Wearing a suit while playing pool...

chefjeff

chefjeff

If not now...
Silver Member
I've often been fascinated by the old photos of the greats. In those, most of the guys are wearing 3-piece suits. I've often wondered how/why those guys wore these restricting clothes and yet still played great pool.

I just read this article that goes into how this economic depression might result in men wearing suits all the time as a means to display the value they can offer potential employers. Even the bums sleeping on park benches were all wearing suits.

Compare that fashion to today's "fashion."

Not only the economy will affect style, imho. With the non-smoking nazis being so successful, a suit won't be as likely to get smelly/smoky like it would have before the anti-smoking thugs had their way. That makes wearing one a little less costly.

I've often thought of putting on my best suit to play league but didn't as I didn't want to constantly explain why I was wearing a suit.

Anyone considering wearing a suit to the pool hall. Why/ why not?

Jeff Livingston
 
Yes!

In some of the places that I went to in my younger days, maybe a "suit of armour" :wink:

Jim looks good in Armani. :grin:

Jim
 
On rare occasion I go to the pool hall straight from work where I have been known to wear a tie. The room owner's wife has thanked me for wearing nice clothes to her business BTW.

I can tell you first-hand that a tie is VERY uncomfortable because it restricts your ability to keep your head "up" when bent over the table. It tries to choke you. A jacket would be restrictive too.

Other than that, I find "nice" clothes are more comfortable that the old standby t-shirt and jeans. Some of the clothes I've seen worn (and have worn) to the poolhall are terrible.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the attire at recent US Open 14.1 and Predator 14.1 tournaments has been exceptional. The tuxedo wear (vested) with a modern collar (low cut) and absent jacket should be totally acceptable from a player's perspective. Snooker has a lot to teach us.

What's not to like about this?
johnnyarcher.JPG
 
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Ive played in the last three US Open snooker tournaments, and various other events, and I will tell you...I actually have played my best with the tuxedo vest, long sleeves, and the just slightly loose bowtie. Something about looking good when you play gives you a bit of hop in your step.
 
This is the e-mail I sent to the writer of this article.

Enjoy



While I enjoyed the vintage photos in your article, I disagree with your conclusions. While making yourself presentable is very important in the work place going back to an overarching formal style for all activities isn't practical. In today's world we have clothing styles that are function oriented. For example, a person going to work would have their work clothes, a suit if you prefer, while another person going for a run would wear their workout clothes.

What you are suggesting is uniformity. Our consumer based economy functions on the premise that people are individuals and require a wide varity of goods in order to satisfy thier individual tastes. To go away from that would not only sink the global economy deeper into recession but make it harder for those people looking for work to afford the clothing you suggest is required to maintain employment.

In closing, I would also like to suggest that "The suit" be reserved for the bankers who got us into this mess with thier unsustainable and possibly fraudulent banking practices so that we can easily identify them when the masses want thier pound of flesh.

Sincerely,

SGM
 
It would be a relief to just see today's pool players look presentable at pool events, most of todays players look like they are on the way to a tacky party.
 
mosconiac said:
Other than that, I find "nice" clothes are more comfortable that the old standby t-shirt and jeans.
johnnyarcher.JPG
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"Lucky Green T"??? Oh wait, that's a new one that you now wear:).

Cheffeff...can you get your state team to wear a suit at the ISPA:D? Now that would be classy...and there's no smoking this year so you could probably wear your suits twice...unless you got into a tight match and sweat alot:eek:.

I've also noticed that in all of the old movies, every guy is wearing a suit and every woman has on a pretty classy dress...even when portraying cowboys. I think that is a measure of the times as well.

L8R...Ken
 
chefjeff said:
I've often been fascinated by the old photos of the greats. In those, most of the guys are wearing 3-piece suits. I've often wondered how/why those guys wore these restricting clothes and yet still played great pool.

I just read this article that goes into how this economic depression might result in men wearing suits all the time as a means to display the value they can offer potential employers. Even the bums sleeping on park benches were all wearing suits.

Compare that fashion to today's "fashion."

Not only the economy will affect style, imho. With the non-smoking nazis being so successful, a suit won't be as likely to get smelly/smoky like it would have before the anti-smoking thugs had their way. That makes wearing one a little less costly.

