Live Action Getup: Suit Up – Business Wear That Works as Hard as You Do

The more you dive into your personal style, the easier it is to get trapped in the “make it flashier” cycle. But often simple is sharper. Here we pair a performance navy suit with a light gray shirt and finish it off with a textured wool tie for a timeless, but sophisticated style.

By Andrew Snavely / Photos By Matthew Smith

This post made possible by Ministry of Supply, inventing clothes that work.

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Navy blue suit gray tie brown shoes

Navy suit brown shoes

Ministry of Supply suit

Andrew Snavely

Andrew is the founder and editor of Primer. He's a graduate of American University and currently lives in Los Angeles. Read more about Primer on our About page. On Instagram: @andrewsnavely and @primermagazine.

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Rt1583

Nice looking suit.
It looks like it fits you pretty well and leans toward Euro-style slim without going all the way there. Is the fit off the rack or did you have to have some alterations done?

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

The pants and sleeves were shortened and some extra was taken from the sides (I’m pretty narrow). Like most suits, the sleeves and pant legs are intentionally long so you can get the fit dialed in.

Rt1583

That leads to another question I had.
Do you mind providing your measurements and sizes so that we can get a closer approximation of fit?
As in this instance, how much did you have taken up on the sides to get the fit you like? In your pictures the jacket looks slim but on their site the jacket looks boxy.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Sure! I’m a 38, sometimes 38s in jacket. 30″ waist, 30″ inseam for a traditional break, a little less if I want them shorter. I’m a medium in slim fit, sometimes can rock a small depending on the fit. I’m actually the smallest I’ve ever been right now, lost 50 lbs this year. Agreed, it was a little boxy when it arrived.

Adams Tegeler

Way to go Andrew – 50 lbs is great! I would love to see a post about that

Rt1583

Thank you.

Ryan C. Benton

this is good stuff bro. love the shirt and tie combo.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Thanks Ryan! Glad you like it.

Kyle Taylor

Digging the color combo here, but not sure if I’m a fan of the jacket’s high button stance.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

I can see that, could be just an 1.5″ lower.

TJ

I agree it doesn’t look great on its own but it looks like you’re a tall guy, Andrew so I think you pull it off.

Butch_Zee

Andrew, it looks good on you in pictures but how is it up close being 100% polyester? Does the suit look like wool? Does it feel like wool? If so, could be worth the investment as a travel suit.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Hey Butch,

Here’s a close up I just took of the jacket. It doesn’t look or feel like wool, but the real question is would an average person notice a difference? If you’re schmoozing a client known for his sartorial prowess, it’s not going to fool him. I think MoS’s goal for this suit is to have something that can offer a different type of performance than traditional ones; if you have to move a lot, need to be able to wash it yourself, etc.

Butch_Zee

THanks. That looks pretty good. Looks like it could pass.

Jeff H.

What polish do you hit your stands with? Seems to be darker than the AE walnut.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Neutral or tan usually. Might be the lighting too.

Jeff H.

Interesting. Looks great as always!

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Thanks! 🙂

Alex

Color matched belt I presume? 🙂

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

I actually went without the belt, I liked the way it didn’t divide the body. That doesn’t work in every situation, of course.

Alex

makes sense! I have trouble getting pants to fit though so belting is usually required.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Yep, in that case color match the belt. It’s still a good look, just felt like mixing it up with the simplicity in this one. 🙂

snowmanjack

Obviously hear great things about Allen Edmonds regularly, but I’d really have to test them out. I bought an almost-identical pair of Johnston&Murphy shoes for $200, wore them around the house a few hours, and had to return them. The fit was right, but just not comfortable. Are there any nice dress shoes that are actually comfortable enough to walk and wear all day? I’m mainly a sneakers guy, but I’ve found Clarks/Floresheims in the past that feel pretty close. Not sure what to expect from more beautiful dress shoes.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

I hear ya. I think Nordstrom carries them, you could try them out. Cushioning is a relative recent addition to footwear, proper fitting shoes should be comfortable. I’ve worn my Strands at all day events like weddings, and they were just fine.

Scott

I wear my Strands to work at a car dealership, so I walk around outside on pavement in them all day, and they do great. They get more comfy as you break them in as well.

Alex

I find the AE dress shoes super comfy actually. The sole is designed to form to your feet, so as long as you get the sizing right, which admittedly can be difficult especially if you don’t live near a brick and mortar location, they’ll feel great in time.

AE does also make a “Road Warrior” line which is designed with a little more cushion, a rubber sole, and is supposed to be a more “on your feet all day” type shoe. I personally didn’t like these as much and the look is a little more casual, but it might be worth a look.

http://www.kmull.com/ Kevin @ KMull.com

I used to be like you. I found a deal ($275ish) on the walnut strands. Bought them because everyone raves about them. They were right. I’ve had them over a year now and they still look phenomenal, aren’t falling apart, and when they start to look rough I can send them back for ~$125 to get them essentially made over and sent back. I can’t remember if they were immediately comfortable, but they are super comfortable now. Definitely worth the investment.

