You can only own one suit - Black or Navy?

[ronwell]

I agree with those who say that navy or dark grey is better for a first suit than black. Whatever you decide, take it to a good tailor. Suits rarely fit perfectly off the rack. It'll cost a little extra, but nothing looks better than a suit that looks like it was made for you.

 

[mayhem]

My recommendation based on 20+ years in business environments - dark gray suit, then add a navy blue blazer. White or gray shirts for more formal occasions, and if you want to add some zing go for a bright tie. Navy blazer can be worn with everything from dress gray pants to khakis to jeans, depending on the occasion. Black suits are too much for all but the most formal events.

 

[JonnyVain]

Good news! They don't have grey on the website, but when I went to the store to make my purchase, they had grey in the catalog. So I bought it.

It's not really solid, but not pin stripe - I think they call it micro stripe. So from about 10 feet away it looks almost solid, then up close you can see it has some color texture.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Without your input I may have just gone with the black with charcoal strip. I think I'll be happier with what I got now.

 

[professorchaos]

If somebody is getting married or buried, this works.

Two of the three occasions in which I wear a suit. Charcoal will pair with a white or blue shirt and be suitable for almost any occasion.

View attachment 258423

Classic B&B!


Out of the two, Navy is better.....Grey is best.

Good news! They don't have grey on the website, but when I went to the store to make my purchase, they had grey in the catalog. So I bought it.

It's not really solid, but not pin stripe - I think they call it micro stripe. So from about 10 feet away it looks almost solid, then up close you can see it has some color texture.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Without your input I may have just gone with the black with charcoal strip. I think I'll be happier with what I got now.

Well done! You'll be able to wear that suit until you out grow it or the pants wear out.

 

[sparco]

Black first, Charcoal Grey, and Then Navy, IMO. Suits at my corporate workplace are most common in that order. The first two impart a classic and professional look even more than the navy, again, in my opinion.

+1 Black is always a safe "color". But then again, I tend to use my dark brown suit a lot more than my black suits.

 

[Cuttingboard]

Navy...I rarely see anyone in the corporate world wearing black suits unless its a funeral.

My preference would be navy, charcoal, light grey, medium brown, tan, seersucker...........black.

 

[Doc4]

Sorry, I didn't read the whole thread, but wanted to toss my two cents' worth into the mix.

EDIT: They had charcoal grey in the slim fit, so I bought that. Thanks for the input!

... good choice.

Black first, Charcoal Grey, and Then Navy, IMO. Suits at my corporate workplace are most common in that order. The first two impart a classic and professional look even more than the navy, again, in my opinion.

I'd say no. Skip the black suit ... at least until you own several other, more versatile suits. Just because a lot of guys wear black suits in the corporate workplace, doesn't make it a good choice. (If "most popular" made something also "best" ... Ronald McDonald would be doing Kitchen Nightmares, going into a Gordon Ramsay restaurant and complaining that there's too much fois gras and not enough "special sauce" ...)

Black is great for evenings, but too "harsh" for daytime wear. Oh, you can "get away with it", but it's not an ideal choice for sure. Navy blue or grey (anywhere from mid-grey to charcoal) is a much better option.

With all due respect to other's opinions, a well dressed man would never have as his only suit a black suit. It would always be appropriate for funerals or evenings out at the opera, but never, ever for weddings, confirmations, bar mitzvahs, company parties etc. Blue is the right choice. Or a dark grey. Not black.

One last thing. Regardless of what you go with, a well tailored, i.e. good fitting, suit always looks better than something that may be more expensive but fits poorly. Don't skimp on the tailoring.

I generally agree, but ...

I'd say a black suit is fine for any evening event where a suit is needed ... be it wedding, party, whatever. A black suit, black shoes, white shirt (french cuff if you can) and silver-grey tie (grenadine is ideal, but any monochrome version is okay) is about as good as you can get for evening formal without kicking it up a notch to a tuxedo.

Navy.... Not as harsh as black ...

Yep.

 

[Catalin]

In this order:
- Charcoal Grey
- Navy Blue
- Black

Black is far too grim to wear on less formal occasions, unless you're one of the Blues Brothers or one of the "Men in Black"....

 

[The Knize]

Looks like a nice suit. Good choice! Should be very versitile.

BTW, the reason to my mind not to get a suit with a more distinct stripe in the first instance, assuming in your line of work striped suits work, is that the more distinct pattern to the suit makes it easier to recognize that you are wearing the same suit all the time. I think the micro stripe pattern on the suit you bought will not cause the problem!

I noticed the "quick description" of that suit says it is "black"! To me it is clearly predominately charcoal gray and fabric can go a lot darker and still be charcoal gray, not black. The suit I am wearing today was labelled charcoal gray, but it is clearly medium gray to me. Way lighter than your suit. Maybe I am wrong, but I just do not see many, if any frankly, truly black suits. I think the color descriptions may be confusing!

To me, funeral directors and waiters wear truly black suits. A tux is truly black (or midnight blue, which is perceived as blacker than black in some artificial lights). Nuns, at least used to, wear black habits. I think if any of that clothing was at all gray not black, it would stand out as not the usual color!

 

[Doc4]

A mid-grey suit would be IMHO more appropriate at this time of year than charcoal, which one can save for winter.

To get back to the OP's thread title, if I were to own just one suit, it'd be grey ... a bit darker than mid-grey, but not that much ... light enough in fabric and colour to wear to a July afternoon wedding, and still decent for a November funeral. Eventually, I'd add a navy blazer to the line-up, for a more casual option.

Of course, if I were buying two suits (and a blazer) it'd be a different story ...

Nuns, at least used to, wear black ...

... but they ... (wait for it) ... got out of that habit.

ba-dump bump!

 

[Bill Smith]

Go navy, it will be way more versatile than black as a suit colour.