"Spending the day" w/ members of Congress. What to wear?

[TTkickedin]

Obviously a suit, Not my question!

If you're wondering what the meeting will be about, i'll be representing one of the 2000+ students that graduated from the Year Up program (www.yearup.org) to talk to them about initiatives that could be taken to promote programs such as this, and how much success can be had from it. It's been quoted that I will be spending the day with these people as well.

I don't know if any of you remember what my financial situation was like last year, but to say i just had a complete turnaround would be an understatement...So to show appreciation for the program and to help other potential students with more funding from the government maybe, I'd like to first start by at least looking important. My goal is to dress the part, sound the part, and be one of the key parts in the success of this program. All of which, I believe, are attainable.


So I need some GQ-esque fashion advice from someone who knows their shiite. Hopefully someone with this know-how will chime in.

I'm trying to also spend less than 250 locally, so I know that's a bit of a constraint. Also, I can't wait for shipping unless rush shipping is an option on a website.

I'm a 44L. 6'3" 215. 36 waist, looking for something slim fitting.

Jos. A. Bank, Men's Wearhouse, and Banana republic are all around my area. K&G is as well, but i've been there before, they carry some off-brand clownlike suits, something I don't want to represent.

Keep the above in mind. I'm having a hard time trying to find the absolute best suit for the money that will be the best fit to meet with such important individuals, and not make me look like I'm still only 20 and too young to be serious. I'm very serious about this program, and I want to be a great example as to what type of person goes into the program, and what results from it in the longrun.

I also don't even know what color would be best: navy blue, charcoal, black, or gray... I have suits in each color, but they have a more casual feeling to them, or an older fit from when I was a little thicker, bought from cheaper suit places when i had little to no money.

Thanks guys.

[TTkickedin]

I'll also be attending this meeting alongside my company's CEO, and an officer from the Year Up program...just another thought.

[Bubba1]

I'll also be attending this meeting alongside my company's CEO, and an officer from the Year Up program...just another thought.

If you're looking for a cheap suit, and $250 doesn't go far, Men's Wearhouse is a good place. you might consider a sport jacket and slacks, might be cheaper. I'd suggest a dark color jacket like navy blue, which gives you more options for future dressup events you attend. If you don't have a coordinating dress shirt and tie, the store will sell them to you.
Also look at your shoes. Sneakers/docksiders don't work. Wear leather shoes, pref. black and polish them.
Finally: zip up your fly, look 'em in the eye, and don't ask your CEO to pull your finger.

Good luck

[TTkickedin]

Thanks for the advice, Bubba!

I've got some decent shoes that I do polish, but I may opt for some nicer Calvin Klien's I had my eye on recently. Actually, I'm wearing them now

I guess it depends on the suit if i have a good shirt and tie to wear with it. I have a bunch of cheaper combinations, and a few express shirts, but way too 'young' looking. As far as colors, I don't want to go with a basic color combination and blend into the crowd, i think that a charcoal or gray with some type of conservative, blending color combination would look like I put some thought into it.

So Men's Wearhouse you think would be the best bet? I know someone that works at a location near me. Not a saleswoman, but she does help pick out suits.

And you say Navy blue as the best bet? I was originally thinking that, but asking her, she suggested a charcoal suit. I'm stuck as far as this is concerned

Oh, and do you think a slim fit suit would be good to look for, or would a more traditional fit be best?



^ I like this style right here, except for the polka dotted tie. Maybe a paisley print in similar color?

[alms24sebring]

^haha good advice

Joseph A Bank always has great sales as you probly know and has good looking stuff. IMO you dont have to spend $500 if you dont have to, but if you toss that dough it might be worth it for future meetings. A suit must be black or dark navy blue, its hard to pull off anything else

[Bubba1]

Thanks for the advice, Bubba!

I've got some decent shoes that I do polish, but I may opt for some nicer Calvin Klien's I had my eye on recently. Actually, I'm wearing them now

I guess it depends on the suit if i have a good shirt and tie to wear with it. I have a bunch of cheaper combinations, and a few express shirts, but way too 'young' looking. As far as colors, I don't want to go with a basic color combination and blend into the crowd, i think that a charcoal or gray with some type of conservative, blending color combination would look like I put some thought into it.

