Episode 27: The Power of a Suit

My friend Baylen sent me a short but fascinating article in The Atlantic about the power of wearing a suit. The piece explores recent research about the psychological effect of “formal” clothing, both on the wearer and on those around him. In this episode of the podcast, I talk about how the article articulated and validated much of my own personal experience with a suit’s effect. When I made the decision in my late thirties to start regularly representing myself in suits (both for work and social occasions), things changed – and all for the better.

The operative word? Empowerment.

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My Magic Number with Wool Supers

In certain sub-sects of menswear enthusiasts, there is a serious fetish for an extremely fine type of suit wool with an extraordinarily soft hand. These wools are delineated by what is called an “S” or “Super” number. The higher the S number, the finer the wool.

The number itself refers to the number of times the wool thread is twisted. The more the yarn is twisted, the finer and thinner it gets, yielding a super-soft fabric with an extremely silky feel.

The average wool suit that most men wear is probably made with somewhere between a Super 100s and a Super 120s. Maybe up to a Super 130s on the outside. The ultra soft (and ultra expensive) wools happen at around a Super 150s and can flirt with 200 or higher.

Here’s the thing with the higher numbers, though: While these high Supers are extraordinarily soft, they’re also very delicate, making them very impractical for regular wear. Sit for an hour in a suit made with Super 180s wool, and you’ll be far more wrinkled than someone wearing a Super 110s. Another drawback is that the high Super wools don’t “bounce back” like the lower numbers, which means your suit will need a press or a steam before each wearing.

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The New York Times Men’s Style Section is Great (If You’re Wealthy)

Anyone with money can acquire. What’s more interesting to me is when someone does something fantastic with limited resources. There is a popular school of thinking that equates style and refinement with big spending – a frustrating philosophy backed up by countless magazines, blogs and online influencers pushing the luxury agenda. The new Men’s Style section of The New York Times appears to be yet another one.

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The Smart Closet

I don’t own a lot of clothes. As a content inhabitant of a 450 square foot studio in Manhattan, I’m a big believer in exercising restraint in a culture (and a city) that celebrates unbridled overabundance. I come across many beautiful things I think I’d like to have, but under the comfortable constraints of my own design for living, “need” typically trumps “want.”

Consequently, my wardrobe is a carefully considered edit of few but well-made and versatile classics. My suits, jackets, shirts, jeans, ties, shoes, socks, skivvies… Everything I wear (and own) fits well within the confines of my humble atelier without any supplementary space in the basement or at Manhattan Mini Storage.

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Sponsored: Affordable and Stylish Solutions from CombatGent

A reasonable and experienced person would look at a $150 price tag on a suit and see a huge red flag. The fabric must be cheap, the construction has to be horrible, the buttons and lining probably melt near an open flame, and the people actually making the suit are likely grinding out an 18 hour work day with a 10 minute lunch break in an un-airconditioned fire trap in eastern Asia.

I get bludgeoned with emails from startups in the over-saturated menswear world looking for free promotion in the blogosphere. At best, some of these brands might have fine ideas that are poorly executed. At worst, they’re amateur gimmick magicians who wouldn’t get past the first audition for Shark Tank, offering an ill-conceived fix for something that was never broken just to make a buck. Then there is the rare diamond in the ruff, compentently presenting an elegant solution that meets my four criteria, which dictates that the product or service be 1.) handsome, 2.) well-made, 3.) affordable and 4.) workable, i.e. have an actual application in one’s life. Combatant Gentlemen is one of those rare diamonds in the ruff.

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Shinola, the Ultimate Watch for an American President

Yesterday, The New York Times ran a piece in the Style section about the disappearance of the political “power watch” – a watch that seemed to really suit a world leader. Dwight D. Eisenhower wore a Rolex, Franklin D. Roosevelt wore a Movado, John F. Kennedy had a Cartier and an Omega, and Lyndon B. Johnson had a collection that included a Patek Philippe, a Vulcain Cricket, a LeCoultre and a Rolex.

Such displays by an elected official in today’s America, where absolutely everything is scrutinized, would be criticized as un-American, out-of-step with the average working man or too flashy. Even if a candidate or elected official is well known to be wealthy, like Mitt Romney, George Bush or Bill Clinton, he is expected to play it down to something with which his constituents can identify, especially in times of great economic inequality.

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Supporting My Preferred News Resources

I don’t expect to get anything for free (though I’m delighted on the rare occasions when I do). As someone who appreciates quality and standards, I fully understand that worthwhile things cost money – money that enables the creator of worthwhile things to continue producing and uphold quality and standards. I gladly pay for my clothes, my entertainment and, of course, my news.

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