The Journal — NYC Identity

The creative industries in New York have their own dress code — one that doesn't appear on any invitation and isn't formalized anywhere, but is legible to everyone who moves in those environments. It is a code that values deliberateness over convention, that reads expensive fabric more readily than logos, and that recognizes the difference between someone who dresses with intention and someone who dresses to signal membership.

A suit that can only be worn to formal occasions is a limited garment. A suit that can be worn on a Tuesday afternoon, to a casual dinner, to a creative meeting — a suit that travels down the formality register as easily as it travels up — is a wardrobe foundation rather than an occasion piece.

The shoe is the first thing a tailor looks at when assessing whether a suit fits correctly — because the trouser hem, the trouser break, and the visual proportion of the leg all depend on the heel height and silhouette of the shoe. It is also the detail that most reliably finishes or undermines an otherwise well-considered suit outfit.

The suit-and-sneakers combination is one of the most discussed and most frequently failed looks in contemporary men's dressing. When it works, it reads as effortless and knowing — the person who is so comfortable in formal clothing that they can pair it with something unexpected without looking like they're trying. When it fails, it reads as a costume: either too deliberate or simply incongruous.