Need help dressing DH for evenings out in NYC!

helovesducatis · March 2012

Hi all,

DH and I are traveling to NYC soon and will spending our weeknights out @ Beauty and Essex, Aqua Grill, Grand Central Oyster Bar, and Otto.

We come from Central CA, where farmers reign supreme. DH gets a raised eyebrow everytime he wears a dressed down suit on our nice evenings out, so he's gotten used to darkwash jeans and button downs instead. He does, however, prefer to dress up and has the wardrobe to accommodate this.

Those of you who live in NYC or a more cultured area than our surroundings:) , what would you recommend that he wear? I'll be in dresses and heels each night.

I appreciate the help!

mavjen · March 2012

Since all of your spots list the attire as casual, your husband could get away with wearing a nice pair of dark rinse jeans and a button down shirt. But since you will be dressed up in dresses and heels (I'm the same way, do it up!), maybe he can add a blazer and a darker color shirt with nice shoes so he can be on the same level of dress. If the suit he likes is a more dressed down version, I would tell him to bring it to NYC and he could mix it up. Like wear the jacket with jeans and a button down or a cotton knit shirt or a light sweater. Or the pants with a sweater and button down.

I usually err on the side of being more dressy (than more casual), especially for fun nights out on vacation or at home. I like the process and it gets me pumped up for the night. Also, I love that NYC is a dressier city in nicer restaurants, clubs, and lounges. You're really not going to see people in beach flip flops and gym shorts at like a Buddakan in NYC for dinner.

AGsWife · March 2012

We go out in NYC often and DH wears nice jeans and a button down/nice sweater (depending on where we're going/time of year.) Nice shoes - no sneakers or flip flops.

I usually wear nice jeans and a blouse/fancy tank with a cardigan, heels or cute flats.

+v+ · March 2012

I live in New York. Otto is nice but very casual, so I'd go jeans and a nice t-shirt/polo/sweater for him, and I probably wouldn't do a dress and heels unless it is a casual dress -- I'd feel like I was trying too hard if I wore fancy clothes there.

Beauty and Essex is dressier, but still young. So for him I'd go with dark jeans and a button-down and dress shoes, and heels and dress are good for you (although I'd probably do jeans and a dressy top and heels unless it was hot). Aqua Grill and GC Oyster Bar are a little more old-school, and again I'd do dark jeans/button-down/dress shoes for him and dress or jeans and fancy top for you, but he could do dress pants there if he wanted to dress up a bit. I definitely would not have him do a suit.

Really, New York isn't all that dressy. There are maybe 10 places where we wouldn't feel comfortable wearing dressy jeans, and they're very fancy and old school places that we don't usually go to. You'll see people wearing a bit of everything so it is hard to look out of place, but you definitely don't need to be very dressy at most places.

gorjush · March 2012

Even at Per Se and Eleven Madison Park DH wears dark jeans and a button down- for the fancier places like these he adds a blazer.

emyinpink · March 2012

yep, my DH always wears dark wash jeans, and either just a button down, or more often, a blazer and a button down. sometimes he'll also wear a v-neck solid tee and a blazer.

Joanis018 · March 2012

Sounds like you have a great list of places to go! I agree with pp- you don't need to get really dressed up for any of those places. Hubs generally wears a button down, dark jeans and nice shoes. A nice blazer could step it up a notch.

Anything nicer than that is totally up to you

SA7206 · March 2012

I've only been to Aqua Grill and I wore a casual dress and heels. It wasn't a fancy dress by any means. The attire there is such a mix - dressed up jeans, skirts/dresses for girls and suits or jeans and a nice shirt for guys.

What I love about NYC is that if you want to dress up you can and if you don't want to you don't really have to either and you won't ever feel out of place (for most places). I love that it's anything goes.

Deconstruction · March 2012

DH, and all of his friends, wear nice jeans and button-down shirts when we go out (and no sneakers -- nicer shoes). He would wear this even if I am dressed to the 9's. Every so often he might throw a casual blazer on top to seem even more dressy. That is about it.

helovesducatis · March 2012

Thanks for the helpful replies, guys! Now that I know that its not just in our area that the men stick to dark jeans and button downs, I don't feel quite so po-dunk (sp?) :P

firedancer22 · March 2012

gorjush:
Even at Per Se and Eleven Madison Park DH wears dark jeans and a button down- for the fancier places like these he adds a blazer.

This.

Need help dressing DH for evenings out in NYC!

Re: Need help dressing DH for evenings out in NYC!

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