# Poplin Suits



## smthorpe (Jan 11, 2011)

I wanted to hear a few opinions regarding poplin suits.

I live in Houston, where it is 90 degrees or more six months of the year. I wear a suit everyday.

I started thinking poplin suits might be something different to throw into my suit rotation. I know they are very reasonably priced from various retailers (Brooks, Jos A Bank, etc)

Please be honest, and let me know if you think these come off as uber unprofessional or if they would be perfectly fine in the world of navy and gray wool in which I reside.

Thanks!


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## Lookingforaclue (Nov 10, 2005)

I have 2 poplin suits from BB and I think they are great in the summer
However, the stone colored suit does make more than its share of trips to the cleaners. I just cannot seem to get any spot, however minor, out without leaving a ring. So, worn about 1x week, dry cleaned about every third time!

I think that both the stone and navy are appropriate for most business wear. I wouldn't wear them for an interview, court or an important business presentation.

SRW

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk


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## Titus_A (Jun 23, 2010)

Poplin and other summer suits are the topic of many threads herein. There is some debate over whether 100% cotton is best (my opinion, I loathe polyester), although poly-cotton blends have been used for many years now. In the South, summer poplin suits tend to be quite acceptable for business attire. I've never worked in Texas specifically, but if you're working with local folks (as opposed to, say, spending all of your time meeting bankers from Tokyo), I don't think poplin would come across as in the least unprofessional.


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## son of brummell (Sep 29, 2004)

The short answer is "yes, it's acceptable."

Before the casual cancer struck, poplin suits were worn widely by the male work force. You would see armies of men emerge from the steaming subway to the street in poplins in olive and tan. There would be the occasional navy.

Due to its low cost, the Haspel poplin suit (made by Haspel and sold at Brooks, J. Press, etc.) was typically worn by the low and mid-management male. Executive class men generally wore all cotton suits (e.g., sold at Paul Stuart) or the finest and lightest of tropical wool suits. 

As the owner of my law firm and "front" man, I need a better suit than the Haspel. I once had a Loro Piana all cotton summer suit made. I also have suits in Dupioni silk. I have a custom seersucker.

If you are in a "meat and potatoes" industry or firm, then the Haspel poplin suit is fine. (E.g., law, retail banking, insurance, medicine, etc.) If you are in a high-flying or glamour field (e.g., art gallery, investment banking, estate planning, etc.), then a suit finer than the "wash and wear" Haspel may be more appropriate.

Good luck.


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## smthorpe (Jan 11, 2011)

Both of the above comments - knowing that I dont meet with Tokyo based bankers and that I am in a more "meat and potatoes" industry (private wealth management) - were EXTREMELY helpful.

I really appreciate the quick responses!


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## dhuge677 (May 16, 2012)

Worth picking up a BB poplin for $250?


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

dhuge677 said:


> Worth picking up a BB poplin for $250?


Absolutely.


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## dhuge677 (May 16, 2012)

arkirshner said:


> Absolutely.


Great! So a good value then?


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

Anyone know how the JAB poplins compare to the brooks?


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

Q from pure curiosity. Is Poplin nowadays made of anything other than cotton?


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Q from pure curiosity. Is Poplin nowadays made of anything other than cotton?


Poplin is a weave and can be made of any material, though cotton is most traditional. Many poplin suits, even from traditional makers, are a cotton-poly blend which helps tone down the inevitable wrinkling of a cotton suit.

I have two Haspel poplin suits and I find them perfectly serviceable, though not as refined as a tropical wool suit. They're half-canvassed with minimal lining, they fit well and breathe quite nicely. Sierra Trading Post has the right now for $169.95. I bought it with a coupon code and paid about $127.00.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

dhuge677 said:


> Worth picking up a BB poplin for $250?


I own a BB poplin and like it; I bought another and had a bad experience. The pants that shipped with the coat were inexplicably gigantic: not only were they a 5" drop, but they were very full fitting. Obese Madison. I made the poor choice of trying to have the pants altered into submission rather than simply returning the suit. The results were poor, and I am now the owner of an orphan coat. Which isn't a bad thing, but not what I wanted.


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

son of brummell said:


> As the owner of my law firm and "front" man, I need a better suit than the Haspel. I once had a Loro Piana all cotton summer suit made. I also have suits in Dupioni silk. I have a custom seersucker.


