<p>Funny, I was going to say unless it’s for a creative job at an ad agency or one at MTV!</p>
<p>My son owns a nice black wool jacket and my H owns an amazing black pinstripe Miyake suit but they are the exceptions. I’ve seen enough cheap black suits to make me cringe when the phrase is mentioned. Hardly anyone is wearing a great quality black suit–so yours gets cheapened by association. In my book.</p>
<p>Black is not the preferred colour on Capital Hill either but I disagree about wearing Japanese designer suits in Houston or the midwest. As long as the wearer doesn’t appear too precious or too metrosexual, a Japanese suit on a creative type helps to close the deal–at least that’s been my experience.</p>
<p>I have to agree that a black suit is very versatile. My son wore it when he made presentations at college, wore it for all his internship, job interviews and still wears it when attending all work related functions which call for a suit. When he was taken out to lunch during his last job interview in casual Newport Beach, CA, the waiter gave him a black napkin…so it wouldn’t leave lint on his suit!
He doesn’t need to wear a suit to work in his Newport Beach office, just shorts and flips flops…unless a client comes in.</p>
<p>cheers: Unless you’re a page, black is definately the most common suit color on capitol hill…</p>
<p>The OP was originally asking about what S should bring to college with him, so I was going on the assumption that he is around 18 and will be using the clothes for college activities. I’d bet that 99% of the kids, professors, and other professionals at my son’s college don’t recognize or don’t care whether a suit cost $200 or $2000, and thank goodness for that. Just so it’s clean, neat, fits right, and isn’t outlandish in some way. After college, maybe that’s a different story. </p>
<p>My son owns “good stuff” but doesn’t take it to school with him. (Granddad’s Rolex is best left at home for now. LOL) There are too many instances of stuff getting ruined, left in/stolen from storage or dorm room, inadvertantly traded at a fraternity event, whatever- you name it. I’d rather that not happen with a lifetime investment. </p>
<p>Most of the stuff my sons take to college with them are, more or less, “temporary” goods. If and when they need something really special, they can pick it up over Christmas/Spring/Summer break, or it can be shipped. Stuff like big interviews and weddings are known well in advance. Funerals are not, but hey, who’s gonna fault a kid for not wearing a thousand dollar suit to a funeral??? Otherwise they travel to school with the bare minimum of uber-expensive clothing and accessories (if any at all).</p>
<p>PS. I guess I should qualify this by saying that my sons are just beginning their college careers. I’m sure the clothing investments will change as they move up in years.</p>
<p>Ditto re the observation about black being a very common suit color on the Hill.</p>
<p>^lol…if it’s congressmen(women), I’m assuming the black suit must look good for those photo ops. ;)</p>
<p>Imho, the best thing a student or college grad can do is a little research to find out the standard for the company/location/industry in which they would like to be employed…and wear the best quality of whatever that is they can afford.</p>
<p>There is no need for the typical college kid to have a say, Brioni or Kiton suit, much less any suit (until interview season as a senior).</p>
<p>But rather than khakis (esp. khaki colored khakis) – I would just get a pair of flat-front slacks to go with a jacket (preferably w/o the typical blazer gold buttons) for social functions (such as formals, etc.).</p>
<p>Im not trying to bash anyone… but the way people dress seems to be a little bit different depending on what area of the country you are in.</p>
<p>I live in Florida and went to college in Florida. I hardly ever see anyone in a suit! I would say most people down here just wear a shirt and tie. I was also in a fraternity while in college (Again no one wore a suit or sportscoat regurarly, we wore a shirt and tie once a week). Not too many people had the blue blazer/ khaki combo at my school… it was called the “sailor” look. We just wore suits to presentations, formals and banquets ( maybe 2 or 3 times a year) </p>
<p>As far as where i got my suit… Macys down here had a great selection. Check for sales! Quite often they have their whole suit selection 1/2 off or buy one get one free. I got a great black suit for around 250.</p>
<p>Another vote for Men’s Warehouse if they have those in Texas. Can get good advice; can get just a sport coat and slacks or suit…they have great packages (shirts, ties, the works). We have always been happy.</p>
<p>Sometimes you can get a great deal on a suit on ebay.</p>
<p>OK, it’s Houston not Miami. Two entirely (ENTIRELY) different cities/lifestyles. Not comparable in the least except god awful hot and insane traffic. Likewise (if thinking college comparisons) Rice vs. U Miami. Two ENTIRELY different student bodies, social lifestyle, dress,etc.</p>
<p>Now for Houston and for Rice, I would say go with the Navy blazer/Khaki pants, and add a pair of charcoal gray year’rounder wool blend pants to make the look more formal (somber if necessary). Having attended lots of performing arts events in downtown Houston at the Hobby Center, they are a lot more casual than you’d think and even on Saturday night I’ve never seen a college age male (or older even) in a solid traditional suit. In fact, if it’s hot the khakis with dress shirt and tie, good shoes, can go to a play or musical w/o the blazer. For a Sunday matinee you can go w/o the tie and the blazer both.</p>
