In all seriousness, while being glued to the tube is never a good thing, I feel that a little television every once and awhile won't rip a person's life to shreds. Certain broadcasts aided me in staying informed (and possibly a little bit over-informed) during the presidential election, helping me narrow down for whom I'd be casting my vote. During my freshman year of college, I bonded with the girls on my dormitory floor over America's Next Top Model and Gossip Girl, establishing lasting friendships over commercial breaks and post-show speculations (Chair forever, ladies.) Contrary to popular belief, I have had meaningful conversations that spurred off of ones about television shows, including a rhetorical analysis of Girls, a debate on whether or not past decades were better than present day brought on by Mad Men, and the composition of a pro/con list concerning if I really want to live in Baltimore courtesy of The Wire. I've learned things from crime shows like Bones and Law and Order, although maybe not enough to pass the bar exam. And who doesn't love that endless string of award shows at the beginning of every year? While television should not be our end-all-be-all, it has given us some good things. For example, it's brought men's business suits back into every living room in the country.
Is it just me, or are the men on television impeccably dressed? I feel as if this wonderful transition in the costuming of male characters began with the ad men of Sterling-Cooper-Draper-Pryce (née Sterling-Cooper, or the agency in Mad Men, for those of you who have been living under a rock). Don Draper, Roger Sterling, and incredibly creepy Peter Campbell are men that know their way around a deal. They could sell cookies to a Girl Scout and not make her think twice about what she was doing. They know their game and can play it better than anyone else, because they know if they don't win their families (and ladies on the side) will suffer at the lack of bacon being brought home. It's entirely sexist, and each of them have racked up significant frequent flier miles on power trips but all of that aside one can clearly connect what they're wearing to their overall success in life. Don knows he looks sharp because he chose to wear a suit that's tailored to his proportions, that fits all over. He doesn't have to worry about the coat being too bulky or the legs being too short, which gives his brain room to worry about more important things like a million dollar account or what he's going to do about his daughter's obnoxious lisp.
Other notable television characters have also helped popularize the three-piece. Charles Bass went from high school rapscallion to bow-tied business man in between seasons. Barney Stintson has always worn a suit on How I Met Your Mother and tries to get others to "suit up" whenever possible. There is even a show simply titled Suits. It's about clever, conniving lawyers who do business in building with lots of shiny glass and/or rich wood surfaces. Unfortunately, these characters have another thing in common beyond their wardrobe. They are all terrible misogynists, which is kind of a deal breaker what with my being a woman and all. It's this crippling character flaw that may be giving suits a bad reputation: wear a suit, you're an asshole. I find this to be an extremely sad assumption because I've met a lot of really nice guys who just happened to be wearing suits. If we continue to view a suit as the sign of a sexist sir, we lose everything else a suit can symbolize. We lose its power, its strength, and its grace.
A lot of men that I've talked to hate wearing suits. Big surprise there. They find it to be too confining and uncomfortable. Others say that it makes a guy look like everyone else, that it's against individuality and freedom of expression. They say it's a symbol of oppression, a symbol of The Man who is always trying to bring the party down. And I can understand. Really. I'm not saying that you should lounge around and watch the big game on Sunday in a nice pinstripe. I'm not saying that you should go to the chili cook-off dressed to the nines. I'm not even saying that you need to wear a suit to every bar or on every date to impress the ladies. My mission here is to get men to look at suits differently, to create a better relationship with those blue, black, and otherwise colored ensembles pushed to the back of your closet. Then once the two of you are bosom buddies, maybe you'll take it out on the town more often and introduce it to your other friends. I'm positive everyone will get along famously.
Now, let's take the whole shebang apart piece by piece, shall we? First, have you ever thought about how you button your shirt? (Probably not, I know but I wonder about these things all of the time so I did some nerd girl research.) The buttons on a man's dress shirt has origins in the plate armor worn in the 1300s. Before it was invented, a knight would hold his shield on the left side of his body, the side that was most commonly attacked. When shields were replaced with metal suits, fighting styles hadn't changed so knights were still being struck on the left. To guard against swords getting caught in a joint, armor was designed to be fastened left over right so that the pesky joint was on the right side, and fighters could continue raging war without worry.
A men's tie is not the most comfortable thing to wear in the world; I know this by experience. I have to wear one every day for work, so I am familiar with the constant feeling that you're wearing a noose in public. However, they also have a pretty kick ass past. During the Thirty Years' War, Europe was experiencing especially cold winters due to a low amount of solar activity (this period is sometimes referred to as the Little Ice Age). The extreme drop in temperature forced the soldiers fighting to make significant changes in their wardrobe in order to keep warm and stay alive. The Croatian soldiers wrapped long pieces of fabric loosely around their necks, and the French were smitten with the look at first sight. After the war, the French adopted the style of the Croatians and called the piece a cravate, which probably came from the word croate. In America, we know this to be a necktie.
The vest has an interesting past, too. It is known to be one of the few pieces brought into the fashion universe by England rather than the powerhouse that is France. In fact, the fashion rivalry between the two countries is what sparked the vest's creation. In the 1600s, King Charles VI was tired of the French and their flamboyant clothing. He decided to fashion a somber and functional piece of clothing that would also serve as a giant middle finger to the fops across the pond. The original vest looked somewhat like a monks robe, almost floor length in simple heavy fabric. While the composition of the it has changed drastically in today's version, the origin still proves that the most rebellious men wore vests.
The idea of the suit in its entirety has a story similar to the vests. Beau Brummell, the father of modern suiting believed that a man was not meant to wear the fussy getups that France was producing, that a man needed something simple, easy, and strong to wear in the world. Brummell crafted the first suit to make a statement in society, as if to say, "I am a man, and this is what a man wears." He was done with the powdered wigs and tights of an older age; he wanted to dress men into a streamlined, more modern look. He wanted his menswear to mirror the country he loved: simple, dignified, and solid. Although it had a small following in the beginning, Brummell's confidence in his product is what really brought the suit into popular circulation. To this day, England is home to the best tailors in the world, making the country's everlasting imprint in the fashion universe.
So you see, the suit you only wear when forced actually comes from good breeding. Knights, soldiers, rebels... who wouldn't want to be those guys? The modern suit has held onto the most masculine elements throughout its evolution. When wearing one, it should make you feel more like The Man than a slave to Him. If you're looking into buying a suit, you should spend an afternoon on that task alone. Much like jeans, it takes awhile to find the right fit and style to suit you (all of the puns intended). Take along a fashionable friend to help give you an outsider's opinion. Also, don't be afraid to ask a sales person for help. They were hired because they know the ins and outs of menswear, so they're indispensable especially if this is your first time. Try on many different colors and styles. Have fun with tie/shirt combos, mixing patterns and hues. If you're adventurous, maybe even dip your toes in the realm of pocket squares! You can show a lot of personality in formal attire.
However, if suits just aren't your jam right now, I understand. I'm not trying to force every man to spend every waking minute of his life in Brooks Brothers but maybe you can start incorporating elements into your daily wardrobe. Pop on a sport coat over your tee for drinks with the boys, or sport a skinny tie, button-down and jeans when you're romancing your lady. And an unbuttoned vest over a v-neck, henley, or really any shirt is very Han Solo. And let's be honest, who doesn't want to be Han Solo for the day?
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