Sharp Dressed Men

This year we have a series of weddings we are attending as a family. Weddings and funerals are one of the few times in our adult lives that we are expected to wear a suit. As a guy who is most comfortable in jeans and a Henley shirt, suits for me are an uncomfortable obligation. At the same time, I do like how I look in them when I finally get around to wearing one.

Because the only suit I have is over 20 years old, it was time to upgrade. My son who will also be attending the wedding also needed a suit, so we decided to get it all done in a single visit to a local clothier this past weekend. Jos. A. Bank is a men's fine clothing shop in Brookfield and came with recommendations from a couple of people. 

Now, realize I dislike any kind of shopping at all. Add to it that it would be in an upscale men's clothing shop and you'll understand that I wanted to get in and get out.

We walked in and made our way to the suit section, sucessfully avoiding the two very busy salesmen working with other people. We found the cut, style and colors that we wanted fairly quickly. What we did not find or outright know, was our measurements. 

After about 15 minutes we got the attention of a very helpful, sharply dressed salesman. And you know soemthing? It was extremely helpful. He didn't try and upsell anything. He was patient and not pushy. He took measurements and told us what looked good. He recommended some color match combinations and let us decide. In a situation where my 24 year-old son and I were clearly out of our fashion league, this guy was a great help. We came away with two full suits within an hour. It was a huge box checked for both of us, as well as my wife.

We were joking about the potential uses for both and how different they might be. For myself, the suit will likely be used for more funerals and weddings of nieces and nephews. For my son, it may come more in handy for job interviews and weddings of friends. He is upwardly mobile, while I am aging out. I said it without really joking that this may be the last suit I ever buy. Maybe that's a stretch, but one never knows. 

It made me think back to the rust colored corduroy 3 piece suit that was the first suit I owned as a high schooler. I bought it somewhere in Rosedale Mall in St. Paul as a Junior in High School. I think it cost me about $110.00. Looking back, it was fairly hideous, but not out of style for the time at all. I remember a sharp dressed guy helping me get fit for it back then too. Maybe if I wasn't the worlds biggest cheapskate, I'd own more than one suit at any given time. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to showing it off at all the upcoming weddings this year. Then, in twenty years I can wear it into the crematorium. Ha!