Excuse me, sir...

[Frederic Leighton]

Excuse me, sir... Just one question. I have noticed your suit. How many vents does it have?

Canary Wharf, Jubilee line, 9.21pm. A man with unidentified accent to me, while I sit behind my Evening Standard. I answer, not without some concern (will the following question be about my underwear?).

Unexpected sartorial questions or comments you had to face? share them here.

[Russell]

Frederic,

Are you sure this wasn't an opening gambit from a GRU agent? The correct answer of 'three - but my tailor is not from the row' could have resulted in information concerning the whereabouts of Lord Lucan being passed to you.

Regards
Russell

[Frederic Leighton]

Dear Russell, thank you

When I said It has no vents, the man left the carriage. And I meant what I said By the way, I notice that your reply was posted at 9.21 am; precisely 12 hours later...

[Man at C&A]

Why are you wearing a tie?

My reply, why have you come to a funeral dressed for the disco, was not well received. Sometimes I think the human race damn well deserves extinction.

[Luca]

I have been asked the odd detail and provenance but mostly one receives compliments.
As others have noted, not always for the most expensive or exquisitely tailored garments, suggesting the man makes the clothes (within reason) and not vice versa.

[davidhuh]

Unexpected sartorial questions or comments you had to face? share them here.

Dear Frederico,

"Which brand is it?"
"Ralph Lauren?"

Cheers, David

[Frederic Leighton]

Are you a Jehovah's Witness?

Pardon?

Are you a Jehovah's Witness?

...oh, "a Jehovah's Witness"! ...okay ...no, why?

You dress like them.

Manor House Tube Station, an old lady with no teeth to me, 10.15 am

[Luca]

And that is in London

I can only magine the sort of passive-aggressive comments your attire would elicit in, say, the US Midwest.

[C.Lee]

...
Unexpected sartorial questions or comments you had to face?
...

Ah, words need never be traded, such is the subtlety of human interaction:

Once I was in a line-up and heard rustling off to the side. On turning around, I found a lady growling at me in quiet approval. It was unexpected, but I did not think it out of place

After giving a presentation at a conference, the moderator thanked me and gave me a hand shake with an upper arm grip. He let go of my hand, but could not bring himself to letting go of my arm. There we were in front of the room, him stroking my jacket, and me feeling mauled by my kind host.

Regards.

[Frederic Leighton]

A hearse drives past my girlfriend and I while we are unexpectedly discussing a difficult subject during our walk. I don't resist the temptation and say: Your friends are coming to pick you up! ...You look like you could be the driver , her prompt reply.

No, it was too hot and sunny for one of my beloved black suits. It's just that, when we first started dating, she'd never dated a man in a tie. And certainly not a man who wears a tie for picnics

[uppercase]

FL: is black your go-to suit color?

[Frederic Leighton]

FL: is black your go-to suit color?

Uppercase: If you guys weren't forced to wear your dark-greys and almost-midnight-blues every day of the year for the office, you would enjoy wearing a black suit once in a while. I usually wear suits in medium-grey, navy, brown pinstripes, green tweed, a grey hounds-tooth for winter and tan suits for the summer. I have two black suits for when I play informal recitals, but sometimes they get out of the wardrobe also when I'm not on (musical) duty.

EDIT: Not like this, but more like this; and look how small is the knot of his tie!

[Rob O]

Black suits: Tom Ford swears by them

[Luca]

Ouch! That's cold, man...


It's funny, actually, about classic menswear enthusiasts and black suits.

Everyone waxes lyrical about DJs and tailcoats, which are generally black.
Even those who think strollers are "costume" don't deny they are (were) elegant...

I don't personally own a black suit (nor the vast selection F Leighton enjoys in the other colours), but especially at night I would guess a properly fitting black suit should look fine.

[Luca]

On the original thread topic.

These days, in most corporate-investment banks here in London the latitude for dress is quite broad; even more so amongst our clients.

That (and recent fashion trends, sic) means that suits / odd trouser+jacket that would have been suspect even 10-15 years ago are now acceptable and appreciated. I recently presented at a lunch wearing a blue hopsack blazer and light gray trousers (with tie, yes) and it was well received, on rather a hot day. I still love the iconic blue pinstripes but it's just not a necessity any longer.

What does generate commentary/questions, however, is wearing any form of tie or suit at the weekend.

Interestingly, thanks again to recent fashions, in London traditional hats (a trilby, say) go much more unremarked..