While mohair is a great warm weather fabric, it’s not the only option under the sun. We like the idea of keeping a varied and functional wardrobe, so we generally advise our clients to keep some different fabrics in their rotation so they’re prepared for different occasions. In that vein, part two of the Henry A. Davidsen Fabric Series will focus on a different fabric: cotton.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock your entire life, you’ve worn cotton. Most of us are used to wearing it in our t-shirts, dress shirts, and khaki pants, but wearing a cotton suit is a little confusing for some men.
HOW DO YOU WEAR A COTTON SUIT?
Put simply: more casually than a wool one. While higher-end cotton suiting fabrics (like the Holland & Sherry you see in the photo) have a very nice handle and finish well, they wrinkle with relative ease and don’t pack the same formal punch as superfine wools. Our image consultants don’t advise wearing a cotton suit to a meeting with your CEO, but cotton suits are unbeatable for a more casual day at the office when wool would be just a bit too dressy. Stick with classic tones like navy and tan to keep things professional.
Another great opportunity to have our tailors make you a cotton suit is for your wedding. More casual weddings that take place during the warmer months are great occasions for cotton suits, and you have more leeway to branch out in terms of your color selection (a white cotton suit is amazing for most destination weddings). Definitely something to think about for those of you considering such an affair.
Finally, we’re big proponents of getting dressed up for its own sake. Say you and the boys are headed out for a night on the town when the temperatures are a little higher; why wouldn’t you throw on a khaki suit with no tie and look better than all the other guys wearing baggy jeans and untucked shirts? No one ever got in trouble for looking too good on a night out, and if anyone asks, quote Glenn O’Brien and say that you have somewhere else to be afterward.
Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment of the spring Fabric Series: silk.