Perhaps the best source of advice on this is in Socrates' admonition to "*e as you wish to seem". A well tailored and well maintained Haspel poplin suit with a nice shirt, good shoes (also well maintained), and tasteful accessories presents a much more positive image to many than does an over-the-top assemblage of visibly and inappropriately expensive clothing. This is especially true if the nature of the latter is emphasized by efforts like leaving a cuff button open and sporting a highly prominent monogram (or three). I'm much more suspicious of one who is clearly going out of his or her way to impress me than I am of people who better integrate their appearance with their lives.

An attorney (which to this crusty old surgeon is as meat and potatoes as I am) who goes to work on a 90 degree day in a custom Loro Piana cotton suit seems to me to have priorities that don't align well with my own. Most of my friends and colleagues, some with truly old money and many of whom were clients of Joe Centofanti (as was I), dress well but practically for work. Of course, if you have the money to spend a few thousand dollars on every work suit and they're made to be unassuming and inconspicuous, have at it if it pleases you. Personally, I'd mistrust anyone in a $4k work suit on a hot summer's day who wanted to invest my money for me, represent me, or sell me art. They all need too big a margin.

In business, your appearance should carefully balance trustworthiness, success, confidence, taste and judgment. A visible imbalance among these elements triggers alarms, at least for me.*


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

hardline_42 said:


> Poplin is a weave and can be made of any material, though cotton is most traditional.


Yes, I'm fully aware of that, hence my question. 
I didn't ask what Poplin is, I know exactly what it is. I asked if it is made from anything other than cotton nowadays.


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Earl of Ormonde said:


> Yes, I'm fully aware of that, hence my question.
> I didn't ask what Poplin is, I know exactly what it is. I asked if it is made from anything other than cotton nowadays.


Well, then the answer is yes.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

hardline_42 said:


> Well, then the answer is yes.


Thanks, I wasn't sure. But at the same time I didn't 100% believe what I read a while back that all poplin suits nowadays are all 100% cotton as I was sure I'd seen blends last time I was in an M & S, in Liverpool.


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## dcjacobson (Jun 25, 2007)

I have had both 100% cotton, and cotten blended with polyester. I like the polyester a bit better--it doesn't wrinkle too much. O'Connell's sells both the all-cotton and the blended poplin suits.

I wouldn't spend lots of money on a poplin or seersucker suit, because they aren't that durable. I bought a BB tan poplin once, and the salesman said men usually get two summers of wear. I got six, but I didn't wear it every other day.

Unfortunately, all the poplin suits I've seen lately have been fully lined, so they are warmer than they should be. A good tailor should be able to convert the jacket to a quarter-lined job.

JAB has a good return policy, so you have nothing to lose by going there. Again, these are not durable suits. Just make sure the jacket and pants are altered correctly, and you will look fine.

Good luck,
Don


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

dcjacobson said:


> Unfortunately, all the poplin suits I've seen lately have been fully lined, so they are warmer than they should be. A good tailor should be able to convert the jacket to a quarter-lined job.


This is why I stick to Haspel. Neither the JAB nor any of the other moderately priced summer suits come in anything other than a full lining, which is pointless in the summer. A tailor can convert the lining, but it's not an easy or inexpensive job which might be more than what it's worth for a low-priced summer suit.


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

hardline_42 said:


> A tailor can convert the lining, but it's not an easy or inexpensive job which might be more than what it's worth for a low-priced summer suit.


And it won't include dressing the inside seams. Even an OTR unlined jacket is finished inside and out, while the inside of a lined jacket is not finished off nearly as well because it will not be visible. To tape and sew all of these would be an inordinate amount of work and would cost far more than did the garment.


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## dhuge677 (May 16, 2012)

bluesman said:


> And it won't include dressing the inside seams. Even an OTR unlined jacket is finished inside and out, while the inside of a lined jacket is not finished off nearly as well because it will not be visible. To tape and sew all of these would be an inordinate amount of work and would cost far more than did the garment.


I got this: https://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCa...E&sort_by=&sectioncolor=&sectionsize=42 Short

Good buy? Pleats...I know, but that's alright.

By the way, I don't know how a BrooksCool suit fits, but I wear a Fitzgerald fit if that is an indication. Any thoughts?


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

dhuge677 said:


> Good buy? Pleats...I know, but that's alright.


You say that as though that's a bad thing. Pleats are a good thing, but *especially *so in a summer suit. Not only do they help the trousers to maintain their drape and avoid wrinkles, any extra room helps with cooling. The last thing you want in warm weather is clingy pants!


