Attire

[AllanAllen]

Those of you who gig and dress up (I mean suit). What do you do to stay cool?

I want to have a more professional appearance but I can’t find sports coats without liners and double layered fabric.

Is there a keyword I’m missing?

[Hep To The Jive]

Those of you who gig and dress up (I mean suit). What do you do to stay cool?

I want to have a more professional appearance but I can’t find sports coats without liners and double layered fabric.

Is there a keyword I’m missing?

I don't understand, are you asking how to dress up for a gig? Or what to wear in between the gigs? To stay cool meaning escaping the summer heat? Or cool meaning being cool?

[Mick-7]

I'm thinking the southern gentlemen summertime look a la Tom Wolfe - but you could forego the bowtie.

"The white suit wasn't some kind of statement; it was what you wore in the summer in Richmond, Virginia” - Tom Wolfe

[Boss Man Zwiebelsohn]

Try fabric made of hemp fibres.

[Bobby Timmons]

It triggers me that dressing up for men means wearing a get up that would only be comfortable in below freezing temperatures. I can't imagine wanting to do that to yourself for a fun jazz gig. :P

[Litterick]

Linen is the best suit material for hot environments.

[Ukena]

What you want is an unstructured linen blazer – it has no lining, and no padding in the shoulders. There are lots of unstructured blazers available – I own a few of them, and wear them in the summer.

I don't buy jackets online – I can wear 41L size jackets off the rack, and they'll fit me perfectly, but I want to try it on first. Sometimes I'll need a 42L, and sometimes a 42 regular will fit.

From your videos, you seem to be slim, which means that you should be able to fit into a conventional sized jacket. If you're over 6 ft (I can't tell from the videos), you'll probably want a 40L or something like that.

Sometimes unconstructed jackets come in S-M-L-XL sizing.

But a linen jacket paired with a linen shirt will keep you pretty cool most of the time. Buy a shirt with a neck a little large, so if you need to wear a tie, you can button the top button and still have some air get through.

By the way, those white suits, even in the '40's, were often rayon, which is a plant-based synthetic fiber. Nowadays you'll often find a similar fiber, viscose (tencel, lyocell), in Hawaiian shirts, which are remarkably comfortable in the heat.

I applaud you for wanting professional attire to wear on the bandstand, even in the heat.

[mr. beaumont]

I always try to go a step above my audience...so a suit or coat at an outdoor gig in summer is waaaay more than that.

[pamosmusic]

It triggers me that dressing up for men means wearing a get up that would only be comfortable in below freezing temperatures. I can't imagine wanting to do that to yourself for a fun jazz gig. :P

A bunch of my friends went to VCU in Richmond and their literal department rules said something along the lines of the following:

"Coat and tie required for concerts. Drummers: that means you. If Max Roach can do it, so can you."

[Bobby Timmons]

Haha. I can't imagine a situation where I'd ever wear a suit again.

[AllanAllen]

What you want is an unstructured linen blazer – it has no lining, and no padding in the shoulders. There are lots of unstructured blazers available – I own a few of them, and wear them in the summer.

I don't buy jackets online – I can wear 41L size jackets off the rack, and they'll fit me perfectly, but I want to try it on first. Sometimes I'll need a 42L, and sometimes a 42 regular will fit.

From your videos, you seem to be slim, which means that you should be able to fit into a conventional sized jacket. If you're over 6 ft (I can't tell from the videos), you'll probably want a 40L or something like that.

Sometimes unconstructed jackets come in S-M-L-XL sizing.

But a linen jacket paired with a linen shirt will keep you pretty cool most of the time. Buy a shirt with a neck a little large, so if you need to wear a tie, you can button the top button and still have some air get through.

By the way, those white suits, even in the '40's, were often rayon, which is a plant-based synthetic fiber. Nowadays you'll often find a similar fiber, viscose (tencel, lyocell), in Hawaiian shirts, which are remarkably comfortable in the heat.

I applaud you for wanting professional attire to wear on the bandstand, even in the heat.

Thanks, this is what I needed. I'm 6'4" and 180lbs, it's near impossible to find clothes that fit me at less than designer prices. This jacket is a 40L and I'm thinking of going to 42L to try and get more sleeve length. The pants are work pants because 32x36 is hard to find. So needless to say, a polyester Kenny Rodgers sport coat over double knee fire hose pants is toasty. I've found some slacks, but all the sport coats were the same heavy stuff.

I like to wear suits, I think I look good in a suit and I want the group to have a private event look even if we are at a Farmers Market, so people know from a look that yes, we can play your wedding reception too.

If you're playing music for cash, this is business as much as it is art.

[AllanAllen]

Haha. I can't imagine a situation where I'd ever wear a suit again.

That's fine, we get along without keys very well.