I've often thought of putting on my best suit to play league but didn't as I didn't want to constantly explain why I was wearing a suit.

Anyone considering wearing a suit to the pool hall. Why/ why not?

Jeff Livingston
Click to expand...
Wow, great thread.

I too have been facinated by the old pros wearing suits and I'm in the process of doing so myself. I say "in the process of" because I've been practicing around 30 minutes a day with a sportcoat on. It's just a corderoy blazer and I'm kinda liking it. My game isn't as good with the jacket on but I'm getting there. At first it just felt different and my stroke felt weird, but I'm over that, now I just have to get it out of my head that I actually have it on. I'd love to get some wool sportcoats that are soft and light.

You might ask, "Why would you want to wear a sportccoat?" I've just got this crazy idea that when my league-ending parties happen next month (2 parties, probably 150 people in each) I want to show up in my tuxedo and play like superman with it on. Pipe dream? Maybe, but what the hell...I like to have fun. I'm not the top player in either league but I can be the best dressed.
 
SKUNKBOY said:
"(snip)
Cheffeff...can you get your state team to wear a suit at the ISPA:D? Now that would be classy...and there's no smoking this year so you could probably wear your suits twice...unless you got into a tight match and sweat alot:eek:.

(snip)

L8R...Ken
Click to expand...

Lol....I cannot get my team to go to state! They're bums and cannot plan ahead more than, maybe, 5 minutes from now. Seriously! I tried to get us to each put $5 a week into a pot and use that to pay for state, but each and every one of my teammates rejected that idea outright! But as they rejected that idea, they claimed to wanting to go to state. Here it is, state time, and each one decided not to go afterall. Wussies!

Suits? Hell, I'd just like to go to state with some people who:

pay
show up on time
get a room reservation (vs. crashing my room and stiffing me)
desire more than being able to brag about being "best player in town" (when playing the minor leagues during summer...lol)
respect those who deserve it
plan ahead
have their own cues (borrowing mine doesn't work too well at state)
bring enough money to eat so I don't have to look at their hungry faces while we shoot and so we could do something normal like go out and eat together
etc.

Putting these monkeys in suits wouldn't mean much.

Jeff Livingston
 
Sorry for you Jeff

I think you need to look around a little. Des Moines is a big town...surely there are 4 others like you somehwere that aren't on a team. Remember, you only need three original players to form a State Team...the other two just need to be sanctioned in the same league. Keep looking, you'll work it out.

As far as the suits go...that would be cool. We have a team in CR that wants to wear Kilts:eek::eek:, but the board thought that to be a little too far over the edge. I think they do walk around the Tournament showing off their legs, just not playing in the event.

Good luck to you in future endeavors. Will I see you in the Singles events?

L8R...Ken
 
I actually shot in a tux the other night. And I agree with bnkunderme, dressin nice actually makes you feel a little better. and thus shoot a little better. Im sure the effect would wear off if you wore a suit everyday but it was a nice change of pace. I think it would help promote the image of pool too.
 
Last time I played pool in a suit was about a year ago during a friend's wedding reception. The reception was next door to a nice bar with a couple of well kept Valley's.

The suit definitely attracted action, and by the end of the night I was in a $100 9-Ball set. I think I won a couple hundred and a bunch of drinks.
 
If you look at any old movies the men would always be shown wearing a suit. Film clips of sporting events show the crowd wearing suits and top coats. Films of the Great Depression show men standing in the soup line wearing a suit.

Laurel and Hardy, 3 Stooges, George Burns, the Rat Pack, etc all wore suits.

Today hardly anyone wears a suit. Most work places allow causal dress. Guests are weddings and people paying their last respects at funerals wear just about anything except a suit.

The only place that I know that requires men to wear a suit at the Montreal Canadiens Area. Men sitting in the lower section were required to wear a suit a few years back but that may have changed.

Years ago in the evening men in casinos were required to wear suit and ladies had to wear a gown or cocktail dress.

I remember having to wear a suit to go to a movie theater. I thought that was dumb as hell that I had to get dressed up to sit in the dark. That was one of the reasons that I preferred the drive in.
 
