Dictator of Decorum

You probably have to decide whether your place of business has no dress code or it has an unspoken code that is “business sloppy.”

- Glenn O'Brien

I work in a lax business environment, and the dress code mirrors the mentality: “Whatever!” My colleagues never pass the threshold of a button-down and jeans, the CEO wears a tattered Zeppelin concert tee, and I am pretty sure I saw an intern sporting sweats. I have always fancied the Savile Row–esque aesthetic but haven’t dared to don a jacket and tie to the office. Can I rock the three-piece amid a sea of ripped jeans and slouchy flannels?

If it has no dress code, then knock yourself out with a three-piece windowpane suit from Anderson & Sheppard and John Lobb shoes and you’ll be tolerated or even admired as the office dandy. But if there is a subconscious “business sloppy” code, you might find yourself unpopular for making everybody else look bad. Have you considered finding a career, or at least a place of business, where your sartorial excellence might be welcomed and appreciated? You might be surprised by how many employers appreciate the pride and sophistication of a well-dressed man and consider him a genuine asset.

Just had an argument with a friend. He said you shouldn’t remove the stitching inside flapped suit pockets. I say yes, he says no. So who’s right?

You are so right that I’m stumped how one could think otherwise. Fake pockets? Not even Comme des Garçons would do that. The flapped pockets are sewn shut so that suit shoppers can’t shove their big mitts into them, altering the shape of the jacket after enough in-store try-ons. Sewnup pockets are useless, doubly so with flapped pockets, which offer the wearer the option to tuck the flap inside the pocket for a more formal look. With them sewn up there is no choice but to flaunt flaps. And you have all that wasted schlepping space.

What is a suit jacket if not a flattering vehicle for a half-dozen pockets?