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## dhuge677 (May 16, 2012)

CuffDaddy said:


> You say that as though that's a bad thing. Pleats are a good thing, but *especially *so in a summer suit. Not only do they help the trousers to maintain their drape and avoid wrinkles, any extra room helps with cooling. The last thing you want in warm weather is clingy pants!


Well, I am 27 years old.


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## arkirshner (May 10, 2005)

dhuge677 said:


> Well, I am 27 years old.


You have every right to chose between pleats and flat fronts. On this point very well dressed men have different preferences. On the other hand you do not have to give up your right to choose because of your age. It is true that one will see predominately flat front pants in Junior and Senior High Schools but a man does not have to wait until his 30s to give up age cohort group think.


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## dhuge677 (May 16, 2012)

Okay, that was a bit snarky, but I see your point.


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

dhuge677 said:


> Any thoughts?


Yes - that's a great suit that will serve you well. I'm not a BB customer, apart from a few pairs of shoes and an occasional impulsse buy. So I don't know anything about their cuts, fits etc.

Take care of that suit and it should last at least 4 or 5 seasons in fine shape. I brush my clothing when I take it off after wearing it, and I try to leave at least an inch of air space between each pair of hanging garments in the closet. I don't get things cleaned unless they need it, which is annually for most of my stuff (I try hard to confine my meals to my mouth...).

Enjoy it!


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

dhuge677 said:


> Okay, that was a bit snarky, but I see your point.


Oh, was it supposed to be snarky? I just found it confusing. By 27, I had been a practicing attorney for a few years, so dressing like a grown-up at age 27 doesn't seem surprising to me.


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## dhuge677 (May 16, 2012)

Hey there law-boy. I am glad that you think you are something. I was an Army officer, so I haven't had to wear civilian clothes until now, in my professional life. I guess when I was in Iraq, you were preparing for the Bar; that must have been so tough.

As an aside, I have noticed that most lawyers seem to think that they are better than everyone. My mother is actually the same way. She was a Georgetown Phi-Beta-Kappa law school graduate and she seemingly has to make this known to all. I have a friend from Penn State that also acts this way, and she goes to pitiful Widener Law School. 

By the way, my family has Yale, Penn State, West Point and the Air Force Academy, Georgetown, and Temple as our educational background.

My point? I'm rich. I can buy myself whatever I please and I am just now beginning to get into decent clothes. You're welcome for your freedom.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

Ok, time to blow my mod whistle. We've somehow descended into name calling. Let's focus on poplin, people.


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

bluesman said:


> (I try hard to confine my meals to my mouth...).


Probably the most important part of keeping one's clothes in good shape . . . and for some of us, the most difficult!


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## BluePincord (May 14, 2012)

*Thoughts about poplin:*

From a displaced Southerner:

Poplin suits are beautiful, and have long been a staple of the South I grew up in. (Yes, this is a preposition-ended sentence -- it is something up with which you must put.) But there are things to be aware of when wearing it, lest you get the look wrong:


After wearing a poplin suit all day, you should look like you have been in a fight. This is as it should be, for it is a crime against God and man to wear a poplin suit which doesn't wrinkle. Remember when Mel Brooks dropped the third tablet? This was #11.
Stains give a poplin suit character. Although there is a line you should not cross with this, you should use the following rule: if you are strugglig to decide whether or not it is too stained to wear, it is not too stained to wear.
Don't overthink #2.
Either pleats or flat-front is acceptable with a poplin suit.
But get the pleated one.
O'Connells has an all-cotton poplin with absolutely fantastic material. It is a sack suit so it will fit like a trash can, but that's actually okay with a poplin suit, because if you ever button a poplin suit coat, the sartorial police will beat the living sh!t out of you.

I'm not kidding about the last bit: if you button a poplin suit, and a proper Southerner sees you...you will be set upon with broken bottles.

And dogs.

Guide yourself accordingly.


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## CuffDaddy (Feb 26, 2009)

dhuge677 said:


> Hey there law-boy. I am glad that you think you are something. I was an Army officer, so I haven't had to wear civilian clothes until now, in my professional life. I guess when I was in Iraq, you were preparing for the Bar; that must have been so tough.
> 
> As an aside, I have noticed that most lawyers seem to think that they are better than everyone. My mother is actually the same way. She was a Georgetown Phi-Beta-Kappa law school graduate and she seemingly has to make this known to all. I have a friend from Penn State that also acts this way, and she goes to pitiful Widener Law School.
> 
> ...


Wow. You seem to have read rather more into my post than was there.

