Eh, I’m 40. My suits are all monocolor or with a thin non-contrasting pinstripe. I’m not all about the plaid. At the same time, I know as much about fashion as my cat knows about astrophysics, so I’m probably not a good source. I wear largely what my wife tells me to wear and clothes just mysteriously appear and disappear from my closet when the urge overtakes her to change things up. If she bought me that suit, I’d wear it simply because she told me to.
I wouldn’t wear the plaid on an interview, but I am old and stodgy. OTOH I am not sure I would want to look young when applying for an internship. Good luck to your son.
I wear suits to work. I have a light gray suit, a dark gray suit, a black suit, and a brown suit. Sometimes when I really want to shake things up, I wear dark blue pants with the black suit coat.
Plaid suits are harder to match - you need a plain tie (my daughter the fashion maven tells me). I tell her that I have seen other people bring it off. She looks at me pityingly and says “you aren’t other people, daddy”.
A 19 year old could wear that, for maybe a year, before fashions change.
The grey one could be worn for a number of years.
A black one could be worn for quite some time.
If your son is going to be working out and getting bigger in shoulders and arms, then this might work out for him for the year he can wear it. If he gets bulked up, and the suit gets too tight, then he can choose a new fashionable one.
As an interviewer, I’d see a 19 year old in a fashionable suit, inwardly grin a little about the impetuosity of the young, hearken back to my first suit handed down from my brother, and then continue on asking him about his work ethic and business knowledge.
I think the plaid suit is a great look for a professional of any age. I have a coworker in his mid 60s who has almost that exact suit (maybe it is) and it looks great. Wear it to an interview? For sure. Great way for an interviewee to stand out in a positive way.
I can see it more as a sports coat than as an entire suit. Later in the day, it gets warm in the office, you want to take off your jacket, but you don’t want to walk around in those trousers, you look like a circus clown.
OK, I’m retired, and no judge of what people wear to work any more.
I like it, I’d wear it (and I’m 53). OTOH, I do agree a bit with Shodan on this one – it might be a little too trendy for business interviews. A lot probably depends on what sort of businesses your son is interviewing at – ad agencies would love that suit, Wall Street financial banks, probably not so much.
Thanks, I realize that the reason I need to ask is that my taste in men’s clothes was formed generations ago, in the late 60s and 70s, by my father (born 1912) who had gray, navy and black suits. Pinstripe was about the most daring he would get, and he had a tweed jacket too for a more casual look.
I can see him frowning at that plaid now. And I’ve never forgotten hearing our principal in middle school yelling at a boy for wearing plaid “circus clown” pants.
I would look at two things you said in the OP - NYC and business internship. In my experience , those two factors suggest dark conservative. Things might have changed lately, but I wouldn’t go with either of your linked choices for that environment. The plaid would work in a creative or publishing environment, but maybe not business. The gray is kinda light for NYC, they tend darker (charcoal, dark navy). But that’s just me.
You’re more generous than me. I was thinking more cockney villain. To me that’s the sort of suit that goes best with a cigar and a dented signet ring. Definitely wouldn’t recommend it.