So Men's Wearhouse you think would be the best bet? I know someone that works at a location near me. Not a saleswoman, but she does help pick out suits.

And you say Navy blue as the best bet? I was originally thinking that, but asking her, she suggested a charcoal suit. I'm stuck as far as this is concerned

Oh, and do you think a slim fit suit would be good to look for, or would a more traditional fit be best?



^ I like this style right here, except for the polka dotted tie. Maybe a paisley print in similar color?

Charcoal is perfectly fine too. Both are good all year round. As far as slim fit vs. traditional, that's personal preference.
Ive purchased a few suits for my son at Mens Wearhouse, and had good experiences. Ties are so subjective, everyone has their own preferences. The folks at the store should be able to recommend one that coordinates with both your shirt and suit. thatis, if your tastes run traditional. Some people like to make statements with their ties, but a "show me your ta-ta's" tie may not be appropriate for this event.

[TTkickedin]

Good points, both of you. Although i have in the past pulled of a lighter oxford grey suit from Tommy Hilfiger ...but this was for a fashion show, and no I did not star in it! I feel like I could've done better, but hey...this is a 'new' ballgame for me.

As far as if my tases run traditional or not, i'd say it's a mixture of both. More recently it has been more traditional as it's more of a looser fit, (and i've been getting a bit lazy not going to the gym,) so the extra space helps in that sense. However, a relatively slim, or 'tailored' fit looks better on me, in my opinion. Albeit some comfort is lost but not the amount of discomfort that would have me rushing to my room to get out of the clothing! I could last the entire day wearing a suit like this.

And I just cannot decide whether or not to go with double breasted, 2, or 3 button! I've found that 2 button suits don't really look all that well on me, maybe from buying from cheap stores like Marshalls, (the lapels drop considerably on Geoffrey Beene 2 button suits.) I tend to go towards 3 button in most cases, but have been recently turned onto buying double breasted, simply because forbes ranks them as 'the CEO's' suit. But then again, i've seen terrible double breasted suits that fit very loose.

So my choices right now are down to this: 3 button or double breasted, 44L, in either Navy blue, or Charcoal color. I'm aiming for the Super 110-130s fabric so it can be used on more than one occasion. I know there's a lot of opinion choices here, but I don't have much experience in fine quality suits, so my opinion really hasn't been established yet.

I've bought suits in the past merely to buy them when necessary. Most of them, however, are either very ugly now, out of style, or just Ill-fitting/worn out considerably < not how i want to represent myself!

[DJ_B_Easy]

All of the suits Ive purchased from Mens Warehouse required tailoring, which is awesome, but if you are on a time constraint it might not be a great idea. I was going to be SOL for a wedding once but they did me a huge favor and quickened their 5 day turn time to 1 for me, just let them know ahead of time. That said, I love every suit Ive purchased from them...which is every suit Ive ever owned as an adult!

If you dont own a single suit (which it seems you might not?), Id recommend spending a little extra cash for additional shirts and ties that go with the suit itself. I usually get 2 or 3 additional. This comes in handy for job interviews (dont want to wear the same suit twice, shirt and tie will throw that perception off), Spring/Summer vs Fall/Winter attire (yes, colors matter for seasons), and funerals. Yes, funerals. I didnt have anything respectable for a funeral, just bright loud colors. Plain white shirt with dark tie or dark shirt with dark tie and you are set.

If none of that works out, get this:



EDIT: Your post beat me in, some things may not apply.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Wear this shirt, please:



In terms of real advice, I'll offer my usual:
Everything looks better in black. EVERYTHING.

[Jesda]

Call me a predictable midwesterner; I buy suits at Sears and have them tailored.

Also, what MoD said above would work very well.

[nissangirl74]

- Charcoal is much more attention getting than black or navy because they are both common, safe choices. Everyone expects them.

- Colors are important. I wouldn't go crazy with a safety orange or yellow shirt but I would pick something other than white. With a charcoal suit, a blue shirt would be nice, or a purple. Nothing that screams "I'm sliding down a rainbow" or anything, just something with a little punch.