Allen

Have you ever tried anything else by MoS? I like the idea of the stretch fabric but something about the look of this kind of “technical” fabric turns me off. Seeing this suit on you actually makes me like a lot more than when I first looked at it though which is a positive.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Hey Allen, I have a pair of their shorts and I really like them. I’ve been complimented on them twice by strangers, which has never happened to me with shorts before. They do run slim though.

Khoi N.

Excellent getup. Ministry of Supply pants fit like a glove.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Thanks Khoi! Glad you like it.

JCLE

I’m sorry to be the voice of dissent here, but please, for all that is holy, do not buy that MoS suit. It’s a horrid investment that you will regret.

For a little more than the price of the jacket, you can get a 100% wool, half-canvassed suit from SuitSupply, which won’t have that ridiculous looking button stance. A proper wool suit is going to be much more comfortable, will last longer, and won’t develop a shine over time. And those snap-buttons are atrocious.

The fact that you’re touting a polyester suit that costs clearly $500 is ridiculous. It’s simply a disservice to the community.

And to respond to your statement ” It doesn’t look or feel like wool, but the real question is would an average person notice a difference?”

That’s a terrible way to look at it. A suit is an investment – don’t buy some garbage poly suit that pretends like it’s some huge leap in technology. A wool suit is the gold standard for a reason – it will always look, perform and be better than this poly junk.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

No need to apologize, I always love having a discussion. This suit wouldn’t be a guys first or primary suit, because of the spot on reasons you mentioned. It may be something to consider if a guy works in a hot climate and/or is very active in his job.

This suit has a place, and I think mentioning an alternative to what we always talk about is not a disservice to the community because for years (since 2008) I’ve been dissecting, exploring, and recommending wool suits, as well as other natural fiber options like cotton and linen. If you’d like to explore that you can see those here:

http://www.primermagazine.com/tag/suits
http://www.primermagazine.com/tag/professional-style

On a personal note, I must admit it can be frustrating to feel like we can’t feature certain things because they’re too expensive, or too cheap, or an alternative to a primary choice. A true disservice would be to attempt to box every Primer reader from every part of the country, with every different kind of job, with different financial resources, different person styles and say the only thing they should buy is X. Just like with the Getup styles, every guy isn’t going to relate to every post, and products are now different. No matter how much a guy might understand the longterm value of the AE Strands, it may just be unrealistic for him.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment, chatting with you and discussing ideas is my favorite part of doing Primer.

JCLE

Thanks, Andrew. I appreciate your response, and understand where you’re coming from.

Can definitely see what you mean about wanting to recommend alternatives, but I still stand by the fact that polyester is simply an unreliable fabric that will yield disappointing results in the long term. I understand the idea of not trying to put all Primer users in one box or assuming they all have the same interests, and that’s fine. We all have different styles or interests.

But those varying interests can be appealed to while still supporting a quality product. It’s a matter of balancing price, quality and aesthetic. If the goal here was to find a simple, navy suit at a decent price point that can be used by an active person, this didn’t achieve that goal. There’s better options, at lower or similar price points, for that demographic.

The strands are a good example of this. Even if someone dislikes the aesthetic, or the styling, they are a quality recommendation. They are a product of outstanding value for the price. A lot of the products you endorse here are the same – good products at a great price. The MoS suit, on the other hand, simply doesn’t fit that bill, in my humble opinion.

Again, thanks for taking the time to engage with me. I’m also an AU grad, so you can probably appreciate the burning desire to debate on everything 🙂

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

AU! A fellow Eagle! Are you still in the DC area? I’ve been looking to come visit, really love the city.

I certainly understand and respect your viewpoint here, this suit is not a go-to affordable navy staple suit, we’ve feature many others that fit your criteria. I would say that Ministry of Supply is doing great things with unconventional fabrics, so don’t write them off until you’ve seen them in person, especially their shirt and shorts I really dig. It’s not for everyone but I know a lot of guys have found value in their attention to practical details.

TJ

Lookin’ good dude. I agree about the flashiness. That’s why I much prefered Ben’s style on Parks & Rec to Tom’s. Tom went way too flashy for my taste.

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

Thanks TJ, totally agree about Ben.

Adams Tegeler

Great reference to Ben on Parks & Rec. They did a great job of keeping his style professional, yet comfortable and attainable.
Wish that show was still on.

John

Anyone have any experience with suits from Versace Collection and thoughts on quality? I found one heavily discounted and the fit was there, but was not sure how the quality was comparatively speaking to other brands within that range. Also, as a side note, I do not have to wear suits everyday for my job, more business casual but I have found Theory dress pants to both fit extremely well and also be very comfortable. Think I got mine for just over $125 at Saks Off 5th.

http://www.kmull.com/ Kevin @ KMull.com

You have $969 in the suit, shirt, and shoes, and you want to pair that with a cheap $4 Target sock? Come on, man. I actually have those socks in a turquoise and they are hot and somewhat itchy. At least spring for some $10-15 JCrew socks or something… compared to the rest it is a drop in the bucket.

Mike Wargo

Wore this to a job interview and actually got it!

http://www.primermagazine.com/ Andrew

YES! Congrats!