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Q and Answer: The Three-Roll-Two

Benjamin writes to ask: I inherited a handful of my grandfather’s tasteful suits a few years ago and am slowly having them tailored and integrated into my wardrobe. Among my favorites are a very classic Brooks Brothers navy blazer and a cotton khaki suit. Both include three-button jackets, however the lapels were folded as two-buttons leaving the third button hole exposed on the lower part of the lapel. Being under 6’, I tend to prefer a two-button jacket, so I would like to keep them folded the way they are now. But I would also like to know a little more about the style, what’s the deal here? Was it a style years ago? Is it considered tacky?

What you’ve got is probably the most classic suit buttoning style, the 3-roll-2:  three buttons, with a roll in the lapel that rolls under the top button, making the coat functionally a two-button.

Three-button suits were the style of the “Friends” era, and two buttons the style of the “Cheers” era.  The 3-roll-2 is a compromise.  It’s found on many Savile Row single-breasteds, and is the classic buttoning for the undarted Ivy League-style “sack” suit.  It’s the opposite of tacky - the epitome of class.

The great challenge will be preserving the lapel roll as such.  On cheap and mishandled suits, the lapel doesn’t roll at all - it folds.  Often dry cleaners will press the lapel down into the chest of the suit, flattening out the suit’s three-dimensional shape.  They’ll also often press a 3-roll-2 into an awkward three-button, so be vigilant.  A good tailor can steam the lapel roll for you to preserve its shape.

We continue our look at real men in real nice clothes with this photo of Barima, who lives in Accra, Ghana, taken by his friend Jamie Archer.

Barima’s in quite the dandy outfit here.  He’s got a loud pocket square, a flower in his lapel that looks as though it may be porcelain, a Mont Blanc pen, a loudly striped shirt and a patterned bow tie.  That’s a lot of elements to juggle, but he’s doing it admirably.  The color pallette is actually relatively modest - mostly blue and white, with accents of pink and gold.  He’s also balancing his very traditional shirt and tie with a coat of very contemporary proportion - narrow lapels, a high gorge and a slim fit.

I also think that Barima’s race gives him a little more leeway to play with the conventions of traditional dress.  One’s picture of a man in traditional British business dress tends more towards the father in Mary Poppins than towards a young, good-looking black guy like Barima, and it makes the traditionalism of his outfit feel a little subversive without losing any of its elegance.

Saturday night, I stayed at the beautiful and historic Biltmore Hotel here in Los Angeles.  It was a wonderful experience.  While I was in the bar, drinking my $4 club soda, I noticed that the musician setting up to play had apparently worn his suit directly from the store.  I couldn’t bring myself to tap him on the shoulder and correct him, so I’m doing it here in public instead.  Here are some incredibly basic basics about wearing a suit.  You almost certainly know this information, but if you don’t, then I’m about to save you some embarrassment.

• Take the tag off the sleeve.  This tag is there so you can identify the brand when it’s on the rack.  It isn’t meant to stay there.
• Remove the basting threads.  These are white threads that sometimes cross the shoulder seam and usually hold the vent(s) closed.  They keep the suit neat during shipment and presentation, and aren’t meant to remain in place.
• Open the pockets.  Use a seam ripper (or even a paring knife and scissors) to open up your exterior pockets so you can use them.

Got it everyone?  Do these three things and leave your bottom button unbuttoned, and you won’t look like a Beverly Hillbilly.  And if anyone knows the guy with the electric upright bass who plays in the hotel bar at the Biltmore, can you let him know, too?

Designer Mark McNairy, captured by Mister Mort.

Certainly the hyper-short pants and no socks are a bit mannered and faddish (though very well executed), but everything else here is absolutely classic.  Notice that he looks absolutely comfortable in that suit, not fussy at all.

Q and Answer: Dressing for a Job Interview

Daniel writes: I’m going on my first interview in many years next week. While I’m certain the range of ‘what to wear’ is broad depending on the kind of company you’re dealing with, I was curious what PTO’s take on a basic acceptable interview outfit might be.

Acceptable dress does indeed vary company to company.  If you’re interviewing to work at a comic book store, they might think it a bit odd if you show up in a suit.  That said, in most office-based companies, they’ll think it odd if you don’t.  Your goal in dressing for an interview should be to convey that you care about the opportunity, and that you’re willing to be part of the team.  You should dress conservatively, without ostentation, and err on the side of formality.

Yesterday, a friend of a friend was headed to a job interview at a talent agency.  He was wearing brown rubber-soled sneaker/dress shoe hybrids, pinstriped pants, a white tie and a grey shirt without a coat.  The message he sent was: I hate dressing up, and I don’t care enough about this opportunity to overcome that for one day.  Needless to say, he didn’t get the job.

Basic interview attire is a navy or gray suit, black shoes, a white shirt, and a simple tie.  Watch Stephen Colbert and you’ll see a perfectly executed interview suit on a nightly basis.  Never showy, always appropriate. Simple, neat, never distracting.

You needn’t spend a lot of money on the suit.  You can buy an appropriate interview suit at Target for $200 and $50 of tailoring.  It must fit you, and it must be conservative.  Pinstripes are fine, though not as good as solids, and chalk stripes are a bit much.  Don’t wear black unless you’re interviewing for a job as a bouncer, priest or undertaker.  Your goal, again, is to prove you care without making your interviewer think you’re dressing for attention.

Unless you’re interviewing for a job in a creative profession, you’re unlikely to be looked down upon for wearing a suit.  There are some jobs where a hiring manager might not want to choose the “square,” but they’re few and far between.  If you’re interviewing for a job as, say, a gallerist, feel free to ask the HR person or even the receptionist the general dress standard in the office.  Whatever they tell you, follow it, but err on the side of dressed-up and conservative.  If they say, “everyone wears t-shirts, jeans and sneakers,” the least formal outfit you should chose is a plain black t-shirt, dark denim jeans, and clean, sharp shoes.

