14. It is a heavyweight wool with plastic-y mother-of-pearl inspired buttons, four slash pockets, and two pleated darts. The label inside reads simply “Weeks of Tenterden.” And it is a very good layering piece on these in-between days (yesterday it was 72ºF, today 52ºF.) The yellow check (in two shades) picks up the yellow in my tie and the yellow overcheck in my blue glen check shirt.

The odd vest has a long story, fancy waistcoats turn up in courtly paintings, in photos of members of a certain family at Eton, and on rock and rollers of all stripes. But, the odd vest or waistcoat may be most familiar to us from numerous Tony Randall films, or for the younger generations, the Reese Witherspoon, Ewan McGregor musical “Down With Love.” McGregor sports a nice red one, if I recall correctly.

My vest serves two very useful purposes, it adds a layer of warmth, allowing me to doff my jacket at my desk and still stay comfortable without resorting to my cardigan, and it adds four pockets. The pockets can hold keys, a pen, my cell phone and my cards without ruining the line of my suit jacket. And a good line to your suit is one step closer to easy elegance.

So, the odd vest, elegant and useful, an easy piece to layer. But yes, it can look a little odd to some folks. Prepare to field a lot of looks and a few questions. It helps to hook a thumb into one of its pockets and rock back on your heels before answering.

I’ve heard from a friend in the clothing business that Oxxford has introduced a new model. The suit features a slightly shorter point-to-point measurement (across the shoulders), and a narrowere lapel. I would also guess that it has a lower button stance. At least I hope it does, because the trousers now come with a flat front and… a lower rise. That means that they sit closer to your hipbones than to your natural waist.

I imagine that the shift towards a hipper look (no pun intended) is aimed at attracting a younger buyer. Mike Cohen, the youngest president they’ve had, may also be making clothes that he wants to wear — or should I say to be seen in? And the slimmer silhouette does auger well for the modern American male’s physique. We must not be as obese as the news insists.

Or do those of us who wear suits simply care more about the way we look and exercise accordingly? I’m certainly not the 29′ waist I was in high school and (early on in) college.

You used to be able to tell an Oxxford suit by the bellows pockets in the lining that allow the wearer to carry things in his pockets, mostly unnoticed. The jacket was a natural shoulder, and may have looked a bit “boxy” to some. There were also finished seams inside the quarter lined jacket (more expensive to do), a waistband on the trousers that was a combination of the Hollywood waist (no waistband) and the one you’re used to seeing. Finally, there were two belt loops at the right front crossed to form an “X,” a reference to the two X’s in Oxxford.

On my suits, I’ve noticed that the two loops remain, although they are side-by-side. Oxxford’s are arguably the best made ready-to-wear garments in the industry. Their styling was timeless, never too forward, nor too backward looking. My suits are incredibly comfortable, the waistband sits at my natural waist, the handwork in the jacket assures that the suit shapes itself to me the more I wear it. Hand-sewn silk thread stitches allow the jacket to move with me — naturally stretching and springing back into place.

With the foray into the world of fashion, I wonder what to think of the venerable Chicago firm. Are they hurting for business in this new and casual business landscape? I can’t believe it. The suits still aren’t cheap — not by a long shot. And they still are made in the US. Will the new model attract a new buyer? One who doesn’t mind wearing his trousers like a pair of jeans? (I can only hope the buttonstance has been lowered to hide the shirt that will poke out otherwise. And that’s just sort of sloppy looking in my book. The picture above makes it difficult to tell since the model is moving aside the front quarters by placing his hand in his pocket.)

I guess it all boils down to one question: is the classic suit at all relevent today? Or is this the beginning of the end as evidenced by a classic updating itself to appeal to people not used to dressing up or seeing themselves in clothing that fits properly?

I won’t relish a return to Thom Brown’s schooldays. But I might try a slimmer look. That is if I can slim down at all. In the meantime, I will celebrate anything that gets more young people into suits and ties. Maybe it will eventually drive their fathers into their tailors.

“Those characters always wore dark-blue suits.”
— Cary Grant on Aristotle Onassis and Lew Wasserstein. Quoted in a GQ profile from 1986.*

I write a lot about being appropriately dressed. But it occurs to me that I’ve never really defined what I consider to be “appropriate.” So I thought that I would begin a series of articles about wardrobe basics for men. (I have my ideas about women’s clothing, but I haven’t really done the research yet.) I’ll begin with the blue suit.

Think elegance and chances are you’ll wind up at Cary Grant. If you’re like me, you always picture him in black tie or in that indestructable grey suit from North By Northwest. But as the above quote shows, Mr. Grant was always sartorially savvy — looking to see what looked good on whom. And later pictures show him classically suited in dark-blue. Ian Fleming’s James Bond, like the author, preferred blue suits. In The Man With the Golden Gun, Bond’s “dark-blue, single-breasted suit, white shirt, thin black knitted silk tie, black casuals [we'd say 'loafers']” are referred to as his “usual rig.” You could do worse than to follow either lead when the situation calls for subtle, yet, commandingly elegant attire.

The rules are relatively simple when it comes to color — dress to bring attention to your face. Me? I’m dark-haired, dark-eyed and distressingly white according to the more golden-toned Mrs. E. who hails from South America. A dark suit and light shirt frame my face, for better or for worse.

A well-cut and impeccably tailored dark-blue suit will be appropriate in almost any situation. Depending on your level of confidence, it can even hold its own at a black tie optional party. Especially a solid midnight-blue, double-breasted (6 buttons 2, please) worn with a white, French cuff, spread collar shirt, silver-y tie, and startched white linen pocket square.

Two-button, three-button, three-piece, single or double-breasted, it’s up to you. The blue suit is about as versatile as it gets. Start with a solid blue that goes from the office to an evening out and diversify into stripes, birdseye or nailhead later. You’ll be ready for a wedding, funeral, diplomatic reception or car chase.

*I have this issue, but it’s been misplaced. I ran across the reference in Richard Torregrossa’s excellent book

Cary Grant: a Celebration of Style

Sorry about the picture, please ignore the silly styling and button your DBs. It’s hard to find a good photo of a great blue suit. I suppose they’re considered too plain for most designers.