- A really nice tie can make or break a look so choose wisely. Again, don't be stoically safe and predictable. You'll blend in and get lost in the crowd. Make sure it has the colors of both your suit and your shirt. A handkerchief of the same color in the breast pocket is a very nice touch.

- Also, Bubba was right about the shoes. People make a lot of assumptions about you based on your footwear (FACT).

- Make sure you wear socks meant to be worn with a suit (no ankle socks) and make sure the color matches your shoes.

- Lastly, the devil is in the details. Get a haircut. Shave. Go easy on the cologne. If you have grease stains on your hands, get out the GoJo. It won't matter if you're in a $1,000 suit; if you look scruffy or unkempt, no one is going to take you seriously.

Just my .02

I took a class once about how to make yourself attractive for a professional job interview. They told you the ins and outs of how to make a good first impression. Thought the tips would apply here.

Good luck!

[Jesda]

I've never looked at anyone's feet before.

[BusyBadger]

I've never looked at anyone's feet before.

Shoes say a lot.

I'm not saying someone needs to be wearing a $500 pair of shoes to be considerred well dressed, but if someone ruins the look of great suit by wearing cheap, poor fitting, dirty and/or worn out shoes at the very least it tells me something about their attention to detail.

Based on the style of shoe you could make a determination on whether they were more traditionally minded or maybe up to date and stylish in what they wore. They might even tell you if they were colourblind! On a couple of occasions I've seen an otherwise great look spoiled by the wrong colour shoes. I even had an old manager that showed up with one black and one blue shoe...I suggested he buy different colour shoes in different styles, or mark the soles of the shoes so he didn't have to leave work to buy a matching set of shoes.

[themadscientist]

Try this under a gold suit.

[Bubba1]

I've never looked at anyone's feet before.

Nice feet seems to be a prerequisite for being on the NY Jets....

[Jesda]

The whole world could start wearing My Little Pony sneakers and I'd probably never notice.

[Bubba1]

The whole world could start wearing My Little Pony sneakers and I'd probably never notice.

So you wouldn't notice if your date to a formal event wore army boots or mukluks with her cocktail dress?

[RCA]

Spending the day" w/ members of Congress...

A nicely tailored suit is like putting on socks fresh out of the dryer. No better feeling. I wouldn't grab a last second suit, make sure you have plenty of time to get it taken care of.

Also while your with these members of Congress, drill them on CISPA:

• http://www.techdirt.com/articles/201204 ... vote.shtml

[BusyBadger]

Spending the day" w/ members of Congress...

A nicely tailored suit is like putting on socks fresh out of the dryer. No better feeling. I wouldn't grab a last second suit, make sure you have plenty of time to get it taken car of.

That's a great quote RCA!

TT, I recommend suspenders over a belt, and for an even nicer look remove the pocket from the dress shirt. You'll have cleaner lines, it lies better (congressman should love that ) and it's far easier to iron. As a bonus you'll never put a pen in the non-existent pocket so you won't ever have to worry about an ink stain.

And since you're in Mass. you should brush up on your Barney Frank jokes.

[numbnuts240]

Call me a predictable midwesterner; I buy suits at Sears and have them tailored.

this is what i did. after x-mas sales rule for suits.

[TTkickedin]

All great advice! Nissangirl had sort of the advice i was looking for in terms of color combos. Now I need insight on the style of suit, 2-3-double breasted.

(please note from here-in, i do dress professionally every day, so although the comments about not wearing ankle socks and such, and keeping clean is appreciated, this is already understood.

And i do have suits and shirts/ties, but they're either really worn, or lighter tan with print, or just look too casual. Right now, i'm finally getting the money to be affording clothes a few steps above from what i've been able to afford in the past like filenes basement, Marshalls, etc. which Is where ya'll come in. Some have mentioned that Mens Wearhouse and J.A.B sell good stuff, so I'll bite the bullet and shop there.)


