In certain quarters the suit has taken a bum rap. We blame the late 60s and particularly tonight, Allen Ginsberg. The Beats tended to wear suits (William S. Burroughs was a snappy dresser) and when Ginsberg took his off and put on white pajamas instead, all manner of “creative” apparel havoc followed. We won’t call him a sartorial leader, more of a convenient symbol of an unfortunate apparel era, but it is worth noting that in his later years, Allen Ginsberg put the suit (and tie) back on.
But if you have to choose a model for dressing, are you really going to choose Wavy Gravy over John F. Kennedy? Luckily the suit has had a resurgence in recent years, gaining favor with those who are not required to wear it in the workplace, but choose to wear it to look sharp.
This came to mind today when a tall young man in a dark suit and sharp tie happened to ask where he might shop for a new suit in Portland. That depends on if your style is Old Portland, rock star, Europhile, classic, or left field.
John Helmer, Haberdasher (969 SW Broadway) can be depended upon for traditional menswear (almost time for a seersucker suit!) with labels like Hickey Freeman and Southwick, plus the hats are fun. In the Pearl, Finn (132 NW 12th avenue) has modern classics (the Club set, but younger), Coppley and again Hickey Freeman. Old Portland will want a custom suit from Estes Men’s Clothing (1633 NW Glisan), but if you’re Justin Oswald and you want a custom pink silk suit, you’ll have it made in a retro style by Duchess Clothier’s Seyta Selter (503 281 6648). For a slick, decadent look, Dress Code (216 NW 13th) has good options including J Lindeberg’s “progressive tailoring.” And at Mario’s (833 SW Broadway), Italy represents, and he’ll find fine suits from lines ranging from Dolce Gabbana to Zegna to Brioni.
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