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I use to wear suits a lot when I was in my late teens and early 20's. In those days I was trying to copy the wise guys hung out with in South Ozone Park and Sheephead Bay. You know, suit, highly polished good shoes or loafers, gun, slicked back hair, I even wore a hat for a short time. I was playing a lot of pool too, and I don't remember it ever feeling uncomfortable. Johnnyt
 
I do it all the time. I actually make it a prerequisite to play me. You must dress for the occasion. No tie. No action.
 
Jeff,

A couple of years ago at the Valley state tourney, there was a blonde haired younger guy that had a brown suit with a pink undershirt and tie. It was quite a spectacle to see him playing in that suit. I don't know if he lost a bet or what but there was a lot of conversation about the suit.

I have no idea how well he shot with that thing on, but he did get everyone's attention.
 
Complex13 said:
Jeff,

A couple of years ago at the Valley state tourney, there was a blonde haired younger guy that had a brown suit with a pink undershirt and tie. It was quite a spectacle to see him playing in that suit. I don't know if he lost a bet or what but there was a lot of conversation about the suit.

I have no idea how well he shot with that thing on, but he did get everyone's attention.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a little sharkaroo move to me. Johnnyt
 
Sharp/crisp suits convey an air of respect

Mosconiac:

I completely agree, as I'm in the same boat you are -- I often do information technology consulting work in Manhattan, and in almost all cases, it's in a suit. I've been wearing suits for as long as I can remember (going even as far back to my U.S. Navy days, but that was a uniform in those days), and I've always chosen formal wear that is smart and crisp, but COMFORTABLE at the same time. (Heck, if I'm going to spend 10-12 hours working side-by-side with a customer in one of these things, it damn well better be comfortable!) The assertion that a suit is not comfortable is simply not true -- a suit is what you make it. Granted, if you purchase the components of your suit from Wal-Mart, chances are it's not going to be the most comfortable thing to wear. Because my career is an enabler for me to wear a suit, I purchase (and write-off on taxes, where I can) well-known name-brand items, because in the long run, they're built for comfort and long life as well as aesthetics.

Oftentimes, when I'm running late returning from Manhattan, after I'd fed and walked the dog, I find myself grabbing my cue case and leaving for league with what I have on -- full business dress. No need to "get in comfortable clothes," because I'm already comfortable. What's nice is that my league mates seem to *prefer* that I show up in full business dress, because it stirs up conversation, as well as seemingly instilling a little concern on the part of the opposing team. ("Hey, who's that that just showed up? Him there, the one in the suit.") They quickly find out when my match starts. :wink:

The only caveat is keeping one's shirt clean (especially the sleeve cuffs which attract chalk) and keeping the dress tie out of the way. Partly roll-up the sleeves for the former, and two solutions for the latter: a.) tie-clip, or b.) wear a bow-tie instead -- which is actually popular in Manhattan. (And not a clip-on jobbie either; a real hand-tied bow-tie.)

I find that wearing a suit seems to command at least a little respect, if one acts in the same sharp manner as they are dressed. (In other words, let the cover be a good indicator of the book's contents.) For some strange reason, I've found that opponents tend to be more respectful and courteous during a match when I've played in full business attire than if I threw on jeans and a sweatshirt. And mosconiac nailed it -- I'd received compliments and sometimes even a drink as well from the proprietor of the establishment my team was playing league in at the time.

The pic of Johnny Archer in full dress is quite apropos; what's not to like? Definitely conveys an air of respect for the game, your opponent, and yourself. It's nice to see cue games where appearance is still very important -- snooker and straight pool!

-Sean

mosconiac said:
On rare occasion I go to the pool hall straight from work where I have been known to wear a tie. The room owner's wife has thanked me for wearing nice clothes to her business BTW.

I can tell you first-hand that a tie is VERY uncomfortable because it restricts your ability to keep your head "up" when bent over the table. It tries to choke you. A jacket would be restrictive too.

Other than that, I find "nice" clothes are more comfortable that the old standby t-shirt and jeans. Some of the clothes I've seen worn (and have worn) to the poolhall are terrible.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the attire at recent US Open 14.1 and Predator 14.1 tournaments has been exceptional. The tuxedo wear (vested) with a modern collar (low cut) and absent jacket should be totally acceptable from a player's perspective. Snooker has a lot to teach us.

What's not to like about this?
johnnyarcher.JPG
Click to expand...
 
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