That said, i guess I can explain why i'm only spending 200 on the suit now.. (down from 250 now that i'm thinking about it better)

this is my way of prioritizing:

- My car is getting on the road in a few days, I almost have the engine complete. I'm intending on bringing it to Carlisle although my interior still isn't finished, I haven't bought OEM matching paint for my stillen lip yet, my wheels aren't polished, I have one flat tire, my taillights are in the mail as welll as the HID's, and most importantly the engine isn't installed

So I need about $100 more in the car and I'm all set. The flat tire is a slow leak.

- Right after Carlisle, on that sunday I'm driving back to MA. That monday, is my trip to DC with the CEO, and he booked time for sight seeing, so I'm gonna need a camera.

50 bucks on craigslist? Maybe borrow one?

- Registering and transferring the insurance as well as siphoning any gas that's left in the mercedes

+-150.

Leaves me about 350 for the rest of that week. That's enough for gas and food till next paycheck! YAY!

In the event i somehow go over budget, I can just withdraw 2-300 extra and overdraft my account until I get paid. Lmfao. that's how I bought my turbos!!


ok, so now that you guys understand why such a little price on the suit, I guess now we can work on finding a suitable color combo? the chick from Mens wearhouse says she can find a charcoal suit for me for 200 bucks, slim/tailored fitting. I'll just polish and rock the shoes I got now, they're stacey adams shoes and look pretty nice, i only bought them a few weeks ago.

[Dattebayo]

whatever you wear, please remember to ask them to kill off CISPA. Whatever it takes.

[TTkickedin]

TT, I recommend suspenders over a belt, and for an even nicer look remove the pocket from the dress shirt. You'll have cleaner lines, it lies better (congressman should love that ) and it's far easier to iron. As a bonus you'll never put a pen in the non-existent pocket so you won't ever have to worry about an ink stain.

I do have suspenders, haven't worn them in a LONNNNG time but i do have some. They're gray with gold fittings, and form a Y shape on the back.

I love pocketless shirts! I have a few, but i'll be buying a new shirt and tie just for this occasion.


Pics will be posted once I'm fitted in the suit and other yuppie wear. And whatever pix i get from washington, they will go here as well. I will also detail my experience @ Carlisle if my z is ready to go, which i'm really hoping it is! I can't stand the damn mercedes anymore. It was a good car before i realized how much of a pain in the a** it currently is, and how ugly it looks.

I literally feel like the poorest mo-fo at my job, still living with my dad. Things are about to change.

Sorry for the ranting, wouldn't blame anyone if they say TLDR.

[TTkickedin]

whatever you wear, please remember to ask them to kill off CISPA. Whatever it takes.

Cliff notes on the CISPA?

[Dattebayo]

The Internet piracy act they've been tossing around for months now. They keep re-writing it, and they keep leaving glaring holes in it that could be abused and made to serve purposes other than what the bills are supposedly intended for.

I'm very upset that people don't know what it's all about.

[hannibal]

I prefer a 3 button coat. I'm a tall guy and I think it just looks better on me.

I also vote for a dark gray/charcoal suit. Very versatile color. I also like blue shirts as a safe alternative to the average white shirt.

And definitely make sure your shoes are nice and neat. People do notice...

And let me know when you're in town. I work about a 15 minute walk from the Hill. Always down to grab a drink with a NICO member!

[TTkickedin]

^ Hannibal, I'll be staying at the George hotel, ever heard of it?

I'll post up on Nico when I can, and post pics...planning on connecting to the wifi when i get there so i'll let you know

Can't thank ya'll enough for the advice, much appreciated.

[TTkickedin]

The Internet piracy act they've been tossing around for months now. They keep re-writing it, and they keep leaving glaring holes in it that could be abused and made to serve purposes other than what the bills are supposedly intended for.

I'm very upset that people don't know what it's all about.

Im not into it as much as i should be. I opposed pipa and sopa, but that was the only time i've heard of it.

[RCA]

I'm not into it as much as i should be. I opposed pipa and sopa, but that was the only time i've heard of it.

Ok well CISPA is essentially very similar to SOPA/PIPA. Allows the government to monitor private information with out warrant. The Bill doesn't specify limits or reasons the government could use these new tools; It puts the discretion in the governments hands and will most likely be abused.

[TTkickedin]

oh, well F*CK THAT!

they already got the patriot act, what else could they possibly need?