In suit shopping, color less vital than timing
Q. I want to add a new suit for fall and winter and have narrowed my choice to a dark navy or a dark gray, but I’m not sure which one. I don’t have either, so which do you think is more essential and useful? Also, is it possible to find these now?
A. The color is mostly up to you, because navy or dark gray are equally useful and versatile. But timing is important, and now is definitely the right time to be shopping. No matter what the temperature is outside, stores have their own schedule. Stores receive, and some begin displaying, men’s fall merchandise in August. The man who wants a good selection will have to accept shopping when the weather is still warm.
Nowhere is this more true than when shopping for a suit. If you’re looking for a new fall/winter suit, I suggest you schedule a visit to a likely store or two as soon as possible – now, in early September. By this time stores will have a complete selection in all sizes. You will be ahead of the late September/ early October surge of customers, which means salesmen will welcome you, be attentive and give you excellent service. And the tailor will have time to make any necessary alterations without rushing.
Not only do stores start their seasons early, but they also do not buy many of the same items. This information is by way of letting you know that the best-looking garments and the most popular sizes go first. Get a move on.
As to color, go with the one you like better and that makes you look your best when you check yourself out in the three-way mirror. Trust your instincts and your reaction to what you see. Mirrors don’t lie. In fact, I find that when you put something on that is truly flattering and look at your reflection in the mirror, for some hard-to-understand reason, your face “lights up” and tells you that this is a good look for you. Send male fashion questions to Lois Fenton at