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Welcome to Closet Constructor, a weekly series where I (a style editor) help you (a well-meaning person who likes clothes) discover new, interesting and affordable ways to really start dressin’.
I recently celebrated a birthday, a lowkey affair that included a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a dinner at Waverly Inn and more than one — two, I had two — spicy Palomas. (I am not, unfortunately, legally allowed to use my editor platform to solicit money or Applebee’s gift cards from readers, but know that where there’s a will, there’s a way.)
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The best celeb gear and garb we’ve spotted so farThis fact in and of itself isn’t particularly exciting. One year closer to death, as they say. It did, however, introduce a previously unforeseen query: should I dress up for a celebratory, but otherwise completely traditional Tuesday on the town and dinner? We all have these private milestones: life’s small wins that warrant a rational, appropriate amount of celebration but won’t necessarily translate to a slammed maître d’ or begrudging Uber driver. Does the occasion call for a particularly put-together ‘fit, too?
The short answer you absolutely saw coming is yes, dress to the nines. Hell, do it every single day. Life’s short, and, in the case of a birthday, it just gotten that shorter. But even being practical here — people will probably stare if you bust out your finest bespoke Brunello to see Deadpool & Wolverine — there’s an opportunity to differential your dress code from the normal uniform. After all, it’s a special day, and it demands at least an iota of difference to really treat it as such.
Logically, then, the next step would be figuring out what the hell you should be wearing. “Dressing up” can look like many things, but, for the sake of brevity, I’m going to stick to a situation of a meal out — arguably the most basic form of communal celebration — be it at your favorite local tavern or an experimental omakase.
The mind tends to drift to the extreme when words like dressy or formal are dropped into the chat, towards fine linen tailoring and expensive designerwear, but it doesn’t need to be that dramatic. Most suits, though admirable, are both overkill and impossibly stuffy during high summer (also: a dry cleaning hazard); we’re talking about the raw bar, not the wedding reception.
The happy middle ground I’ll recommend is a holdover from the old days of dining out — the classic “jackets required” joints were onto something. Suit separates telegraph the kind of special-occasion vibe appropriate for the situation. A tropical wool sports coat will get you through the door at Le Bernardin; ditch it, and the tie, at the first sign of sweat. Likewise, classic shades in less-that-buttoned-up textures like chambray and selvedge feel appropriate as a step up from your normal daily look without triggering any weirdo red flags.
Celebrate the small wins. Bust out a tie once in a while. Enjoy the weekend.
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