Random nonsense

Two days to Mike’s wedding. No other projects up. Not doing enough riding, but I am stomping around the bike shed a lot.

Picked up the tuxedo yesterday, and dropped off the wedding present, so Mike and Marjie can’t back out now. They won’t give me a refund on the tux.

I too got married in a tuxedo, but had to wonder about it. If you’ve ever seen a rented tuxedo up close, you’ll get the impression that it’s a pretty shabby garment. Durable enough, but the pants have an adjustable waist, the jacket and pants are much less nice than those of my one suit. Tuxedos look nice in photos (don’t get me started on wedding photos), but if I ruled the world, men would take a wedding as an opportunity to either buy the one decent suit you need as a minimum to meet middle-class obligations, or they’d wear the best suit they already have. I don’t think wearing somebody else’s pants adds class to the affair.

And another good rule of thumb: I fall slightly below the necessary level, but if you attend even one formal (tuxedo-appropriate) event a year, it is worth buying a tuxedo. That way you have a properly fitted garment that will last nearly forever and won’t go substantially out of style for a couple of decades (as long as you stay with a conservative style and commit to a possible change of shirt or neckwear every five years).

Finally: behold the power of the suit. The magic of suits (even one-size fits someone else rented tuxedos) is that they make virtually every male body look good, or at least better. A well-tailored suit is garment that will make you feel sharp. It has lots of little opportunities to turn yourself out properly. Making sure a small amount of your shirt shows at the cuffs, wearing a pocket square (I prefer mine folded square with the top edge peeking out of the pocket, just like you see in 60s-establishment movies or early Bond flicks), it all adds up.

Don’t tell me you don’t like how a suit feels, or that you don’t like dressing up. Just do it! You’ll like it! Keep your inane collection of t-shirts for working in the yard or casual affairs. But wear the suit a bit. I don’t break out mine often enough.

Actually, I’ve lost around 40 pounds since I had my suit fitted, so it probably won’t fit me at all. Beware the beam in your own eye….