When do you wear a suit?

[M80]

Gentleman, I work in an industry where the dress code is about what PPE (personal protective equipment) to wear, rather than what clothes you wear. Definitely not a suit or dress clothes. Outside of work I enjoy wearing nice clothes and I do own two suits, but I do not often find occasion to wear a full suit. Weddings and funerals mostly.

I am curious. Outside of work and work related activities/events, how often do you find occasion to wear a full suit, and to what type of events do you wear it to?

Thank you.

 

[professorchaos]

As rarely as possible, almost exclusively for weddings, funerals and job interviews.

 

[Masterkova]

I go full suit for the opera or the symphony or similar cultural events. Dinner at nicer restaurants, certain parties, certain religious celebrations...
I wore a suit every day for work for years so I have a closetful - now that things are more casual, I don't mind an excuse to break one out and give one of my ties a field trip.

 

[Legion]

As rarely as possible, almost exclusively for weddings, funerals and job interviews.

This.

 

[ChiefWahoo]

This.

Plus 2, though if the mrs and I went to nicer places, I'd be happy to throw one on.

 

[Oglethorpe]

I find that I'm often looking for excuses to wear one. For me, the trick is figuring out in which places it would be considered TOO formal. I think Masterkova's stance most accurately matches mine.

 

[dpm802]

I only do suits at Weddings, Funerals and Bar Mitzvahs ... not much else that I do calls for one.

I do like to dress it up, though ... while everyone around me is wearing T-shirts and blue jeans, I can usually be found with a button-down collar and long-sleeve shirt, with khaki chinos or other dress-up (but not formal) pants. When I go out on the town for drinking and dancing, I'm usually the only man in the whole place who is wearing a tie, in fact, people that don't know me by name often call me "That Tie Guy."

 

[KM-instructor]

Rare but when have in the past it is meeting prospective employers, and court appearances. Oh and maybe at my own funeral.

 

[The Knize]

Gentleman, I work in an industry where the dress code is about what PPE (personal protective equipment) to wear, rather than what clothes you wear. Definitely not a suit or dress clothes. Outside of work I enjoy wearing nice clothes and I do own two suits, but I do not often find occasion to wear a full suit. Weddings and funerals mostly.

I am curious. Outside of work and work related activities/events, how often do you find occasion to wear a full suit, and to what type of events do you wear it to?

Thank you.

I wear a suit to work virtually every day, but I rarely wear one outside of work. Like you and others have said, weddings and funerals, mostly. Not even Bar Mitzvahs. Maybe once and awhile some politcal event, but those are almost always coming from work. Sometimes black tie to some event or other, but that is different than wearing a suit.

Too bad in a way. A suit and tie are a flattering look to most guys.

 

[Craig_In_Cincy]

I enjoy wearing a suit, and look forward to wearing one at least once a week.

-Business meetings
-Dinner at nice restaurants, mainly on weekends
-When attending the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Opera & Ballet
-Of course weddings, funerals etc
-Just because

 

[Kwaka_Chris]

I wear one almost every day for work, but it is good fun to wear one in your own time. A good suit to me is like a sensible similie to pop singers wearing outlandish oversized exercise clothes.

Oh, I forgot there is always the perfect excuse to wear a suit;

 

[johnmrson]

I wear a suit four days a week. We have a casual dress policy on Friday and I usually wear chinos and an open neck shirt then.
I think that a suit with an open neck shirt looks quite smart for non formal dinner atire.

 

[gaseousclay]

the only times I wear suits or would wear a suit are:

weddings
funerals
fundraisers
church
work (if it called for it)
graduation (high school/college)
maybe dinner at a fancy restaurant
other social event (like an opera)
interviews
court appearance

 

[eliev]

I wear one almost every day for work, but it is good fun to wear one in your own time. A good suit to me is like a sensible similie to pop singers wearing outlandish oversized exercise clothes.

Oh, I forgot there is always the perfect excuse to wear a suit;

I was waiting for someone to say that...

 

[Manthrax]

I've worn a full suit once in my 23yrs. It was the celebration to end the 9th grade. Everybody wore the same suit, but different ties. And when I say the same suit, I mean it...

Since then i've been keeping to a light blue shirt, a vest and a tie for formal occasions. With this outfit I always wear a hat with a feather in it when outside as well.

 

[Godan]

In retirement, a suit is not part of my everyday attire. I wear one, as some other posters have indicated, to religious, business and social events where it is appropriate. As an aside, I attend a fair number of art/cultural/social type openings and receptions. For these, as well as some country club events, my "uniform" for years has been a gray suit with a black turtleneck.

 

[ssultan]

+1...Henry pretty much nailed it...will add work events and conferences...

As rarely as possible, almost exclusively for weddings, funerals and job interviews.

 

[Samurai-5]

I wear one about once a week. (More outside the months of July/August)

-Dinner
-Cocktails
-Events
-Work (I have a choice)
-Dates
-Just because


I find though More often than not I am wearing a sport coat with a tie. For Weddings and Opera, Etc. I go with a Tuxedo.

 

[Doc4]

Where you live will affect how often you can find an appropriate suit-wearing excuse.

In a big city, there's always some sort of high falutin' social event or fancy-dancy restaurant with tablecloths and $15 appies, where a suit would fit right in.

A smaller city ... well, occasionally I guess, but you run into a lot of guys who would wear jeans to the symphony, so a suit starts to look a little "trying too hard".

Small town ... um ... you quickly become known as "that suit guy" or else everyone assumes you are either running for Mayor or are going to hand them a pamphlet about eternal salvation. You may be committed to wearing a suit anyhow, but it'll probably end up getting you committed.

 

[TankCommander1554]

I wear my full suit to church every Sunday, but beyond that it's really only for special occasions and dinner with my wife at a nice place. I too work in a profession where the dress code has nothing to do with suits and ties - armor and boots are the order of the day.