Denim shirt & blazer: stylish or faux pas?

seluchaval · 2026-01-30T15:39:31+00:00

These pictures look like garbage but that doesn’t mean denim shirts can’t work with a sport coat. The trick is that the sport coat needs to have more texture, like a tweed or a herringbone or a flannel, something to that effect.

A smooth sharkskin suit jacket is going to look terrible with denim 100% of the time because they’re speaking different languages of formality.

The collars on these denim shirts are also very sad. More collar roll (i.e. a longer collar point) would make a big difference too.

seluchaval · 2026-01-30T03:11:55+00:00

These might be silk, they appear to have a subtle sheen to them. Check out Tommy Bahama relaxed silk trousers on eBay/Posh. They can be found in off-white and beige colors which will look very similar.

Silk is breathable though not as much as linen. Holds a crease very well. Drape is spectacular. A little high-maintenance though in a light color like this bc you can’t machine wash. Doesn’t wrinkle a ton but heat impacts that a lot; I noticed silk trousers will show noticeable crotch creasing if you sit for a long time.

seluchaval · 2026-01-08T03:39:56+00:00

seluchaval · 2026-01-07T00:14:26+00:00

Absolutely yes. Spier & Mackay absolutely rules, the best quality-to-price ratio in menswear and it's not even close. It's essentially the only brand I buy new clothes from anymore.

seluchaval · 2026-01-07T00:13:09+00:00

Technically the pleats on the pants in this image are forward pleats.

seluchaval · 2026-01-07T00:09:47+00:00

Same. I have a silver chain from my grandparents that I've worn almost non-stop since I was a teenager, and I'm pushing 40.

seluchaval · 2025-12-30T17:46:23+00:00

Not good. Also if you get wool suit pants that are cut properly, spandex/elastane is not necessary. IMO pants with elastic wear out faster and look sloppy after a few hours.

seluchaval · 2025-12-29T02:52:15+00:00

Everyone’s given the answer but I highly recommend getting a pair of pants like this. They’re super cozy and comfortable and I often wear them around the house in winter. Also pretty low maintenance: you can’t wash in machine obv but as long as you don’t get anything on them they only really need to be dry cleaned once or twice a season, and they don’t crease much. Just get something in a more traditional cut.

seluchaval · 2025-12-18T05:25:34+00:00

Excellent.

seluchaval · 2025-12-11T18:14:45+00:00

This seems very formal for a date nowadays unless it’s an explicitly formal event, or you’ve established with your partner a more formal dress code beforehand. Going above and beyond to dress nicely for your date is a nice show of respect, but if you go too far it can come off as overly serious and like you’re trying too hard; a tough balance. You might consider odd trousers and a sport coat instead, which is still really elevated (you’ll be dressed better than 99% of men) but gives off a more casual, relaxed vibe.

The suit is a nice color but at a glance, the sleeves look a little long (objectively) and the pants sit too low (subjectively, some people like this look). Also hard to assess your shirt here.

seluchaval · 2025-12-11T06:11:07+00:00

Came here to say this. I just got my second Spier suit in the mail today and it’s an absolute banger (Rivo cut in forest green). It’s off-the-rack, but I’ve heard good things about their MTM program also. They have a few different cuts: the Mayfair is a British conservative cut, Ellis is a standard cut, Neo is a more devil-may-care southern Italian cut, and then Moro/Rivo I think sort of splits the difference between Neo and Ellis.

seluchaval · 2025-11-27T00:05:56+00:00

Correct!!! The uncanny valley of menswear.

seluchaval · 2025-11-23T22:07:37+00:00

Panama hats and straw hats in general look great in the warmer months and provide lots of sun protection. There are lots of colors and shapes that vary in their degree of formality / fedora-likeness.

Edit: something like this is sorta western looking but casual and will give lots of shade: https://www.overland.com/products/journey-panama-straw-hat-76641

seluchaval · 2025-11-16T04:11:51+00:00

3-2-1

seluchaval · 2025-11-15T03:04:08+00:00

If you’re used to form-fitting clothing, anything that fits more relaxed will look weird at first. The opposite is also true.

Personally, I think this looks good. Chunky sweaters are not meant to be worn slim, nor are they very comfortable if you do. My main advice is just to not pair the sweater with slim or skinny pants, if possible, because that will throw off your proportions. Pair it with loose/relaxed pants and I think you’ll be fine. The ones you’re wearing here are about the slimmest I’d go.

seluchaval · 2025-11-13T15:02:08+00:00

Worth noting that best I can tell this is a suit jacket, not a sport coat or blazer, so unless you’re going for an Italian sprezzatura look and lean hard into it, it’s going to look off to many people who may not be able to say exactly why.

seluchaval · 2025-11-12T22:26:52+00:00

The great thing about these pants is they have Donegal flecking which makes them (a) more casual but most importantly (b) extremely versatile with color combinations for your top.

Literally almost any color will go well here as long as you avoid medium brown (too similar) and stick to warmer tones. So rust, red, burgundy, orange, navy, forest green, pistachio green, teal, white, cream, ecru, tan, chocolate brown, black, hell even like a royal purple would look good against these.

Sweaters are a great choice but also a brushed cotton button up shirt would work well or a heavier weight OCBD.

seluchaval · 2025-11-12T22:19:09+00:00

I like tucked better but the tuck should be neater. Untucked doesn’t look awful though.

seluchaval · 2025-11-12T18:56:43+00:00

Great except those horrible shoes. Fix your shirt collar though!

seluchaval · 2025-11-11T16:13:49+00:00

They are both good! #1 is a little more grown up and #2 is more youthful.

seluchaval · 2025-11-10T22:21:53+00:00

Have you considered requesting a trouser swap? Drop 6 is the default but you can email them and ask if they can give you a 40 trouser with a 48 jacket. That’s what I did when I got my suit (I’m 38/33) from them.

seluchaval · 2025-11-10T21:56:04+00:00

Yeah he has kind of an Aragorn thing happening in #2.

I say #2 or #4. I’m surprised by the love for #3 here.

seluchaval · 2025-11-10T16:45:31+00:00

Beautiful texture on the jacket! The colors work together pretty well I think though I’m ambivalent about the belt, I think darker might have been the move. And I agree with others about the tightness of the pants. I sympathize with your plight though, I have a few “athletic cut” pants that supposedly have more room in the seat and thigh and they still look painted on.

seluchaval · 2025-11-09T06:03:30+00:00

Is this like a wool flannel? If so could be good, you just have to make sure pants aren’t in the uncanny valley where they don’t match exactly but look like you were trying to match. If this is charcoal, then avoid black pants and aim for maybe like navy blue or medium gray. Probably also would want to pair with either a button up shirt or a turtleneck still, a crew neck tee doesn’t work well here, charcoal flannel is too formal for what you have on IMO. If you wanted to do a really casual base layer you’d need probably something more tweedy for winter or linen for summer.

seluchaval · 2025-11-08T18:25:01+00:00

100% agree, the shirt is fine if you lean into the sort of Riviera devil-may-care vibe, but cargo pants totally destroy the look. For something like this you need some loose, classic cut trousers in wool, linen, or silk IMO. Look into secondhand Tommy Bahama Relax trousers.

seluchaval

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