Again: your goal is to show that you care and that you’re not there to impose yourself upon them.  When you’re interviewing for a job, you’re asking people to consider how well you can do what is asked of you.  If you can dress appropriately, they’ll assume you can behave and work appropriately.  If you can’t, they’ll assume you can’t.  If you’re dressed well, they’ll be talking to you - a person with qualifications and a personality - not to the slob who obviously doesn’t have his shit together.

Colin sends us this picture of his grandfather and a companion on Astoria Boulevard in 1930s Queens.  He also hastens to point out that they were, at the time, factory workers.

The gentleman on the left’s coat is so short, it almost looks like the sort of trendy thing you might see posted on The Sartorialist.  Of course, that’s emphasized by the fact that his double-breasted coat is open, which is never flattering (I’m looking at you, David Letterman).  Generally speaking, with the possible exception of the very period stripes on both suits and the wide, draped cut of the pants, these clothes would be remarkably wearable today.

Q and Answer: What to Wear as a Wedding Guest

Philip writes: Dug your post about groom and groomsmen attire. Could we get a complimentary article on what to wear to a wedding as a guest?

As a wedding guest, your job is to dress in a manner that shows you care, without upstaging the wedding party or, particularly, the bride.  After all, she’s a princess for a day and wears a tiara and all that bullshit.

• If a dress code is provided, follow it.  This even applies to black tie events during the day.  It’s not your wedding.
• “Black Tie Optional” means wear black tie unless you for some reason cannot.  Like you sincerely can’t afford to rent or buy a tuxedo.  If the dress code is truly indecipherable (I once went to a wedding event with a “Calypso Casual” dress code), it’s appropriate to ask whichever member of the wedding party you’re close with, but do so well in advance of the wedding.  Don’t bother them in the last couple of weeks, they’ve got bigger fish to fry.
• For most American weddings, a man should wear a suit.  Follow the rules for lounge suits we set out in our article about dressing as a groom (no striped suits, peak lapels more formal than notch, solid colors best, no black suits) and you’ll be fine.
• A wedding tie is not a requirement, but it does add a bit of class to your ensemble.
• Outdoor weddings are generally slightly less formal than indoor.
• During the summer, linen is fine, cotton is fine, and if you live somewhere (like the Southeast) where seersucker is normal-ish, seersucker is fine.
• A suit without a tie or a sport coat will work well for a more casual wedding.
• Stick with black shoes for all but the most casual ceremonies.
• A carnation in your lapel will make all the difference.  Stop by a florist on the way and spend a dollar.
• Under no circumstances are you to wear a tie without a jacket, unless the wedding is taking place behind the counter of a bank.

Q and Answer: Hippie Wedding

Michael writes: I am getting married in August, and my partner and I are having trouble finding non-formal attire for me to wear. The wedding is on a small island off the coast of Vancouver known for it’s hippy-dippy ways (not that we’re too hippy-dippy ourselves). Do you have any sartorial recommendations for something that will look good without being formal? Right now we just know that we’ll both be wearing Cydwoq shoes.

Sometimes someone writes to us and I’m frankly not sure if they’re making fun of me… or at the very least trying to provoke me.

Speaking of which: a good way to provoke me is to trick me into googling “Cydwoq shoes.” It’s sort of like asking Tommy Lasorda his opinion of Kingman’s performance.

So rather than rising to the bait, I will pretend the last sentence of this email DOES NOT EXIST.  Because I am not a hornet’s nest to be prodded with a stick for your amusement.  Blocking from my memory the appearance of those horrible shoes has come surprisingly easily, though I expect only years of therapy will correct my post-traumatic stress.

As for what you can wear to an informal wedding in August, how about a linen suit?  Looks like Vancouver is usually in the mid-70s that time of year, and linen will be plenty cool enough, and give you the rumpled, natural appearance that hippies love so very much.  The coat will also protect you in case of a cool spell.  There’s no need for a tie, just a nice white shirt and a nice linen suit.

So, now that your clothes are sorted out, start worrying about your officiant.

Matt at Tweed in the City makes a convincing argument that young men can benefit from bespoke clothing with this photo of his 27-year-old friend Jon in a suit by Raphael Raffaelli.  For those folks who email me asking how a suit should fit… basically like this.

A Guide to Men’s Jacket Lapels

Many of our readers are style aficionados.  We know too, though, that many are just learning the ropes.  A reader emailed me the other day, saying he’d appreciate some information on the various types of jacket lapels.

The peaked lapel has a lower blade which extends beyond the upper blade.  In British English, it’s known as a pointed lapel.  This lapel is traditional on double-breasted suits, and on more formal single-breasted suits.  A single-breasted, peak-lapel suit is the most formal informal suit a man can wear.  It is also the lapel on most evening and formal wear.

The notch lapel has an appropriate name, as it has a notch cut into it (the English call it a step lapel).  A bit like what Pac-Man might look like, if he were a lapel, instead of a circle.  This is the lapel configuration of most single-breasted business suits.  You sometimes see it on evening wear, but it is, in our book, inappropriate and inelegant in that context.

The least-common lapel style is the shawl lapel.  This lapel features a clean, unbroken line.  In roughly 1993, you might have caught one or two shawl lapels on lounge suits if you watched The Larry Sanders Show closely enough, but generally, you’ll only see them on evening clothes.  Generally, the shawl lapel is a relatively informal style in the formal wear context, often seen on white dinner jackets, which are worn during summer months.

There is also the Nehru jacket, which features no lapel, and should pretty much only be worn if your name is Nehru.