[Bobby Timmons]

Yeah well I'm not hiring you either. :P

[AllanAllen]

A bunch of my friends went to VCU in Richmond and their literal department rules said something along the lines of the following:

"Coat and tie required for concerts. Drummers: that means you. If Max Roach can do it, so can you."

Honestly, Art Blakey looking powerful on his album covers is no small part of my inspiration to wear a suit.

[Greywolf]

Silk in the swampy south is the alternative to linen . I wear both depending on the venue

[spencer096]

check suitsupply

[pauln]

Need good shoes, too; I like black full Oxford brogues.

[AllanAllen]

Need good shoes, too; I like black full Oxford brogues.

I've got some almost exactly like that, but tan.

[AllanAllen]

check suitsupply

Yeah.... I'm not in the market for a $500 blazer.

[Woody Sound]

[wolflen]

T Shirt and torn jeans

or

Albert King in a Lavender suite w/vest and white hat and tinted glasses

[spencer096]

Yeah.... I'm not in the market for a $500 blazer.

not gonna be easy finding one with no structure and lining in a linen or lightweight wool if this is the case. a plain dark blue, all season blazer from quality wool for $400 is a legit value given how versatile it is and how it'll last for a couple decades.

[DawgBone]

Thanks, this is what I needed. I'm 6'4" and 180lbs, it's near impossible to find clothes that fit me at less than designer prices. This jacket is a 40L and I'm thinking of going to 42L to try and get more sleeve length. The pants are work pants because 32x36 is hard to find. So needless to say, a polyester Kenny Rodgers sport coat over double knee fire hose pants is toasty. I've found some slacks, but all the sport coats were the same heavy stuff.

I like to wear suits, I think I look good in a suit and I want the group to have a private event look even if we are at a Farmers Market, so people know from a look that yes, we can play your wedding reception too.

If you're playing music for cash, this is business as much as it is art.

That jacket would be better left at home, looks like you borrowed it from a schoolboy with them short sleeves. No offense intended.

I'm an inch or two taller than you but my wife is a good cook and I try to do some calisthenics so I'm about 210 and wear 34W36L which are a little easier to find. I just can't hack a overcoat in the Texas heat. Most of my gigs are outdoors so we are talking about sun poisoning doing gigs in the heat of the day or doing an afternoon then an evening show.

I recently picked up some nice Our Lady of Guadalupe t shirts that are kind of colorful and stand-outish and I got a few different nice necklaces so I can switch them up. I gotta heavy navajo turquoise bear claw. A zuni turquoise smaller pendant. My baptismal cross. A silver Our Lady pendant. Most people don't rock the bigger pieces so that kind of says "band guy". People seem to know cause the doormen just say "hi".

I got a nice beaver fur Homburg and been shopping for the next one, probably gonna go with a purple beaver fur this time for the pimp factor. I usually wear tan combat boots so I don't have to worry about stepping on needles or excrement downtown or walking home if my car shits the bed so that is more utilitarian, plus as you know I can be somewhat militant in my approach so it works for me. Probably gonna look at some colored Doc Martens or Timberlands, there is quite a variety of colors available. I haven't worn a pair of shoes in ten years.. A lot of guys rock cowboy boots here, obviously, but when you're already six and a half feet tall plus wearing a hat them are just a good way to bang your head everywhere.

Calvin Klein sells nice branded V necks that make it look more than just some sloppy undershirt. i've used those but gig T's get trashed and the neck tends to stretch over time thanks to the guitar strap pulling on there so you gotta re-up on your supply every season. You can always toss an overcoat on until you're too warm then you can remove it that way no one says "he ain't gotta jacket!!" I hate suits. Just too damn hot. Plus it's kind of cliche in jazz and blues so I avoid suits, Fedoras, newsboy caps, wingtips, bowling shirts, slacks and guys whose nickname is Doc and use words like "mojo". LOL

Anyways, that's what a guy near your size does for his blues gigs. It's good to put some thought into wearing something that is a reflection of your personality and playing style whether it's wild or mild, out there or reserved. I'm brash and I play loud so that''s my approach to dress. You gotta make those determinations but my main suggestion is to avoid cliche shit. I been kinda going through my own wardrobe myself lately too and buying some garb for winter and album photos so the thread was timely. Happy shopping Allan.

[RLetson]

Macy's usually carries some decent-looking summer-weight linen in their Alfani line in the regular men's department. Not sure whether the current models are unlined or half-lined. And they're generally not of that tight/short cut that dominates their suit department and that young guys find cool-looking (and that I think just looks ill-fitting). Traditional summer dress-casual is cut loose and light-colored--though I'd think white is just asking for trouble--and linen wrinkles, which can be part of the look.

[AllanAllen]

I actually like the Blues Brothers look. It sure beats what I see a lot of guys wearing. A stained t shirt tucked into jeans, or cargo shorts paired with socks and sandals.