Looking more professional, a fashion thread

[NajdorfDefense]

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I agree with sack. In court, I've seen a lot of black suits. Surprisingly, many people don't wear white collared shirts underneath (lots of blues and stripes),...

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Ok, I checked with big law firm friends in NY/SF. They say no black. ...and over 3 days none of the lawyers (2 defense--one with lame ponytail and one would think likely to wear black--and 1 prosecutor) wore black suits. Navy pinstripes, navy, and olive.

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I agree 100% with Dave. No black in the daytime, I don't see anyone on the East Coast, lawyer or otherwise, wearing that unless they are waiters, policeman, or undertakers.

If you want to look like a plainclothed cop, wear a solid black suit and blue shirt. Awful look, avoid at all costs.

[The DaveR]

ND, Charcoal is a subset of grey. You're saying don't get a rectangle; get a square.

[NajdorfDefense]

Instead of paying $644 plus tax and shipping and tailoring costs for a Prada suit there, it would make more sense to get 3-5 suits custom-fit for you, using the same or better fabric, for less money. JMHO, if you're starting a first-time or new work wardrobe of suits.

There's no reason to pay more for the label inside when you get the same fabric from the same factory, get it cut to your exact measurements, get the vents and pockets exactly the way you like, and most personal tailors offer 1-yr free alterations if you balloon or cut weight.

[miajag]

I wasn't trying to imply that all or even most lawyers wear black suits all the time, just that it's acceptable and fairly common in my experience. Most popular colors among lawyers I know and have seen are charcoal and olive. Navy seems to be pretty uncommon, at least in the Baltimore/DC area.

[NajdorfDefense]

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ND, Charcoal is a subset of grey. You're saying don't get a rectangle; get a square.

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If someone said most Volvos have square profiles, I would say "No, much closer to a rectangle."

This is gray:


That's far too light for most men to wear and look good. There is a distinct difference btw this one and the suit posted above.

[DegenGambler]

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I agree with sack. In court, I've seen a lot of black suits. Surprisingly, many people don't wear white collared shirts underneath (lots of blues and stripes), despite the general conservatism of courts.

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Ok, I checked with big law firm friends in NY/SF. They say no black. Is this something unique to trial lawyers? I've been in a courtroom exactly once, serving on a jury in NYC, and over 3 days none of the lawyers (2 defense--one with lame ponytail and one would think likely to wear black--and 1 prosecutor) wore black suits. Navy pinstripes, navy, and olive.

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In the firm where I worked and will work in October, suits were not the norm at all. And in the SF bay area, I've found the general consensus is business casual while in the office (law firm wise), but have a suit in case a client comes by.

I could of course be mistaken based on an irregular/non-representative sample size, but when I worked at the superior court I saw a fair share of black suits from criminal attorneys (DA's more so than defense attorneys). For the civil matters which I observed or participated in, the black was definitely represented, though probably not the majority.

Who knows? Things could all be different now. I haven't regularly been to court in almost a year and a half (though I've probably gone at least 15 times since). I guess I'll find out when I wear a black suit to work tomorrow and all of the DA's laugh and point at me.

[DegenGambler]

After reading all of these posts, I think that maybe I'm color blind. When I think about, I sometimes have a hard time telling the difference between my charcoal and black suits....

[The DaveR]

That's light grey. Go to a men's store or tailor and ask to see grey suits. Then ask to see light grey suits. They will be very different groups.

EDIT: As an adjective for men's suits, grey will almost always refer to the darker shades because they are by far the most common for businesswear.

[NajdorfDefense]

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After reading all of these posts, I think that maybe I'm color blind. When I think about, I sometimes have a hard time telling the difference between my charcoal and black suits....

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In the poor light of most mall stores, it can be hard to notice a difference btw dark olive, navy, black, and charcoal, but when viewed in natural light it becomes more obvious. Under flourescent light it is much harder to see the 'true color' of any fabric.

[The DaveR]

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After reading all of these posts, I think that maybe I'm color blind. When I think about, I sometimes have a hard time telling the difference between my charcoal and black suits....

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In dim lighting, midnight blue will look darker than black.