First, I don't know why you think that a reference to my profession was calculated to impress you. I was merely trying to give some context as to why I don't think 27 is too young to be dressing in a grown-up manner; some people seem to think that the time for dressing like a grown-up doesn't happen until you turn 30 or 40. I frankly don't care whether you "think [I am] something." If I did, I wouldn't try to demonstrate it by saying that I am a lawyer; as you implicitly suggest, becoming a lawyer is not that hard, and there are several jillion of us. I'm surrounded by them all day.

Second, it's lovely that you're so very fortunate to be able to buy yourself whatever you please. That being the case, I suggest that you consider going custom for your poplin suit. There are craftsmen around this country whose skills may not be around in another 15 years... take advantage while you can.

Third, I don't think there were US forces in Iraq (other than perhaps patrolling the no-fly zones) when I was studying for the bar; there were men and women serving in the balkans, though.

Fourth, thanks for your service. Even if you never manage to speak a civil word to me, I'm glad you're back safe from Iraq.


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## EngProf (Apr 27, 2008)

Lovely.


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## son of brummell (Sep 29, 2004)

bluesman said:


> Perhaps the best source of advice on this is in Socrates' admonition to "*e as you wish to seem". A well tailored and well maintained Haspel poplin suit with a nice shirt, good shoes (also well maintained), and tasteful accessories presents a much more positive image to many than does an over-the-top assemblage of visibly and inappropriately expensive clothing. This is especially true if the nature of the latter is emphasized by efforts like leaving a cuff button open and sporting a highly prominent monogram (or three). I'm much more suspicious of one who is clearly going out of his or her way to impress me than I am of people who better integrate their appearance with their lives.
> 
> An attorney (which to this crusty old surgeon is as meat and potatoes as I am) who goes to work on a 90 degree day in a custom Loro Piana cotton suit seems to me to have priorities that don't align well with my own. Most of my friends and colleagues, some with truly old money and many of whom were clients of Joe Centofanti (as was I), dress well but practically for work. Of course, if you have the money to spend a few thousand dollars on every work suit and they're made to be unassuming and inconspicuous, have at it if it pleases you. Personally, I'd mistrust anyone in a $4k work suit on a hot summer's day who wanted to invest my money for me, represent me, or sell me art. They all need too big a margin.
> 
> In business, your appearance should carefully balance trustworthiness, success, confidence, taste and judgment. A visible imbalance among these elements triggers alarms, at least for me.*


*

If you are intimidated by a better suit than a Haspel poplin, so be it.

The Haspel poplin suit is OK for a junior and mid-level worker. It's an acceptable "knock-around" suit. But it is too plebian for a senior level executive or business owner, especially the person making the sale.

The Haspel cotton-poly poplin doesn't tailor and look well, and it does not have an executive look. It is stiff and unforgiving. I recall Brooks Brothers refusing to do any significant alterations because the alterations would cost more than the suit. It is intended as a knock-around suit, and people used to wash and iron them at home. Therefore, they are only good for a season or two. Furthermore, I did not find them any more comfortable or cooler than my tropical wool suits.

One of the prior posts mentioned an all-cotton poplin at O'Connell's. That would be a step-up from the cotton-poly which I find too stiff.

On a positive note, the Haspel suit is a perfectly acceptable and economical choice for the young person starting a career or a person who does not want to spend much on a so-called "knock-around" suit.*


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

son of brummell said:


> If you are intimidated by a better suit than a Haspel poplin, so be it.


I have no problem at all with your choice of garments - I love and wear them. I simply learned the hard way that we can send the wrong message to potential patients / clients / customers without realizing it. I'm happy that you wear and enjoy them - but I don't think it's good advice for a young man courting business in the financial world, especially right now. Don't get me wrong - I love Loro Piana and have many LP garments. But the OP seems to me to be concerned with the image he presents to clients and colleagues, and a $2k cotton suit doesn't project the same image to all.

I remember vividly having specific patients comment about the cost of their healthcare and my watch or suit or car in the same sentence - and these experiences made me realize that some see success where others see excess and many of those are offended by it (and I'm not sure they should be, but they are).

With about half of my tongue in my cheek, I too am occasionally a bit concerned when someone who is courting my business seems to have spent far more money on something than most of us would have done. Although I don't use a fee-for-service broker or financial planner, I'm sure I'd be a bit concerned if someone who wanted to manage my money was wearing a very expensive suit to run around town on a very hot work day.