<p>If you can at all do so, avoid the Goodwill store like the plague (sp). Where do you live in Texas? There is an awesome outlet mall (2 actually) about 1/2 way between Austin and San Antonio. Check out the Polo store for the discounts and sales. A good Navy blazer from there will last the whole 4 years of college and then some.</p>
<p>Ditto the advice on good quality, good shoes, etc. Forget “I don’t want to look preppy”, the idea is you want to look like you’re on your way to being a grown up. Forget black; it looks too Calif/Miami (no offense)/Soprano to me.</p>
<p>Also, from my going to see musicals in Houston experience, the young guys are also into the blazer with jeans thing. Kind of a tweedy, rumpled velvet-like casual blazer with jeans in the winter is kinda cool. My S has one of those blazers in brown, with two brown/blue type combo cotton shirts he wears; adds a dark brown or navy tie if necessary. Not an outfit for going on a job interview, but plenty fine for going to the theater with your friends.</p>
<p>As a Rice student, I’d say a suit isn’t really necessary for anything until he gets to interviews. I’d go the blazer and nice dress pants route (but please please please not another navy blazer and pleated khaki pants combination … unless he wants to look like a 13 year old boy who isn’t allowed to dress himself. I know that this is his mom buying the suit, but you still don’t want an outfit that screams “My mom bought these clothes for me.”). I think that combination will be more than dressy enough for any event on Rice campus (I went to the Rice Night at the opera wearing a blazer and dress slacks and felt like one of the more dressed up guys there).<br>
If he does buy and actual suit, please don’t buy a black one - With grey or charcoal, you can buy a relatively cheap one that doesn’t actually look that cheap, but I’ve never seen a black one (excluding those costing several thousand) that didn’t look really cheap.
Depending one where he interviews, especially in engineering, the blazer might be enough. If not, he can always make friends with guys who share his measurements.</p>
<p>The Dad: Just saw an article in the LA Times today about the latest trend out of the Italian designer houses. NO socks at all…and pants a bit shorter so that ankle skin shows. Can you believe it?! I can’t imagine this will become a trend.</p>
<p>I’ve seen more “no socks” than I care to admit but generally not in the context of a suit. While my cuffs may not always be the height of fashion, I really don’t like the “flood pants” look.</p>
<p>I’m sending my s with his blue wool blazer and his linen blazer, one pair of linen pants, a pair of dress khakis and 1 pr. of gray wool pants and a couple ties and a couple dress shirts. S claims he won’t need any of them and would have definitely left them in his closet when he packs but I put them all in the bottom of his ski bag under all his gear and he won’t look in that at all until he’s at school now that it’s mid summer. He’ll thank me some time this year or at the very least since he’s a 42 regular he can “rent” the clothes and make some money 
plus it will save me the FedX when he realizes he really could use them. My H could fit in those clothes but doesn’t need them and his 2 younger brothers are already bigger than a 42 regular so “what the heck, send them some girl will make him dress up some day” I thought. He always “borrowed” my H’s dress socks so he has none of those, but at least in the warm weather he can go sock-less. Cold weather he can wear his ski socks tee hee.</p>
<p>If the young male personages are going to run screaming from what I’d call “khaki khakis”, then go with dark gray wool dress slacks (light weight wool or wool blend for the south) with the navy blazer (I still like a good navy blazer; it’s extremely versatile) and you can also add “khakis” in other colors like olive green, brown, putty, etc. </p>
<p>It is possible to find inexpensive (some would say cheap) dress slacks. Case in point, H has found some “dress khakis” at Wal Mart for $18 that are microfiber and machine wash/dry that look really nice and would be great for a college student (don’t wrinkle and no dry cleaning bills). He pairs these slacks (in neutral colors) with a Polo blazer from the outlet mall and is good to go for many occasions.</p>
<p>Some time spent shopping in the good stores like Polo and Brooks Brothers, and better dept stores will pay off when trying to find bargains because you will know what quality is and looks like so you can find a reasonable facsimile thereof. Also, at least for us gals, Vogue has endorsed the concept of high/low dressing such as mixing Polo and Target (or Wal Mart in our case). My S got his brown blazer and shirts from Target and they look really good on him - blazer $60 on sale for $30, shirts $15 each 100% cotton. Very nice.</p>
<p>My H has also had a lot of luck with the Lands End catalog. Once you find your size that fits you can pretty much order worry free. They have long rise slacks that he likes, and you can order the suit jacket and pants in different sizes if necessary to get a better fit. Couple this with knowing a good tailor/seamstress and managing style on a budget should be relatively easy.</p>
<p>Not to hijack the thread but where do you get your sons’ jeans? My son is so thin that all that ever fit him were $70.00 jeans at Banana Republic. However, not only do we (especially him) not want to spend this on every pair (how can someone so skinny wear out every pair of jeans in the backside? – not wallet), Banana Republic is no longer making 28" waist. Problem is not only with waist, but leg etc.</p>
<p>My son has skinny legs and he has found that Volcom jeans work well. You will probably have to spend around 70 for them but they do sometimes go on sale. I think they sometimes have them at PacSun or surf type of shops. Also Levi’s makes a narrow cut leg and I know my son has a pair of 29’s. Found them at Pac Sun as well.</p>