Do I have a suit? Up next, can I tie my tie?

August 4, 2007 1:39 PM

My 'suit' consists of a jacket and pants that are different colours although they are complimentary. Is this not really a suit, but rather just a jacket and slacks? Is there any situation such as an office setting where this wouldn't fly?

What happened was originally I had a suit where everything was the same colour but then I grew out of the pants so I got new ones but they are greenish brown where the jacket is brownish grey.

posted by GleepGlop to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (12 answers total)

No, it isn't a suit. It wouldn't fly anyplace that has a strict definition of a suit, such as some offices or formal events.
posted by dame at 1:46 PM on August 4, 2007

Not a suit. Breaks the basic definition of a suit: jacket and trousers of matching fabric.
posted by lackutrol at 1:58 PM on August 4, 2007

It's not a suit.
Buy a good suit. Have it made to fit you. Looking sharp always wins points with everyone, even if they don't realize it.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 1:58 PM on August 4, 2007

Response by poster: OK, so if nobody cared is that completely unheard of to mix and match tops and bottoms from different suits or is that only for less formal blazers and sport coats and whatnot?
posted by GleepGlop at 1:59 PM on August 4, 2007

Normally non-coordinated jackets are called "sportcoats." While they certainly look nice, a sportcoat is much less formal than a suit, and certainly is not appropriate for a job interview or formal dinner.
posted by rachelpapers at 1:59 PM on August 4, 2007

not completely unheard of, no.
Just much less common (and formal.)
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 2:13 PM on August 4, 2007

Response by poster: Thank you all kindly and a good day to you sir's and ma'ams!
posted by GleepGlop at 2:19 PM on August 4, 2007

As I understand it a suit jacket & mismatched pants is treated the same as a sportcoat or blazer. There may be some point of sartorial order which says that only some jackets are suitable for separate use (un-suit-able?) but heck if I know what it is.
posted by hattifattener at 6:05 PM on August 4, 2007

It has to do with, generally, the material and the style of pocket, buttons and stitching.

But yes, don't try and pull it off as a suit. It will look very sloppy.
posted by oxford blue at 7:04 PM on August 4, 2007

Not a suit. But, at weddings and funerals it might buy you a "nice try".
posted by Netzapper at 10:44 PM on August 4, 2007

My office (British based, business-formal dress) would send you home if you came in dressed in slacks and a different colored jacket.

At minimum, you might get away with only wearing half of the outfit if you were going someplace formal. Ditch the jacket, wear only the pants and a dress shirt (with a reasonable tie), and point to the summer heat if asked why you aren't wearing the full thing.
posted by ellF at 7:53 AM on August 5, 2007

If you are in an environment that would be ok with a blazer or sportcoat and non-matching trousers, remember that pinstripes on the jacket won't fly--that's always a suit. Go for a differing but complementary solid color on both, or if your jacket has a checked pattern and you wear trousers without a pattern, you might be able to get away with it.

Oh, also, don't wear a navy blue suit jacket as a sportcoat, because if people are expecting that color, they will also be expecting brass or other metal buttons--a blazer.
posted by lackutrol at 11:50 PM on August 5, 2007