As for tailoring a Haspel suit, I agree completely that you can't achieve a continental fit in one. But my tailor's done a fine job keeping my poplins from looking like sack suits, and I keep at least one in the closet all summer (no, none of them has been a Haspel for many years - but I don't think mine are that much better). I also have at least one "good" seersucker suit at the ready. But I can't justify spending over $1k for a work suit for hot weather wear for myself.

BTW, most physicians consider ourselves a step above meat and potatoes - we strive to achieve at least the status of Dover sole..... :smile:


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## Mox (May 30, 2012)

Is ramie ever used with poplin? I have some linen pants that are a cotton/ramie mix. The ramie is considered to be absorbent and cool, but also resists stains and shrinking.


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## tocqueville (Nov 15, 2009)

son of brummell said:


> On a positive note, the Haspel suit is a perfectly acceptable and economical choice for the young person starting a career or a person who does not want to spend much on a so-called "knock-around" suit.


Being 41, I hate the "good for a young man starting out" caveat.

A well fitting haspel with a nice shirt/tie/square/shoes puts one leagues ahead of most. And today, when it's going to be 100, the thought of wool makes me gasp.

Still, I get the point that for some meetings and instances, a poplin suit just won't cut it.


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## Acme (Oct 5, 2011)

BluePincord said:


> Poplin suits are beautiful, and have long been a staple of the South I grew up in...
> 
> Guide yourself accordingly.


I don't think Lewis Grizzard could have said it better. Welcome to the forums, BluePincord.


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## Big T (Jun 25, 2010)

Who retails Haspel?

Thanks,

T.


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## Acme (Oct 5, 2011)

Big T said:


> Who retails Haspel?


Lots of places.


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## Big T (Jun 25, 2010)

Dayam, thanks, one in a town where I'm going to be tomorrow!


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Has the OP taken a look at or considered O'Connell's poplin suits (both 100% cotton and cotton/poly blends are available)? As for the earlier claimed earlier claimed hierarchy of poplin suit brands, please keep in mind that any 100% cotton poplin suit that has been on any of our backs for more than 15 minutes, is going to have wrinkled so badly, it will look like crap...comfortable crap perhaps but crap none-the-less! LOL. Perhaps 's of b' has been in the sun a bit too long?


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

tocqueville said:


> Being 41, I hate the "good for a young man starting out" caveat.


And being old enough to be your father, I can confirm that 41 is still a young man. :biggrin2:


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## Big T (Jun 25, 2010)

bluesman said:


> And being old enough to be your father, I can confirm that 41 is still a young man. :biggrin2:


I can confirm that at 59 I still don't consider myself not a young man (or at least I try not to act as my father & grandfathers acted when I remember them at the age I'm now at).

Old man time will catch up with all, but until then, we should try to look good!


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

Big T said:


> Old man time will catch up with all


Not if he doesn't recognize us! As you point out, he's looking for our fathers...


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## Oldsarge (Feb 20, 2011)

A devil-may-care attitude (at least when one is _not_ with a client) helps fend him off!


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## bluesman (Aug 17, 2009)

Oldsarge said:


> A devil-may-care attitude (at least when one is _not_ with a client) helps fend him off!


It can't hurt that he doesn't expect to find us in poplin suits (at least those of us who are older and more successful...).


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## Big T (Jun 25, 2010)

Better get rid of those thread bare PJ bottoms and slippers!


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

BluePincord said:


> From a displaced Southerner:
> it is a crime against God and man to wear a poplin suit which doesn't wrinkle.


Some time back I was in the downtown LA BB for a sale and asked the young man who was helping me if the poplin suits were available in all cotton. He replied no and that the cotton poly ones were superior as at the end of the day you wouldn't look as though you were wearing pyjamas. I replied that the point of poplin suits was to look wrinkled. He didn't get it.

If I still needed business suits for daily wear I'd have at least one 100% cotton poplin suit.

Regards,
Gurdon


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## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

Gurdon said:


> Some time back I was in the downtown LA BB for a sale and asked the young man who was helping me if the poplin suits were available in all cotton. He replied no and that the cotton poly ones wrer superior as at the end of the day you wouldn't look as though you were wearing pyjamas. I replied that the point of poplin suits was to look wrinkled. He didn't get it.
> 
> If I still needed business suits for daily wear I'd have at least one 100% cotton poplin suit.
> 
> ...


Cotton blend poplin suits have been around for a long time. I wouldn't shy away from one. They're the best of both worlds.


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